# My Adventures



## Saigold (Mar 21, 2019)

I figured I should start a journal of my own since I can ramble on, and also for me to reflect on my riding as time goes on.

Allow me to introduce us. Ever since I was a kid, I was labeled horse crazy. I loved horses since before I can remember, but according to my parents it started early. I would read everything on equines I could get my hands on, and horse pictures covered my walls. But it wasn't until I was a young adult when my family bought a 50 acre hobby farm. The only knowledge my parents had of horses, came from me. So nothing based on actual experience. I didn't get my first horse until spring of 2003, Falcon. My experience included a handful of lessons (walk/trot), a few guided trail rides and reading books and dial up internet. So talk about learning by fire.

Falcon, was a 15hh black standardbred mare from the amish. I don't even know how they got my number but after I attended an auction I got a call from someone saying they had a nice horse for me. Being young and naive I simply got lucky. Went to see her, fell in love and that was that. When they trailered her over to our place, the guy said, 'I had my kids sit on her a few times, you'll be alright'. And in addition to her also dropped off about 8-9 wild cats. I was in 7th heaven. Falcon was a buggy horse with no formal saddle training. She took a too small/ill fitting old pony saddle and a halter instead of bridle without complaint. We wouldn't get very far, as she took full advantage of me, but she didn't kill me either. So we spent time with me lounging on her back while she mostly grazed. I had her for 6 months, before she got out of the paddock, spooked toward the road and got smoked by a speeding van. I vaguely remember calling the emergency vet, and someone else called the police. She had to be put down due to extensive injuries while laying in a heap on the side of the road in front of the house. I was devastated.


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## Saigold (Mar 21, 2019)

*Ollie*

Sometime in 2004 I attended another horse auction, a meat sale, and came home with a breathtaking to me, 4yo, 16hh appendix QH who was green broke and had scaring and fur missing from his sides. Someone said he was beaten with a chain. I called this guy Fancy Oliver, Ollie for short. Not sure how I didn't get killed with this guy. He taught me groundwork. I could make this horse stop or change directions on a dime with just my body language, it took me a few years to get to this point. But any time I would attempt to ride, he would buck me off like a bronc. Like they say green + green = a really bright shade of green. I remember putting a saddle on him, he'd be tense and almost shivering, I was the same. I was able to ride him a few times without getting bucked off in mid winter when we had a ton of snow. He was probably afraid to buck in the snow. He really shook my confidence and finally after I came to my senses I found him a new home, and had to take a round of riding lessons to overcome the fear of the saddle. Come to think of it, I still used the same old saddle that I had from Falcon. I had no clue that a saddle needed to fit the horse or how to do it and no one to show/tell me. He also hated vets with a passion, so I had to learn how to tend to injuries and give shots. My lack of knowledge led to one big injury. I constructed a corral with ropes pulled between posts. And one day working in this round pen he had a saddle on and I was lunging him, he spooked and started to buck, got his right hind over the rope and took off about 4-5" of skin right down to nothing on his cannon bone. Did I mention he hated vets? Well he also hated his back legs touched. He was eventually sedated and stitched up, although it all fell apart and was just a mess after a few days. He did heal eventually and all that remained was a small scar. This horse taught me how to use the round pen for ground work, lots of medical stuff and fear.


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## Saigold (Mar 21, 2019)

*Grant*

While I still had Ollie, I went to another auction, a consignment sale in fall 2004, and this time was only going to look around. Well I looked around too much, and spent a small fortune.

Introducing Grant, a handsome 7yo, 16hh chestnut AQHA gelding. He was my dream horse come true, almost. He was calm, and gentle and rideable. He loved attention and food. One small problem was that was he lame from the moment I got him, on and off until we put him down last year. This horse helped me build my confidence and I started enjoying riding again, between his sore times. Loved this boy to pieces. He was a very easy keeper, but riding consistently was not an option, as if he did too much, he'd go lame. Even in the pasture doing nothing. Multiple vets later, still didn't know exact cause, but it was pinpointed down to his too small flat feet for his body and later his knee from unknown trauma. He was 22yo when we lost him.

Through the years I've also had a few other horses, but they were passing through, a couple I rescued from the meat sale, brought back to health and found homes for.


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## Saigold (Mar 21, 2019)

*Montana*

Montana came into our life as a lease horse first, and then we bought him. It was Dec 2007 when this handsome paint 15hh AQHA arrived. What an amazing christmas present. I couldn't say a single bad thing about this boy. He's always been a model citizen and the only time he was unwell, was when he slipped on ice a few times and did the splits with his back legs. Rides like a champ, other than his trot, which will test how well the cavities were filled. He may not be the bravest horse, but will follow whoever he is with, without too much question. He has done all kinds of things in his youth, barrels, reining, cutting, and was a stud for a while too. Until we got him, he spent his life isolated initially due to being a stallion, and later, because the previous owners didn't think he'd get along with others. He was in heaven when he came to us, as he met his buddy Grant.


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## Saigold (Mar 21, 2019)

*Duke*

After losing Grant, we found a TWH gelding who was WAY too much horse for us, so he went to a new home, and then got Duke. Duke is 13yrs old, Dun, QHx. Hes a tank, and will go wherever you point him. Almost. We're still getting to know each other. But so far he has been the second horse, after Montana, who is awesome in both temperament and riding. We're very happy with him. Prior to us, he was part of a riding school and jumped up to 1.5', and also used in wedding photoshoots while pulling a carriage.


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