HORSE(S) OF THE MONTH
Like most kids of my generation, I watched westerns on Saturday morning.
I just couldn’t get enough of horses. Imagine how happy I was when
my folks told us kids that we were moving to the country to get us out of
the big city. Of course, no self respecting country family would be without
a horse for the kids. It was an idyllic time for me, my brother and my two
sisters. We learned to appreciate what the outdoors had to offer us. Hunting
in the fall, fishing in the summer and horseback riding every single day…life
was good.
Our parents bought an Icelandic pony for us. She was white with little brown dots and we named her Dottie. That’s right; we thought we had named her the most original name on the face of the earth. I remember that first year we had Dottie, we did not have a saddle for us kids to use. Our parents had saddles, but not us kids. My dad said by riding bareback we would become better riders. I wish I could tell you that that happened to me.
After a few years in the country, our grades started to drop, dramatically. All of us kids were ambivalent about our grades because we were riding horse(s), every single day, regardless of the weather and our homework load. At some point, I seem to remember our folks told us we would be moving back to the city because we were turning into “heathens.” We did not believe them because we were too busy riding horses. True to their word, my folks moved us back to town. No more riding.
Life moved on, my grades went up and the years slipped away with my beloved Dottie but a distant memory. I always wanted to get another horse but never could really logically come up with a reason to get one. After all, does a person who doesn’t own property own a horse? Do people who live in the big city even own horses? These thoughts continued to run through my mind until one day I suffered a personal loss and was jolted into taking action. I jumped in with both feet to the joy of horse ownership. No, I didn’t think of the consequences. Life was running out and I had to have a horse. I did not know where I was going to keep it. That was a detail and details always have a way of working themselves out.
My first purchase
was a mule. I always had a soft spot for mules as both sets of grandparents
had mules and farmed with them. The first mule I purchased would probably
have killed me at some point in time if I did not make the decision to take
her back for a trade in. I traded her for Becky, who is now the only Mule
at Painted M Ranch.
And of course, you can’t have just one animal. So I bought a Tennessee
Walker, Captain, from someone whom I boarded with at another stable. In
my advancing years, I really enjoy a gaited horse. Unfortunately Captain
and I did not seem to hit it off. He is definitely a Type A+ personality
with me a Type B--. Mary Leonida said that she wanted him. My ego was bruised
that she got along with him so fast. To this day, I think Captain tolerates
me because somehow he knows he will get to see Mary.
After Captain left the payroll I still wanted a gaited horse. Somewhere, somehow, Royal, a Saddlebred, presented himself. I purchased him to make him a trail horse. I did not know anything about him but knew he would make a trail horse. Royal and I are still working on the whole trail concept.
Looking back
on the whole adventure I wouldn’t change a thing. I love trail riding.
And I love the camaraderie that comes from being around other horse people.
Now that mules and horses are back in my life I can say that once again,
life is good. And I think Becky, Royal and Captain would agree that life
at Painted M Ranch is good.
Rick Hoffman
