I started taking lessons in 1989 at Great Falls Equestrian Center in Virginia. My favorite mount at the stable was Chug-A-Boom. He was a cute little Chincoteague pony. It was all over after that. I was hooked. I rode several ponies there. Two horses of note were: Cinnie a cribbing chestnut mare that tried to bite me as I mounted and Pumpkin a roan gelding who would run into the center of the ring to drink coke from the instructor.
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Chug-a-boom, one of the first ponies I learned to ride on a
Great Falls Horse Center in Virginia |
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| Cutest Picture ever! |
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| Cinnie |
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| Shadow |
I moved on to ride at other stables. Since I grew taller I was able to ride full size horses but the gal I ended up riding with had an almost 17 hand Appy/Thoroughbred named Joker. He made me cry since my first time riding the canter on him I learned that his first few strides were usually bucks. I was also scared because a huge horse canter is much different than a little pony canter!
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| BC |
My favorite horse at this farm was BC. He was a chestnut, push button Thoroughbred with a bit of spirit at times that tested me. I loved him, he kept me on my toes but we got along great. Perhaps he's the reason I love chestnuts so much?
I also assisted my mother with handicapped therapeutic riding. My favorite horse there was Meiko. One day when we were at the facility for a Breyer horse show the girls ran down to the paddock and we jumped on some of the horses bareback, no bridle and NO HELMET! Oh my gosh how stupid. I rode Meiko for a short distance then got off quick when someone yelled for us to stop. Youthful stupidity!!! I just loved him so but that was not a smart thing to do!
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| Meiko, one of the therapedic riding horses, I loved him! |
Barney was the first horse I fell off of. The next weekend after the fall I was in my first horse show. It was short stirrups. I placed 3rd in two classes and 6th in another. I had a lot of fun but just didn't get into horse shows.
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| The lesson horse Barney, first horse I fell off |
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| Barney and I at a show |
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| Another lesson horse, Witters....he was a sweetie! |
I got involved with Breyer horse showing. My dad and I built a really need horse stable with a tack room. It won first prize for the collection display class. Lots of fun.
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| Breyer horse stable my dad and I made |
Marshmello was a Paint/Quarter horse foal that was "in the ribbons" at a lot of the shows. Still these fun plastic horses didn't replace my desire to have my own pony. I asked for one EVERY Christmas and birthday but never had my own pony.
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| Marshmello, my Breyer that one a championship at a Breyer horse show |
Most of my childhood horse life was photographed by my mother and those pictures are in boxes in my parents basement. I've scanned some pictures of my favorite horses during riding lessons as a child so was able to add a few more pictures to this page!
If you want to start reading this blog from the beginning here's my
first post
