Post by BuckSkinBabe on Mar 16, 2006 4:49:47 GMT 1
5 years ago on March 15, 2001 I lost my first horse. Many people say that their horse is the greatest horse in the world, but with this one it was definately true.
When I was only 6 and 1/2 years old my mother and I went looking for a first horse for me. The horse we looked at was a 13 year old 12.2 hh little white appy mare named Misty. We knew she was the prefect match so we bought her on the spot. This horse did not have a single fault except for the fact that she was nearly impossible to catch. ( I spent many hours chasing after her that is for sure) There are not many horses that will listen to a 6 year old, but she did. Even when I was just a little squirt learning to ride she still gave me respect as if I was an expirenced rider and I could ride her completely unaided by an adult. Under the saddle you could not find a more loyal horse. If you had a bridle or saddle or any piece of take on her you could let her go and she would just stand there by you all day and follow you around everywhere. Another quality that she also had that is kind of rare in most horses is that she didn't even know what it meant to buck or rear. She never even gave it a thought, bucking or rearing was not an option for her. She also never ever ever spooked. You could take her through water, past barking dogs and she would never bat an eye. When I was riding with my mother once and her horse started bucking instead freaking out like a lot of horses would do she just calmly took a step back to get us out of the way.
When I got a little older she was really fun to ride. As my expirence grew she started to show off for me more. She would dance and really pick up her feet as we were walking out into the field, but she was still easy to rein in and she really made me look like a really good rider. When I took her out in the field all I had to do was loosen the reins as a cue and she would take off at a canter. But she was the bounciest damn horse I have ever ridden. If I got her up to full gallop I felt like I was going to fly out of the saddle. She also turned on a dime and if she would have been a little younger she could have won a lot of barrel races. If you have ever see a western horse do a reining spin where they pivot on there hind legs and go faster and faster, she could do that. (This is something I want to teach Buddy too) She also had so much pep. She was never a slow poke and she would walk and walk and walk forever if you asked her to.
Unfortunately after 8 years together she died when I was a freshman in high school. She had heaves which is a horrible coughing disase that I hope I never have to deal with again. 2 years before she died she started to go blind and the diagnosis was that she had liver and heart problems. The last night I saw her alive she was skin and bones and completely blind. She had never been a really affectionate horse but that night she let me hug her for the longest time. I didn't know it was going to be our last moments together and it still saddens me that I never really got a chance to say good bye. All that remains of Misty now are photos, a lock of tail hair I will treasure forever and her halter that hangs on my closet door.
I lost her at a time that I was just learning to be a confident rider. I was horseless for 4 years after and I have found that I have had to take a giant leap back for I feel like I can never trust any horse as much as I trusted her. Buddy is the closest horse I have found to a Misty to date and hopefully someday I will trust him like I trusted her.
Here are some pictures:
Here we are together when I was just 7 years old. She towered over me then. Later on I would tower over her.
Here is our last ride together when I was 12 years old. She was alreadying going blind at this point but that didn't stop her. She didn't die until to years later.
When I was only 6 and 1/2 years old my mother and I went looking for a first horse for me. The horse we looked at was a 13 year old 12.2 hh little white appy mare named Misty. We knew she was the prefect match so we bought her on the spot. This horse did not have a single fault except for the fact that she was nearly impossible to catch. ( I spent many hours chasing after her that is for sure) There are not many horses that will listen to a 6 year old, but she did. Even when I was just a little squirt learning to ride she still gave me respect as if I was an expirenced rider and I could ride her completely unaided by an adult. Under the saddle you could not find a more loyal horse. If you had a bridle or saddle or any piece of take on her you could let her go and she would just stand there by you all day and follow you around everywhere. Another quality that she also had that is kind of rare in most horses is that she didn't even know what it meant to buck or rear. She never even gave it a thought, bucking or rearing was not an option for her. She also never ever ever spooked. You could take her through water, past barking dogs and she would never bat an eye. When I was riding with my mother once and her horse started bucking instead freaking out like a lot of horses would do she just calmly took a step back to get us out of the way.
When I got a little older she was really fun to ride. As my expirence grew she started to show off for me more. She would dance and really pick up her feet as we were walking out into the field, but she was still easy to rein in and she really made me look like a really good rider. When I took her out in the field all I had to do was loosen the reins as a cue and she would take off at a canter. But she was the bounciest damn horse I have ever ridden. If I got her up to full gallop I felt like I was going to fly out of the saddle. She also turned on a dime and if she would have been a little younger she could have won a lot of barrel races. If you have ever see a western horse do a reining spin where they pivot on there hind legs and go faster and faster, she could do that. (This is something I want to teach Buddy too) She also had so much pep. She was never a slow poke and she would walk and walk and walk forever if you asked her to.
Unfortunately after 8 years together she died when I was a freshman in high school. She had heaves which is a horrible coughing disase that I hope I never have to deal with again. 2 years before she died she started to go blind and the diagnosis was that she had liver and heart problems. The last night I saw her alive she was skin and bones and completely blind. She had never been a really affectionate horse but that night she let me hug her for the longest time. I didn't know it was going to be our last moments together and it still saddens me that I never really got a chance to say good bye. All that remains of Misty now are photos, a lock of tail hair I will treasure forever and her halter that hangs on my closet door.
I lost her at a time that I was just learning to be a confident rider. I was horseless for 4 years after and I have found that I have had to take a giant leap back for I feel like I can never trust any horse as much as I trusted her. Buddy is the closest horse I have found to a Misty to date and hopefully someday I will trust him like I trusted her.
Here are some pictures:
Here we are together when I was just 7 years old. She towered over me then. Later on I would tower over her.
Here is our last ride together when I was 12 years old. She was alreadying going blind at this point but that didn't stop her. She didn't die until to years later.
