# Finally together again!!



## BaliDoll (Sep 21, 2009)

Okay. So, I decided to start a little blog on here, because all I can think of right now is how excited I am!  I wanted to share my excitement, and also continue to show my progress once Bali gets here. I'm sure I'll be posting questions and things once he gets here, but to set things off right there should be background... yes? 

So, I grew up on a paint farm in Colorado. My mom bought a stallion when I was 6, and she began showing him. Earned his third world champion title (All around hi-point champion, Working cow horse champion, and utility driving champion) and then she began to breed him. She had lots of nice foals, and always promised while I was growing up, that one day I would have a foal of his of my own. Every year I would pick a pregnant mare, and she'd tell me if the foal was colored they'd be my new show horse. I was a curse though, none of my picks were ever born with paint patterns and thus couldn't be registered.

All this time I showed my first show horse, Foxy. We did walk/trot and 13 & Under western classes. I learned a lot on her, and loved her very very much. After I was 14, she wasn't really good enough, most youth in APHA shows have to upgrade because their 13 & under horses aren't going to cut it against the horses the older kids have.

Meanwhile, we had this colt, Bali. He was two and a stallion, beautiful coloring and conformation. He looked a lot like his dad, and my mom was thrilled. He was going to fallow in his fathers foot steps for sure. He was rather nuts as a stallion though, breaking through a fence and injuring himself terribly to get to mares, being really stubborn, etc. He was gelded because my mom didn't want to deal with a stallion with any kind of "study" attitude after her horse, who was a puppy dog in comparison. 

Well, our trainer really loved Bali and saw a lot of potential in him. He told my mom she should pass him on as my 14 - 18 horse. It would take me some time to get used to him, and him to me, but they figured by the time I was 15 or so I could show him. I didn't like this idea, I was stubborn because I loved Foxy... and I only knew Bali as a crazy colt.

I began riding him occasionally for lessons, and we started to get along pretty well. Soon we had to move to a smaller farm so my mom decided to sell Foxy as we could only take 8 horses to the new farm. I was upset but I knew I had to move on, and Bali was growing on me.

Bali and I did a lot of schooling and open shows, we'd win everytime. He was started in reining but when he was passed to me he became a Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, Showmanship, and Trial horse. We did a couple shows in the APHA circuit before things changed.

I was born with a chronic illness, and although I had been healthy since I was about 7 years old, at 15 it really struck me down again. I was super sick for three years, only getting the chance to ride about once a month or so... even though I tried and pushed myself to get out there when I could... by the time I was saddled I usually was so sick feeling I just couldn't ride.

I was listed for transplant when I was 17, and it was sucessful, but I had to have a second transplant (first was an intestine, next was a kidney) so I spent a lot of time recovering from that. By the time I was 18 I had missed so much of my teenage years I wanted to go out and be with my peers. I rode seldomly, and lost interest in showing. I was all about my friends and going out and partying! lol

I moved to California to pursue my dreams of being a screenwriter, and to go to college. I kissed Bali goodbye and left, thinking seeing him once in a while when I was home would be enough.

I was wrong!

About a year after living here I became really sad everytime I saw a horse on TV or anything. I had also gone on medication for anxiety/depression. My boyfriend took me riding at a horse rental place and I felt the happiest I had in months. I didn't want to leave. I went home and began researching how much it would be to lease a horse out here- never dreaming I would be able to bring Bali out.

I found a cute little horse named Chip, who I ride now because his owners are trying to sell him and since no one rides him (except me) people were turning him down cause he was a rebel to ride heehee! He is calm when someone works with him a few times a week, obviously just wanting attention. He'll be sold soon, lots of interest, super cute little guy. ANYWAY....

I talked to my mom about how I wanted to find a horse to lease, and how since I had begun riding Chip I had noticed a drastic change in my mood and depression symptoms. Mom asked how much boarding was there. One thing lead to another and now...... Bali will be here in about a week!!!!!!! My mom is sending him to me for my 21st birthday, and I absolutely can't wait to have my buddy back!

I found the best barn ever to keep him at! It's 40 minutes away, but you can't get much closer than that, I truly live in the city of Los Angeles! heehee

Eventually, I'd love to show Bali again, give him the chance to shine that he never got. Right now though, I am just thrilled he's going to be with me again. No one really rode him back home because he is very hard to get along with without a lot of ground work and trust building, he's not a horse just anyone can hop on and ride. (He has a lot of psychological issues from his mother, she taught him to be VERY fearful of humans because she associated my mother with the death of her first foal- who was choked by his umbilical cord and sadly born dead.) Which I am worried about slightly cause I haven't ridden him since last christmas, and even though he's been in training this summer, I am sure he's going to be a biiiiiig poo head when he first gets here!

Anyways... That's what my horse journey is at the moment. 

I can't wait til his fluffy little face gets here. He'll have so much shedding to do! heehee...

Thanks for reading!!


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## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

very exciting.


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## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Very exciting. I am very excited to hear how you progress. I to have started on a journey with Caddo. I weaned him 10 days ago and now my true bond and training will start.


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