A Renegade Cowgirl

A few years later I relocated back close to my hometown on the Mississippi River.

Luckily I found some new friends with horses and I'd spend the next couple years riding a little Arab named Amigo. He was a great trail horse and we rode him in parades every year. The picture on the right is me on Amigo.

Around that time, I bought an Anglo-Arab gelding who had been ridden in endurance riding years before.

One windy October day, just when I thought we were making progress, he threw me. You know those times when everything goes in slow motion?…I was flying through the air and trying to figure out which way was up..I’m not a cat, so landing on my feet wasn’t going to happen... Even though the landing was in a soft, freshly plowed field, I fractured my wrist.

After 8 weeks with my arm in a cast, it finally healed. 

Lesson #7– More horse accidents happen during the month of October than any other month!

It’s not like me to give up on a horse…but there was something that kept me from connecting with him, other than being thrown, that is.  Sooner or later we sometimes get hurt…but it kind of broke my spirit so I found another home for him.  The new owner was happy with him and had him for several years.

Lesson #8– sometimes your horses come through you… on their way to someone else.

There's a horse farm that I drive by nearly every day and decided to stop and visit. There was a 2 year old filly that had her eye on me; following me everywhere. None of the horses were paying much attention. A friend said she was ‘picking me’ and I should consider buying her.

The owner needed to sell some of his horses to make room for babies coming in spring. For the first time in a long time I really connected with a horse again. I bought her and she's been with me the longest of any horse I've owned.

When Breeze was 4, I bred her to a black Arabian named Eclipse. I had always loved the Arab/Quarterhorse cross.

Luna Eclipse was born July 20, 2000. She’s a beautiful bay with a small star and the dished head of an Arab. She looks so much like a full Arab; it’s hard to see any quarter horse at all. The picture to the right she is one day old.

Luna will be 9 this year.…and still has most of the Arab traits…she’s still a hand full, so I occasionally have my friend Fran work with her.

I've followed the Parelli Horsemanship training for many years. Fran also has become a Parelli student and has become one of the best riders and horse trainers in our area. I see a bright future for her with this work and we horse people are lucky she’s still in our area. Below are photos of Breeze, Luna and Fran.

When Luna was 4, I brought home a little paint gelding named Crest. He was rarely handled previously as the owner had too many horses. It took some time and patience, but eventually he came around and started trusting us. He was still quite skittish, so was more than I felt I could safely handle myself. Below left is Crest not long after he arrived. Photo on the right is after his first year with Fran. He's sure come a long way!

Then late last fall I acquired another horse…Figareno…aka ‘Fig’. He’s a pure black Arab/Saddlebred cross. My girlfriend wanted to find him a good home. Previously, he belonged to a mutual friend who passed away a few years ago. He's a smooth rider and has a very sweet disposition. My mares adore him and I plan to do lots more riding this year!

Below is my new boy, Fig.

 Check back again soon for more updates!