Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Flash back!!!

First came Kero. I learned to ride on Kero.
He was a lesson horse and my first instructor was George Prussell.
Notice the Hunt Seat attire and Saddle Seat saddle and equitation. It was a start :)


Then came Windy. I had her on a co-lease from the Smette's,
who introduced me to riding so many years ago!
I loved Amber Wind with all of my heart.
She put up with everything we could dish out!
She also won me my first Blue Ribbons!
In the second picture I am with Barbie Carter, my second riding instructor.
I also rode under Georges daughter, Georgia. Candi Keller was the trainer at the barn I rode at and I took a few group lessons from her. After her tragic death we had Carol Stoleman come in to do our training.

After about three years of leasing Windy, I got Stolen Fire for my 11th Birthday!!!
He also put up with all of my shenanigans!
Kim was a fisherman on Windy and Fire and I were the Horseness Monster! Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the best costume Kim and I ever did. It was on Windy and we were a bubble bath. Kim and I were in bathing suits and we were riding Windy double. We had a hula hoop around us both that was just hanging with pink and white balloons! Windy had a showerhead attached to her halter... it was awesome! Kim and I ALWAYS won the annual Halloween costume class at our barn!

I started riding Fire Hunt Seat
Georgia and Barbie were my trainers
Then we moved barns and I started riding Country English Pleasure
After a few good years with Fire, he was retired due to an undiagnosed 'lameness' in his hind end. He tested negative for EPM, but we couldn't figure him out. So, to pasture he went.

I started jumping a bit at Coffee Creek Riding Center where I had been voulenteering for a number of years with their handicapped riding program.

Later I played a little Polo for OU's equestrian team. I wasn't any good at the whole hitting the ball thing, but I learned a lot about horse care. The team had about 9 horses and we were the sole caretakers.
After my stint with the polo team, I was hired by a semi pro player to care for his team since he lived in Tulsa- a three hour commute.
I was in charge of his string of 11 horses. I fed, hayed, watered, mucked, and exercised them twice a day. Luckily, I had access to a hot walker and 6 horses went on the walker ever other day. The horses that didn't go on the walker got ridden and ponied for about 45 minutes. I would ride one and lead three on horseback at a canter around a 1/2 mile track. The job took a combined total of about 6 hours a day and I was out there before sunrise everday. It was the most difficult, but best job ever! I became adept at giving IV injections in the dark, bandaging legs, and learning about feeding performance horses. I was also in school and this was the same semester I met John. He has never known me to not smell like a horse.










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