The Beginnings

"You don't know where you are going, until you know where you have been."--Unknown

I have had a fairly short but happy life. I came from a large family of 13 children, with well meaning parents. I was the baby of the family, and hence was "spoiled" in the opinion of my elder siblings. I of course think I was spoiled a little, but that I deserved most of what I was fortunate enough to receive.

As a child I longed for a horse. I pretended I was a horse for hours on end, as I thundered around on hands and knees. I read every book about horses that I could find. This included not only books such as the "Black Stallion," but also many equine how-to books, and riding books. I studied those books until I could do all the gaits just like a horse, including flying lead changes. I pestered and begged and tormented my parents to get me a horse. They finally decided to let me have riding lessons. They thought this might get the "bug" out of my system. But this "bug" was a passion, that I know I was born with. Riding lessons just let me know that horses where even more wonderful then I had previously thought (if that is possible) it renewed my vigor in trying to get a equine companion of my own. Finally through some miracle I managed to get that partner of my dreams.

He was not the fanciest horse, but he was heaven on earth to me. He was a lovely flea-bitten gray grade gelding about 14.2 hands high. I think he was a Quarter Horse and an Arabian cross.

He was the beginning of my Journey--before him I merely existed I did not live.