I am Sally De Long and I live in Paris, Illinios.  As a child, horses were always on my mind, I collected them, watched the TV series, Fury, and did about anything to be around them.  I loved to stick my face into their neck absorbing that horse smell, ah...........heaven.
 
My parents purchased my first horse when I was 13.  A few years later they acquired a rental/boarding stable facility.  The stable was situated along the Erie Barge Canal, in Western New York.  The dikes had acres of wild brush that our family cleared, creating trails. My family, all riders at some time, established a riding club, held horseshows, and trail rides.  It was a fun place for a teenager. Lots of work but also lots of interesting people -- plus we did something with horses everyday.
 
After business school, I met and married an up-an-coming American Saddlebred trainer.  We experienced much success traveling on the "A" circuit, had several World Champions but best of all, produced 3 great kids.  My youngest son, Jeff Nevitt trains horses just down the road from his dad, outside of Louisville, Ky.
 
Doug and I met, then married 25 years ago in Minneapolis, Minnesota  He had had a horse once, and really liked the idea of trail riding with friends to all the different parks in Minnesota.  A transfer brought us to Paris in 1988. A fall in 2001, from a horse causing many broken vertebre in his back got us into the breeding end.  Not knowing if, or whether, he would ride again, we purchased some mares so he could still enjoy the horses.
 
He now has 2 solid, quiet trail quarter horses and I have a work in progress QH mare.  Plus each year we try and raise 2 quality foals, (preferable palomino) that we imprint and are selective with their placement.
 
We used to do week long rides, and trips to the Black Hills, Smokies, Medora, etc, but now we have cut that to weekend and day rides.  We are fortunate that about eight other women in our immediate area all ride.  We meet generally on Wednesday for a 2-3 hour ride and socializing.  Doug calls our group, "The Gaggle". 

We live on 17 acres in rural Edgar County, Illinois about 13 miles Northwest of Terre Haute, Ind.
 
I look forward to meeting the other ladies in the RHPC with our common bond.........horses.