Paint Horses

I've always had a thing for pintos. Big colorful messes of fur. Some people love them, some people hate them. Some people think they're wild. Some say the ones with blue eyes are crazy.
But in my opinion, a good horse is never a bad color. (That's also the name of a great natural horsemanship book by Mark Rashid  if you're ever looking for an easy read but still solid equestrian piece of literature). My first real riding experience as a kid was on a paint. Her name was Sandy, she was an older mare at a horseback riding camp for kids. She was big and a little lazy. My legs were so short I could hardly kick her into a trot, but I did. I thought she was the best thing ever.

 Sandy, Circa 1997
 
The next paint horse that I got myself involved with was Chesapeake. She was a Registered Paint. Her mom was a QH, she was a palomino named Nip. My dad and my brother rode Nip quite frequently. Chesapeake's brother, Ret, also spent some time at our barn prior to being sold. He was a big gorgeous bay. Chesapeake was an unfinished 5 year old when my trainer had me start working with her. I rode her English, and often referred to her as my "little Hidalgo". In the process of training her, I had my first big fall from a horse. She was stubborn and sometimes mareish, but she was a great teacher. By the end of it all, I turned Ches into a wonderful ride, I even had her jumping up to 2'6". But her owner had gotten married the year before and was now pregnant, so she decided to sell Ches. And I absolutely loved that horse. I begged, pleaded, and cried to my parents for her. I wanted her more than anything. But they said she wasn't the right horse for us, as a family. And honestly, looking back on it, they were absolutely right. But try telling that to a love struck 15 year old girl. Ches was sold to a friend of the owner and I was absolutely heart broken. I cried over it. I was convinced that I would never love another horse the way that I loved Ches.
  
Chesapeake, Circa 2004
 
But then I met Apache. And I fell in love again. What's meant to be will be. Things always work out how they're supposed to. I believe that. And Apache and I were meant to meet. She needed me to train her. And I needed her in order to fall in love with horseback riding again. And she has been a better partner to me than Chesapeake. She is more careful, less fearful, and more trusting of me. But that doesn't taint my past fond memories of Chesapeake. It just goes to show that you can fall in love again. You can get your heart broken, then piece it back together, and find something else to devote yourself to. A bond, a friendship, with a horse is really no different than that of people. Respect. Love. Trust. All important factors. And all very necessary if you want the relationship to be a good one. I learned to love with Sandy. I learned respect from Ches. And Apache taught me trust.
So I may harbor a soft spot for paints and pintos. But can you really fault me for that?


Apache, Summer 2016
 
 


Comments