I grew up on a farm in southern Indiana’s Greene County. My dad loved horses and had several all the time. He used to train horses for other people and himself and then he would sell or trade them.  Dad had me on horses before I was two years old. I don't remember a time growing up on the farm that there were not horses around. When we got big enough to ride by ourselves he got us donkeys to ride. He told us we would not get hurt and when we outgrew them we would be ready for a horse.  He built me a log cabin playhouse.  The hours that were spent in and around that cabin with the donkeys playing that we were "out west" somewhere fighting something, I still remember as being magical. 

When I was in the 8th grade, I bought 3 day old calves and raised them on a bucket to get money to buy my first horse.  I bought a Quarter horse mare that was due to have a baby come Spring.  I raised the baby and the day he turned two I saddled him up and rode to my grandmother’s house.  He was so gentle he did not know he was broke.

I had those horses until I graduated from high school and got married. Dad sold the mare for me to an Amish girl and I lost the baby a couple of years later to snake bite.  I went 17 years without a horse of my own due to moving quite a bit with my husband. He was not a horse person and did not see the need for one.  When we finally moved back to Indiana, I went to work at a riding stable one summer and that fall I bought the horse I had riden all summer, he was six then; he is 26 now, and even though he is still with me he is retired due to arthritis in his legs. 

When I was in high school, the year book club predicted our "future" ten years from when we graduated.  They said I would be living in Kentucky. taking care of throughbreds that did not make it on the racetrack.  When I went to work at the riding stable, the man who owned it also owned throfughbreds.  A couple years later, I was manager of the stables for him taking care of throughbreds, pregnant mares, babies and horses that were no longer on the track for whatever reason. One of these horses had been out in California racing and Willy Shoemaker won riding him. Being able to sit on that horse and ride him knowing that Willy Shoemaker had been there was better than sex. He was a wonderful gentle horse, always willing to do what was asked of him..  Several years, after I left the stables, he got out one night and was hit by a car and killed.  I have worked training horses in Illinois, barrel raced, and shown horses some in gaming classes. I worked at Billy Creek Village in Rockville, driving the team there.  I also gave lessons for awhile.  For the most part, my life has always had a horse in it someplace.

It seems to me, there is nothing more soothing to the soul than to go out and feed and brush, talk to, listen to and spend time with a horse.  I thank God every day  for putting a horse in my life. Horses are one of God's greatest gifts to us. 

I now have two Haflingers, the love of my life, my Tonka toys! I recently purchased a Spring wagon buggy that I am refinishing for my Haflingers will pull. I already have a small buckboard wagon and a two-wheel cart for them, so I plan on having something to play with if the day ever comes when I can not climb on  horseback.  This year, my winter project was my seven month old half donkey, half mini donkey.  What a joy she has been all winter! She is so full of herself. She loves to play with "mom" when I go out.  A gentleman from church said he almost run off the road one day watching my donkey run circles around me in the pasture. I told him she thought she was actually "Stripes" and was practicing her race. 

Everyone around here has horses, but it seems that noone rides. I am so happy to be a member of the club so there will always be someone available to ride with and someplace to go, even if it is only here in Indiana. There are some great riding places here.  I am looking forward to meeting more of the girls, and putting the hours on the saddle.