Horses & Real Life

[Maybe]

I'm curious to know, what is the role of horses in your every day life? Do you ride, have your own horse, lease a horse, or have you never ridden/owned one, but you love them anyway?

As for myself, I've been riding for six years. I rode at a public barn for six years. My favorite horse was named Alcatraz Bluebear. He was my soulmate. The love of my life. My obsession. He is a beautiful, and very clumsy, Paint Horse, but he is a breeding stock paint, which means he doesn't have any paint markings. He is a flea-bitten gray with a blaze and two hind socks (which are hidden unless he's wet). The only part of his blaze that's visible is the bottom part, giving his nose a strip of pink. He's about 15.2HH and 1100 pounds, he's 16 years old, but still a challenging ride. He is a bit aggressive, very dominant, and freaking HILARIOUS. He's the clown of the barn, just like me. I rode him for five years. When I was 17, I decided I wanted my own horse, so I asked Bluebear's owners if they'd ever sell him. They said no. It was really depressing, that my best friend in the whole world would never be mine.

And then I met Mirage. I went to the SPCA with my mom one day, "just to take a look". Standing in the far pasture was a remarkable familiar-looking horse. He was about 15.2HH, 1100 pounds, 16 years old, and flea-bitten gray, only he was markingless, and an Arabian (a freaking big Arabian). He looked just like Bluebear, but much more graceful and flighty. Two weeks later he was mine. I renamed him Oliver Blue (after Bluebear), moved him into my new barn, and got to work.

He had been severely abused and starved, but he was overweight now (from the SPCA's high-protein diet), and he had a bad fear of people. I couldn't even touch his face or make a quick movement around him. He has a sore on his ankle the size of Tibet. He was a nightmare to ride. He literally (no lie) was unable to walk when I was on him. He was so scared that he'd get worked up and prance around, sometimes moving his legs to fast and making such tiny steps that he wasn't even going forward anymore. Just kinda jogging in place.

Now, almost five months later, Oliver is like a new horse. The sore is gone (I wrapped and bandaged it every day for a month), and he is in love with me. Whenever I come to the barn he neighs at me (and I neigh back, lol), and whenever he's in pasture and I call to him, he gallops up to me like a lunatic. He's still hard to ride, but he walks calmly and will do anything I ask him to. He still has fears, but only under the saddle. I can touch him anywhere now, and I can sit in his stall on the floor while he's eating, just stroking his legs and whispering to him. He is such a smart cookie, and the fastest learner I've ever met. When they say Arabs are the smartest breed, they're not exaggerating. He learns something in 5 minutes that would've taken smart but stubborn Bluebear the whole day.

I still miss Bluebear, and I cry about him a lot, but I'm glad I could rescue Oliver. It's been really hard at times, and there have been tears and laughter and shouting and all sorts of different things, but I don't regret adopting him, even if he's not Bluebear, and never will be. Everyone says that with a little more time and a lot more work, Oliver will come out of his shell completely and become the dream horse every girl has always wanted. I know they're right.

Here are some pictures of me and my boys:

Bluebear


Me and Bluebear circa 2009


Me and Bluebear circa 2008/2007


Bluebear on Halloween 2009. He was a Rainbow Pony! We won the costume contest.


Bluebear in the early morning circa 2008

Oliver Blue
Oliver a few months ago. I don't have many pictures of him because my camera broke.


This was taken very recently. Like...last week.

[glamourkills]

Wow, your story is riveting. They're gorgeous horses!

I've loved horses my whole life, I went to camp for 6 years, a week each year just to be on a horse. Any chance I get, I want to ride them or even just touch them. Whenever I'm traveling and see horses in a pasture, I stare at them, always wanting to be near them. I've never owned a horse, but I want to so bad. I might be volunteering at a horse barn that lets disabled kids ride horses soon, hopefully I'll get to ride their horses eventually. It sucks not being able to be near them, but one day, I'll own one.

[Maybe]

Yeah, I know how it feels, that inexplicable pull horses have over you. And thank you. It's been a hard ride at times, but we manage.

[Steph]

i dont own a horse. But i hope to one day. However i do ride a morgan gelding named joker. will hopefuly get pictures up soon!

[barrelracer456]

I just got a horse! YAY! lol her name is Sugar and she is a yearling Pinto.