Everything I Ever Wanted To Know About Horses, But Was Afraid to Ask

I have to admit, that when we first bought Misty in 1990, I didn't know anything about horses.  Everything that I DID know I learned from my best friend, Conrad...which wasn't too terribly much.  I knew that I needed to give them grain, and some hay, and make sure they had water, but that was about it.  Boy was I in for a rude awakening.  I didn't really like to ride because I had been thrown and hurt my back a few years earlier, but I did love them.  It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that some people are just better with horses OUT of the saddle.  My friend, Gail, taught me that!  Yea, Gail!!! So, I just basically had a yard ornament for a while.  Then in 1995, Misty colicked and died.  I tell you what, having any animal euthanized is traumatic, but having a horse euthanized is completely unimaginable in terms of heartbreak!  They are such big, beautiful creatures.  And those eyes!!! Thank God my dear brother, who referred to me as "Ellie Mae" (those of you that are at least 45 can possibly understand why), was here when we had to have my beloved Misty euthanized.  Pat, who passed away in 2008, was my best friend and my greatest admirer, seemed to always be here when we had to have a horse put down.  I couldn't handle watching it so I promptly went into my closet and cried and mostly prayed for God to not let it be painful at all.  Pat, who was 13 years older than me would come and get me when it was over and he would be crying too.  However, he would always say, "It's okay, kiddo.  They are better off."  Then here come the dreams of horses beautiful eyes!  I am totally obsessed to this day with horses eyes! 

In 1998 when my little sweet daughter was 6 she decided to start taking riding lessons.  I decided that I wanted her to learn to ride English but I did know enough to realize that people who ride English tend to know a lot about how to STAY ON a horse!  On Christmas day of 1999, we surprised my daughter (henceforth referred to as "the little sweetie" ) with a pony.  His name is Sammy.  When we purchased him, I had no idea that this would start such a downhill slide of our money!  If you allow your daughter to ride English, you'd better be prepared to put money in the horse and watch it poop out hay at the other end!  Believe me, unless you are a millionaire and win the Kentucky Derby, horses will cause you to go broke.  But what can you do?  Horses are for a girl like an insurance policy.  They love their horse, they want to spend time with their horse, hence they tend to not want to take drugs because you sure can't stay on a horse while taking drugs, and horses are their main agenda!  Be happy and broke that your daughter loves horses! 
THEN the rescuing starts...  A friend of mine started and runs a wonderful organization called, Stolen Horse International.  They help to find horses all over the United States that are stolen or lost.  Debbie called and said that there was a miniature horse that had been found in Hurricane Katrina lost and close to drowning in a field in Louisiana.  "Can you take him?"  Well, there goes my heart taking total control over my brain!!!  "Of course!"  Our life has never been the same with horses after that.  Not only do we have rescued horses, but the little sweetie had to have a horse for Eventing, and for Hunter Jumper.  If you have a daughter that loves horses and you don't want to be broke for the rest of your life, go with Eventing.  It is a lot cheaper, but it is a lot more dangerous because in eventing, the rider jumps jumps out in the field that DON'T move!!!   It is a lot more fun to watch though, and little sweetie loves it!!! They are forced to wear riding vests though, and they even have ones that inflate if the rider fall off.  I am not sure how much good it would do if a 1200 lb. horse landed on top of them though.  So, as a consequence, I do a lot of praying, closing my eyes, and literally begging God to help little sweetie and her horse. 

"Hold on little sweetie..the jumps only get bigger!!!"






Little sweetie is almost 20 now and still totally obsessed with horses.  The jumps will only get bigger and my heart will only get closer to a heart attack!!!! The girl is a totally fabulous artist and is going to a fabulous art school, but thinks that she is not very good at art and so little sweetie thinks she had  rather major in HORSE ( Equestrian Management).  Good grief, y'all!!