I have been horse crazy all of my life. When I was little, I always asked my parents for a horse. Every Christmas I would run and look out the backyard window and see if Sanda had brought me one.

We lived on a small farm in Riverside California so we might have had one but my dad always told me that I would love the horse for maybe a month or two and then he would have to feed and take care of it. He was wrong. To this day horses are my world

When I was quite young we had to make an emergency move from our small farm, a company was pouring toxic chemicals in the hills that surrounded us. We only became aware of this when my 4-year-old brother died from exposure to toxic pollutants. In our immediate area, 5 of 8 children in three families died from exposure to toxic chemicals.

We moved to the town of Norco and stayed with some friends until we found a house. The people we stayed with had horses and, although I missed my brother a lot, I rode everyday. The horses helped me escape the stress of that time in my life.

We then moved to Indian hills. We could not keep a horse there however my dad would take me to the stables where we rented horses to ride.

The summer I turned 13 I graduated junior high and got “Sassy” my first horse. She was a bay quarter horse boarded at a friend’s house in Norco. Now, Norco is a horse crazy persons dream to live. You have the trails in front of every house, river bottoms, and the mountains all close. You could ride your horses to the bar, cloths shopping, restaurant's, fast food drive throughs -- anywere you could think of. Everyone had a place to hitch your horse up with big water trough.

Most of the year, I rode my Sassy almost every day but in the summer I rode her every day. I would leave the barn at 9am and would not come back till 10pm. I also showed horses in open shows, FFA, Norco horseman's and a few other clubs. I rode Sassy everywhere bare back all the time and just a halter and lead.

Then one day my dad’s friend brought this paint mare home. He had no idea how she rode so I jumped on her bareback and rode around the yard. I fell in love with her. She was only 3. I traded Sassy horse for her. I loved sassy but I needed a challenge. I called her Jasmine. I worked with her and had to break her in with the saddle. Jasmine became an awesome show and trail horse.

Then when I was 17 my dad sold our house and we moved to Norco where I could keep my horse at home. My mother and father divorced and my mom moved to Pennsylvania. In Norco, my dad would feed my horse at 5am before he went to work and I would leave the house on my horse at 9am and come home at 10pm. the days I had school I would get home at 3:30 and take off for a ride till 10pm. With that mare I showed, trail rode and rodeo with her. I also worked at a stable and took people on night rides from 6pm-4am.

My plan was to go to collage with my horse at cal Polly, however, my mom sent plane tickets and wanted me to live with her for a year. Although it was one of the more painful things in my young life, I sold my mare to my best friend and moved to Pennsylvania to spend time with my mom. I missed my horse so bad. After a year, I wanted to move back to California. But, by then, my mother had developed cancer from the toxic waste we had been exposed too. I couldn’t leave her. I had a few horses I bought and boarded out there. I got them young and trained them myself. My mom bought us a house so I can keep them at home.

When my mother contracted cancer she told me I would one day marry a farmer. Three years later she died.

When my mother died, I had to sell one of my horses. I could not bear to get rid of my horse Lady Bear. She helped me out with my mom’s death. I don’t know how I did it other than with the help of God. I worked part time at Toys-R-Us and had a house payment and other house bills to pay each month. I tried but could not find another part time job. I bought hay for my horse at $1 a bail and I lived off of canned peas and potatoes for 3 years. I made sure my horse got food before I did. There were times I had no money for food for a few days because of my horse needing food. My friends always said I was welcome to eat with them but I never wanted to intrude. Toys-R-Us offered me a a higher paying job traveling which I had to take. Lady Bear went back to the stables and a lady that did the therapeutic ride paid for her board for the use her every Monday. With that, I made do. I worked on the road for 2 years. On the road, I met a guy dated him for a little over a year and we got married. He lived out in Indianapolis so I sold my horse to a lady at the barn and moved. After one year we discovered we had nothing in common and divorced. To make ends meet, I worked 3 jobs and a friend let me move into her house till I got on my feet.

Things were turning up for me when I met a lady by the name Jill Duda and we became great friends. She introduced me to this guy named Duane who had Clydesdales. We fell in love with each other. You may not believe this but he is a farmer. My mom said I would get married to a farmer and be happy. Well let me tell you I love my life. My husband and I have been married almost 5 years now we have 2 beautiful kids Kayley 4 and Austyn 2.

I am living my dream on a farm with horses. We now have 4 horses. My family and horses are my life. I to this day, tell my dad, look I still have and love horses. And now that I joined the RHPC group my life is full of horsey friends.

I would like to thank everyone for accepting me into the RHPC. I hope to make lots more horsey friend down the road. Love all of you, thanks for making me feel right at home with all of you.

Happy trails to all.