The Horsepower Homestead

Most equestrians when they picture the perfect show horse, they see something bright, flashy. Lots of socks, perhaps a big white blaze. Not me. I think of Precious. Solid brown. The tiniest single speck of white, a penny sized bird catcher spot on her cheek. She was a liver chestnut, brown like a chocolate bar. Only turning the slightest hint of red in the summer sun by mid July. Precious was my favorite lesson horse. She was flawless. Built like an athlete. She'd carry you over anything you pointed her at. Sturdy and fearless. Extremely versatile. She taught me how to jump. She never refused a fence. I also did play-days with her and once did a local pole bending completion with her. I was convinced she could do anything. She wasn't anything special. Very plain to look at. No special blood lines. Not a special breed. Just a simple colored Appendix Quarter horse. But she was special to me. Precious   And now, as an adult re-rider, I wish she was still around. ...

  I didn't show much as a kid. I did one play day type show at a neighboring barn when I was 12. But my first real show wasn't until I was 15 years old. We went to a county level show. My trainer, a few of his other lesson kids, and myself. My parents came along to help. We brought four horses. Barrister, Chesapeake, Precious, and Nip. I was signed up to ride Ches in a Walk-Trot class and Working equitation. She had never been shown before, and needed the experience. Precious, a veteran in the show ring, was my mount for Hunt seat and Hunter. Barrister, also a show veteran, would be in the English Pleasure and my working equitation class as well, ridden by Alex. Nip was doing a few classes for our under 12 years old age group.   The day started off early. We loaded Nip, Barrister, and Precious without a single issue. But then Ches decided that she didn't want to load. We had practiced a million times. She had been trailered in the past. But today, today she di...