Today I am turning 53.  Of those 53 years, I have been hooked on horses for the last 53 – if not more.  I drove my parents crazy asking for a horse or a pony.  I had my first lessons when I was around 6 years old down at Armstrong stables (46th and College), on a huge horse, (they're all huge at 6 years old), who had been nerved due to navicular.  I thought it was critical that I not fall off because I was afraid that he wouldn't feel I had fallen and he might step on me.  I also took lessons over the years at Grandview, and Woodland Springs.

I received my first pony at 8 years old from my Uncle.  He had ponies on his farm so I received a Welch mare and foal from his place in hopes that I would outgrow the addiction.   This only fed the addiction.   I managed to get bit, kicked and stepped on, but it still didn't alter the addiction.   When we were about to go on vacation, someone cut our electric wire as a prank and my parent's sent the mare and foal back to my uncles.  When we returned and repaired our wire I was allowed to purchase a pony of my own.  He was a sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail called Gentle Ben.   Gentle Ben did not fit his name.   His favorite game was to go along real gentle for awhile, then grab the bit in his teeth and take off at a high rate of speed with a quick turn to eject the rider.  This trick worked every time, including on my father who saw no humor in it.  Gentle Ben was returned to his original owner.  My folks were in hopes that I had been cured of my addiction.  No such luck.  I then lucked into a baby registered Shetland pony, who's owners were being transferred to London.  The pony wasn't even a year old.  My folks thought it would be harder to get permanently maimed with such a small creature with hopefully no bad habits.  Her registered name was K & J's Priscella, with a nickname of Prissy.  I raised her and broke her to ride, drive, jump, barrel race and pole bend.  I showed in halter and about wore her out in 4-H. We even made it to the State Fair with her in Showmanship.

At 16, with all the other 4-H kids having much larger critters than mine, my folks wanted to know what I wanted for that special 16th birthday.  No, I had not been cured with cars or boys by 16.  I still wanted a horse.  We traded my magnificent Shetland pony for my first horse.  Ghost was a 5-year-old, 1/2 Arab who was green broke.  Love at first sight was an understatement.  Ghost came from Gene and Susie Riniger in New Palestine, Indiana.  They were right next door to the Deckers who are still very active in horses today.  I now owned my first horse, but not a saddle or bridle, such minor details.  Ghost and I managed to figure out how to jump together and made it all the way to the State Fair in 4-H before I got too old for 4H.  He was also my parent's bribery tool for me to stay in school.  He was allowed to join me at IU if I got good grades.  If the grades dropped below a 3.0, his residency at the stables would be revoked.  Great grades and many great memories.  IU is where one of my best friends and I established an even closer relationship, thanks to horses.  Peggy Best shares the addiction to these wonderful creatures, and we share some great memories of the barn at IU.

When Ghost and I graduated from IU the wonderful man I had started dating my senior year of high school asked me to marry him.  He was very tolerant of my addiction and spent many weekends at shows and hauling us places.  We almost didn't make it down the aisle, because we couldn't find a place to live with room for the horse, until the very last month before the wedding.  Ghost and I had more than 10 years great years together then he succumbed to Colic about 15 days before I was to deliver our first child.  Again, everyone in the family was hoping that the pregnancy would cure my horsey addiction.  Not a chance of that.  I managed to find a horse immediately and get her into my barn before the June 15th delivery date arrived.   She too was a 1/2 Arab.

Remember that first Shetland pony I told you about earlier?   I should point out that I had also gone back to the Rinigers and bought her back, because I wanted her to have a better home than fighting for her food with a large herd.  I can not tell you how many places that pony resided and if I checked on her and they were not caring for her properly, I would find her a new place.  Well, the mare, Anna Torina that I purchased was not a mare that could stay by herself.  She dropped 50 pounds from worrying, her first week, so I located Prissy and bought her back again to be Anna Torina's buddy.

Since my parent's wanted to keep the mother of their new Grandson intact, they paid for training for this crazy 5 year old mare.  Still, Anna Torina was nothing like my beloved Ghost.  So when I was 5 months pregnant with our second child while showing Anna Torina in a halter class at the Marion County Fairgrounds and some people showed interest in the mare, I jumped at the chance to swap her for something more to my liking.  This is where Squeak arrives on the scene.  The people I met at the fair resided in Kokomo and raised and showed Arabs.   I traded Anna Torina and some hard earned cash for a yearling Gelding 1/2 Arab named Squeak.   Squeak was not his real name.  He had pneumonia as a colt and the nickname stuck.   Squeak helped me to raise our two children and took me to the Arab Nationals in Hunter and Jumper 3 times before succumbing to Cushings and Colic.   He was 21 years old at the time of his death. 

Even I thought that, with his passing and my children grown and gone, I would have finally overcome the addiction.  I had made it almost a year without a horse in the barn and was and selling my hay, when I burst into tears and my husband pointed out that being without a horse, was just not working for me.  We started our shopping that day.  My husband thought an older, mature well broke horse would probably be a smart purchase for a woman in her 40's.  Unfortunately, I fell for a young unbroken full Arab baby over at Canterbury Arabians in Noblesville.  If you were at Central State Training Sessions you saw him.  He is a beautiful grey Arabian and full of life.  He is now 6 years old and just starting to settle down.  I am not sure which path I am going to take with him, but his personality and love have gotten me thru some pretty tough times. 

After 53 years I do not think there is any cure for the addiction to equines.  I do not ride as much as I use to, but when I do, riding puts a smile on my face and in my soul that can remedy any sorrow or ills that I might have.  My husband, Kevin, our German Shepherd puppy, Molly, and a very lucky Arab Gelding named Squire reside in Westfield on SR 32.   Yes, we are in the city limits with about 6 acres and houses all around us and, I hope, a lot of neighbors who appreciate the beauty of equines. We have been here since 1977.  Our children, JP and Amy were both introduced to horses, and both enjoy them, but neither one of them has this addiction.   My girlfriends and I are all hopelessly addicted to horses and I hope there is no cure found in our lifetime.  To Peggy, Susie and Ann, may we ride until we die.  To all you gals in the RHPC, it is a pleasure to meet so many women who have this addiction and if you find a cure, do not tell me about it.