After posting, I thought, hmmm, am I an R-Rated Blog now? I don't think so, as this did happen when I was a KID. It's such a taboo subject, which explains why it happens. Nobody wants to admit/talk/anything about it. See, I won't name "it" again. My skin crawls. It makes big nasty headlines, but never for very long. F/W ""teacher" had three kids. Two were girls, 5 & 3 when I met them. I said prayers of gratitude when ""t"" died two years after I left, drunk at the wheel.
Parents said "Oh, here's the invite to the funeral". I went with (as usual, much older) friends from the F/W barn, but asked them to let me out, before the cemetery, and I walked to the barn (#3 by this point) from there. I had no idea how I was "supposed" to feel. Starting skipping school, and hitch-hiking to the barn, not long after that. Started the angered slide. I must have been at least a little smart, because my grades didn't really crash for a few more years. Och, this is too heavy, isn'ta? I just hope "it" evolves OUT of the human population. It does us no favours. None, Nada, Nowt. I know just enough genetics to get that.
I remember the good & great horses I rode at F/W. Mike, BelgianX gelding, ran back into the barn with me the first time, later to win me ribbons in jumpers. The first horse I rode, the first to win a ribbon on.
Grey Squire, a little cranky smarty pants, who was brilliant, if you were juuust right with him. He humiliated me at our my first show, cantering happily past the fence I nervously hadn't pointed him at properly. The kind that could scare you away, in his stall, if he sensed ANY weakness. Oh, he'd shake his head, pin his ears, throw his butt, and grind his teeth! All sweetness and light would shine from his big old intelligent eyes, if you stood your ground, and laughed at him. SqueeGee wasn't much more than a pony, but he thought he was an alligator, too.
F/W was a harse dealer, too, see, supplied lots of auctions. He was rough, and harsh. Novice Riders are Herd Animals. I'm quoting me on Mugwump's blog there:)
I was an obedient sheeple pupil, great word, thanks to the FuglyHorseOfTheDay blog comment board!!!
Remind me sometime, there are many more memories. However, this isn't a book, it's a BLOG:)
Deeeep breath. Ok, Second/Worst barn was an improvement both in shorter distance for Mom and lack of deviant behaviours. #2 trainer was a nice, dumb, ignorant guy who loved horses. He'd chopped several toes off in a lawnmower, to give you an idea. He needed a rider for his myriad horses, and I became the head trainer. Yeah, as IF!! I had been riding all of two years, but I did win ribbons. (I beat Jim Day, once, but believe me, it was justa schooling jumper class).
2ndWorst's schooling area was an old apple orchard, my jumps were varying heights of downed logs etc. The etcetera was anything you can think of, you name it, I jumped it. He had a lovely TB/Draft cross (guess!), yup, bright bay mare, that I messed up over a year of my beginner training. Oh, I shouldn't say that, I'm surprised by the one pic I have. I look pretty good. BUT, we also have an old! home movie at a schooling show. I had shown and won all the morning classes, and the afternoon classes weren't nearly as productive. That, of course, is immortalized on film. I cringe when I see it. (My Hands! GAH!!) Poor BayMare, so tired, but 2ndW and I were stupid and greedy. I smile at how ridiculously long my stirrups were, and how my leg was good, but uneducated/noisy/nagging. I know how little I learned.
I had my fifteen minutes of fame, in the Globe and Mail newspaper, me riding bare-back+halter over a fence at a schooling show. Big time, people, big time:) I was riding a solid red dark chestnut stallion, named Red Harrison at this show, he was my #2 horse. Yes, I had my own hunter/jumper string:) Then, of course, 2ndW sold them. HeartBroken #2.
My parents actually started to feel sorry for me, and bought me my first horse, with help from my Mom's Mom. Really annoyed dear old Dad, the exorbitant costs of horses. Mom's Mom and Dad became firmer enemies over me. I was 14. How many years ago is THAT!
Hey, but of course, that's for another day, what colour First Horse Ever was:)
If you've managed to read all the way to here, without snoring, I thank you.
Smiling gets ya triple bonus points:)
and a yellow star.
4 comments:
Okay, I'm getting intimidated here, haha! You went through all that and did such fantastic things. Wow! You is one strong brave lady, even as a girl.
What happens to us shapes our reactions to the world. Horses come to mind here, also. With friendships, human or horse, it's easier to know where someone is coming from if we know what their experiences are.
Sometimes sharing our story allows someone else to share theirs, and the hurts can heal.
My husband and his friends are absolutely flabbergasted by the stories of abuse I and my friends have shared with them. They had a hard time believing that such things actually happen. (Refreshing to see actually, males so far away from that mindset that they can't wrap their minds around such concepts!) Now that they know, they are vocal advocates of changing laws, and any creep stupid enough to even raise his voice at a woman or child is probably going to be lucky to live. Gotta love good people...!
kestrel, don't be goopy! I'm a dingy old blogging bat, how is that possibly intimidating??
The little shows I rode at made no never mind to anyone. You know the "A" Circuit. Well, I showed "D" & "C", mostly. "B" wasn't even heard of back then. Jim Day was slumming, that day. I think the "out of town" show was the only "A" I made it to, in those early years..
Oh, poop, an old friend of my Mom's said the same thing, when I was like 25 or something. She was intimidated by me. Gr8!
Ya see?? I'm still working on believing I'm human. I swear I'm part horse. I swear!
If you can hear my ears flattening, and my tongue sharpening, just laugh at me. Works every time..
It's why I know I have an unpopular opinion about auctions, a necessary evil, auctions are old as the hills. I hate thinking it is such a great place to go, "for bargains". Quadruple your money. Yes, I know it's done, and well, by lots of good and great trainers. Not so great ones too.
But as a money making idea for the young horse crazies out there? Golly, I hope not.
I know some, maybe most, on FHOTD have bought horses from Auctions, or rescued, depending on the circumstances. I don't begrudge them any horse purchases, at all. I just HATE Auctions. That's just me. Too many horses I loved did that route. Now, if only my genetics hadn't been so hard wired for losing money, I'd be set for life!
The thought of cheap horses is a fact of life, but GoLightly never lost his value. And he'd NEVER have gone to auction. I just wish I could be sure of that, never having found him again. He'd be 30 or so, now.
Oooh, you gave me an idea for my next post, hope it doesn't fly away. My Autistic Side of Life, as illuminated by Temple Grandin.
Repetition is how I cope. I also can't remember half of what I've typed. That anyone on FHOTD "gets" me, just rocks my small world.
Thanks, kestrel, I gotta love you, too. Newspaper clippings fade. Great people like you keep me going.
To Your Little Lord, long may he reign! My Grey Squire was my first 3' jumper, and the first to show me a TINY bit of softness/roundness. Hard for him to do with a rubber pelham, but he managed:)
blathering AGAIN!
To Our Many Equine Teachers. The good ones are priceless.
I love the "part horse"visual! Me too! My darling hubby teases me that we own the "can't kill won't sell ranch!"
Actually I can euth one if need be, and sell one to a really good home, even though I've been known to lose money doing so....but the horses are happy!
I'm loving being an old bat!
First jumper, hmm, I caught the neighbor's strawberry roan workhorse, named Belle, jumping out of her pasture by moonlight. Bridled her and off we flew. I didn't have a saddle, so jumped her over logs, we were two wild kids playing, I guess I was about 13 or so. Got caught by the old man who owned the mare. I expected to get a serious ass whupping, instead the old man gave me some pointers (jumping the mare back into the pasture bareback was probably not a good idea!) and let me ride. He had an old moth eaten english saddle, so off to the schooling show at the fancy barn we went, me and Al and Belle in a stock truck.
All the english people laughed at the ragged kid on the scruffy workhorse. I got mad and bet a snooty lil bitch $20.00 that I could jump higher than she could, took that damn saddle off Belle, and we started raising rails. At 5 foot the sissy chickened out, Belle and I made it, and the girl turned me in for gambling and got us kicked out. Didn't pay up, either. I was so crushed. Al loaded us up in silence, and started home. He had an awful look on his face and I just knew he'd never let me ride Belle again. Finally, he pulled over, and started laughing so hard he was crying and whacking the steering wheel!
Thanks for helping me remember that moment of triumphant flight with glorious, game Belle...who really was a bazillion dollar hunter jumper in her mind!
The shame of being laughed at had stolen some of the pure joy of flying....nice to have it back.
This area was western only in those days, but now there is a good mix of both.
Great story, kestrel! Thanks for sharing that, made me laugh. Belle sounds like she was a true wonder. Flying on horseback, oh yes, I miss those dreams.
The Bay Mare and The Red QH were the fanciest 2ndW ever owned. I quit riding for him over arguments about jumping his new TWO year olds. Even at 14, I wasn't ThaT dumb.
I must also correct my geography statement, re: where my sister was, in pictures I posted of her up in the Great White North.. She was visiting Iqaluit, in Nunavut. 2toads was askin'...
Did I mention I fall asleep at the mention of geography??
snoooore..
Thanks for being there,kestrel.
To Belle Mare!
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