Horses - Why We Love Them More Than Men (Copied from a birthday card Heather gave me!)
Hehehe, I love that card! :) Well, since my life is basically devoted to them, I thought I ought to include a page about horses. Sadly for you, I couldn't think of any good links, so you basically get to hear me ramble on and on about how wonderful they are. Could be worse, right?
Rebel was the first horse I can ever remember very well. He was very old, over 20, when I rode him, and that was when I was in elementary school. He lived at a place in Granite Falls that took FOREVER to drive to, but my parents faithfully drove me and Liz there every saturday for a few years before we decided to stop riding. Anyway, back to Rebel. He was a big bay gelding, as gentle as a lamb, and he went excrutiatingly slow all the time. I was a shy little rider so I loved his big plodding steps. On Rebel I won the high point rider at our little mini-show that we put on to show off the few skills we had learned at the end of the summer, and I was so proud of the big guy. He was always so sweet and gentle when he ate the carrots and apples I brought him. So that was my first equine love, and then I didn't ride for awhile except for the occasional trail ride, but then I decided to try English (Rebel was a western horse) so we were off to find a new instructer.
Daniel, nicknamed Dan The Man is a sweet dark bay Thoroughbred with an adorable wiggly upper lip that is tons of fun to grab while he moves it back and forth. He was one of the first horses I rode during my current hunter/jumper years, because he was the perfect beginner horse. He hardly ever spooked and moved almost as slow as Rebel did. I was terribly frightened of going fast at first and started off by walking around the arena for an hour, but Daniel was versatile enough to work from that point to where I am now - jumping courses and cantering avidly.
Patty, also known as Miss Piggy, was a chunky little Paint pony. I thought she was really beautiful, with dark chocolate bay and white splotches. When I first started riding her I hated her because she wouldn't steer, and even more because she bit. One day when I was trying to halter her that mare took a big chunk out of my arm with one bite. To top it all off, I was cooling her off outside one day when she spooked at something and dumped me right into a mud puddle. I kid you not - my entire left side was covered with mud. It was funny, but it did NOT improve my opinion of Patty. Then, for some reason, I got on her one day and absolutely loved it. She did everything I wanted, and had a heavenly Western jog-type trot that was easy to sit. So I rode the pony for about a year, and she was almost the only one I rode, but then my instructer said I was getting too big for her and put me on the taller horses after that.
Ripple was another one I used to hate but love now. When I rode him first I had no arm muscle and he pulled me across a line of jumps at about 100 miles an hour, and I was so scared I simply refused to ride him again. I didn't for a couple years, but then my new instructer put me on him. WOnder of wonders, he was perfect! His canter is the nicest thing I have ever sat on. It's like a rocking shair, so easy to move with. Ripple is a gorgeous tall and lithe Thoroughbred gelding, dark bay, with a chisled head. He is an ex-racehorse and it shows. Sadly Ripple, Patty, and Daniel all got sent back to California so there's no riding them for me ever again. :( We're still soulmates, though! Totally had the synergy thing going. I miss him.
Patches a.k.a. PATCHES IS SOOOOOOO CUTE! is an adorable little pony at the zoo. She's the one I ride all the time there, because I'm assigned to her there. She is so cute and has a sweet little lip that twitches sometimes and is fun to poke. Her mane is full and rough and her tail is curly, and she used to be a brood mare so her belly is all hanging down and big. But she is adorable! :) She's a red-and-white pinto pony, we think she's a Chincotegue, but we aren't sure. She has nice even gaits and is sometimes a pill, but usally a complete sweetheart. She bucks with most peeple - man can that pony BUCK! - but she hasn't done it with me much, so I love her. Her baby, Bonnie, lives at the zoo too, but didn't inherit her mother's adorable nose. :-D ~*~UPDATE!~*~ Patches, being the sweet old girl she is, has been retired from riding as it turns out she's closer to 35 than we origionally thought. She's getting old and creaky, but is still beyond adorable, and I love her. Lots of treats for the old mare! (She's the one I'm riding in the picture, by the way!)
