This is a post I made on my farm Facebook page this morning, but I thought it was worth sharing here. 2020 has been a crazy ride for me, starting with landing my dream job and moving back to the town where I went to college. Then came my long-awaited mini-farm purchase, followed swiftly by the COVID crisis. Later in the spring, my father passed away, and then two months later I brought home my first broodmare. To say it’s been a roller coaster has been an understatement! Anyway, here’s my post:
Happy Thanksgiving, friends! On this day of reflection and gratitude, I’d like to share the story behind this image.
If you look carefully at the my right wrist in this photo, you will see a bracelet made from the tail hair of Montanas Shadow, the Half Arabian gelding who was my first horse. Montana wasn’t royally bred or exceptionally talented, nor was he without significant quirks. But he taught me almost everything I know about patience, persistence, and the power of the horse-human bond. In the fall of 2017, Montana was euthanized after a long struggle with mysterious lameness issues that were never fully diagnosed, even upon necropsy. Two weeks later, I put down a deposit on an in-utero foal by Shiner Dun It and out of SAS Arielle.
I had originally contacted Stacey Newville of Trickle Creek Ranch about a different Al Marah bred mare in her broodmare herd. After an extensive conversation about my preferences and goals, she convinced me to consider Arielle instead as the dam of my future foal. Watching videos of Arielle moving both at liberty and under saddle sealed the deal for me - she so very much resembled by beloved Montana in conformation, movement, and personality that I was immediately hooked. The only thing left to do then was wait for the arrival of my foal.
It was not a smooth journey. Arielle suffered a freak accident two months before giving birth; initially, it wasn’t clear whether she would survive her injury, let alone give birth to and raise a healthy foal. Arielle is a tough mare, though, and she healed better than anyone expected. Then, just after weaning, Sydney came down with a mystery virus and ran a terrifyingly high fever for nearly a week. But finally, finally, 18 months after losing my once-in-a-lifetime horse and putting down a deposit on an unborn foal, Sydney stepped off a friend’s trailer and into my possession for the first time.
I didn’t think I’d ever be able to love another horse the way I loved Montana. Sydney proved me wrong. I didn’t think I’d ever meet a horse smarter or more personable than he was; Sydney has defied my expectations. Most people are lucky to have ONE once-in-a-lifetime horse, and I’ve had two. It was a wild ride that brought my beautiful little Barbie Pony into my life, but I would go through it all again in a heartbeat.
On this day of reflection and gratitude, I count my blessings. And this filly is at the top of that list.
So, how about some positivity this morning. What are you thankful for (horse-related) this year?
She’s a sweet cupcake. I know it’s not the same as owning a horse, and it’s just temporary for 4 months…but this is the closest I’ve ever been to a horse of my own and I’m so so grateful for it! There’s nothing in the world like walking into a stable, smelling that sweet hay and horses and seeing a small head poking out and knowing that’s your horse to go brush and ride and love on.