My life in horses (pic heavy)

[skygazer]

Having just gotten a new horse, I've been thinking a lot about the other horses I've had through the years. All of them wonderful, all of them different. Here they are.

My first horse, Diablo. Registered Morgan. That's my mom on him. She was terrified of horses but Diablo cured her. He was an angel. This was taken in about 1975.



Same year. Me on Diablo in the 4th of July parade. I was 14. The woman in front of me was my 4-H leader. Great lady.



This was my next horse, Amigo (I kept ending up with horses with Spanish names - go figure). Morgan cross. I was able to do more challenging things on him. 1977.



But we still did the parade. Here we are with my 4-H leader again and her pretty horse, Lucky. I have no idea why my mouth is wide open - my recollection is that Amigo was very good for the parade. Also '77.



I had a dry spell after that where I was riding other people's horses but then my best friend GAVE me Josh, another registered Morgan. Here we are at a show.



And an action shot.



After Josh, I was given a Standardbred ex-racehorse named Jon (I've been given 4 different horses - Amigo was free, too). He was wonderful - the first summer I had him, I took him foxhunting. He'd only just learned to carry a rider. Me and Jon on the left. The friend who gave me Josh on the right.



I'm not in this pic but it's a great foxhunting shot so I include it. My friend is in it - she's the one in the red coat.



Then I moved to California and was given Stormy, a registered Arab (not only do I get given horses, I get given papered horses). He was a love but after I took a spill and broke my back, I had to find him a new home. :(



But now I have Bella, a 4 year old Thoroughbred. And she's just the light of my life.

[mix]

1. beautiful

life is always better with horses

[Shell Beau]

2. Bellas have a tendancy to be the light of lives!!

;)

Beautiful pics!

[Bertha Venation]

3. What a lovely post.

Thanks for sharing this part of your life.

Whoever took that hunting shot (the four hunters under the blue sky) -- wow.

[skygazer]

4. Isn't that something?

There was a pro along for the hunt that day and she took a ton of gorgeous shots. Of course, it was a perfect day, too, which helped.

[Bertha Venation]

11. I read about hunting in novels

I imagine what would be best for me, if I were ever to hunt, would be being out under the sky, in the fields, in the woods, wherever, seeing where the hounds took us. I imagine there's something new every hunt.

[skygazer]

12. I've never hunted live fox and I have no desire to

The hunts I rode with were drag hunts - the hounds followed a scent laid down by people who dragged a scent bag all over creation. It eliminates some of the dangers that come when you're following a creature who is running for his life, and it eliminates the danger to that creature. I don't need to kill something to have a good time.

Technically, when done that way, it's called "riding to hounds" but no one knows what you're talking about when you say that unless they do it themselves.

And it's wonderful fun. Riding out with a bunch of like-minded people, with your horse under you, galloping across country, on woods trails or through open meadows, across brooks, over jumps. Watching the hounds work (which is fascinating).

And after we're done, we cool out our horses, set them up with food and water, and meet at someone's place for an afternoon of food and drink and a rehash of the whole day.

Doesn't get any better than that.

[Kali]

5. ah you've made me drift off into horses past.

Grampa had some great old style Quarter Horses. The working kind. Lucky and Shorty, old Sue, Tilly, Echols, Janna Lowery. Sigh. My two old saddle horses: Uno who was out of Echols, and Moonwalker, a horse I got from a favorite cousin. A few paints: Two Points, Windy, "That Paint Mare", and now, Magic.

[eyepaddle]

6. A beuatiful photo essay, thank you for sharing;

plus, it is nice to see some action shotss here in the lounge that don't have whitewater in them!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. I love that fox hunting shot. The sky is so remarkably blue!

All of the pohotos are fun, but I am really glad you included that one. Thanks for the stories and photos. How lucky are you to have been given horses (papered!). They know you will take good care of them.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. But where are the kitteh photos????????

:+

Thanks for sharing the photos of your many beautiful horses.

[skygazer]

9. Just for you

My daughter's horse Sparky and his buddy Slinky the Barn Cat.

[mix]

10. that's adorable

I had an Aussie who had an intense relationship with this Mustang gelding, he would put his head down like that and she would clean his entire face!

[Arugula Latte]

16. Kitties and horses go together well, for some reason.

I was a horse freak as a kid (had a Quarter/Morgan dark bay gelding) and I've always had kitties (I have three now). Kitties are now #1 in my heart but I'll always remember my horse days fondly.

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. Dang! Nobody ever gave me a horse, let alone a really good one. LOL You have been blessed for sure!

[hibbing]

14. hitch in my giddyup

Hi,
Wonderful pictures and wonderful little stories about each one. They remind us all just how special our animals are in our lives.

Thanks for sharing, and peace.

[suninvited]

15. Great pictures

amazing that you took a spill and broke your back, but didnt let it stop you from getting back in the saddle.

I love horses, but not sure I could do the same thing after an injury like that.

Way to go !

[skygazer]

17. I would wither and die if I couldn't ride

It wasn't the horse's fault when I fell (it wasn't anyone's fault - freak accident). I'll admit to being a little more careful now that I have the realization that I'm breakable but not much more. I was back on a horse - the same horse - two weeks after that fall. It was a very stable fracture, I didn't need surgery or pins or anything, I was just put in a brace. I figured the brace would keep me safe. :P

[csziggy]

18. Beautiful horses! Those are great pictures, too.