H is for Horses

Like most little girls out there, I fell in love with horses. I spent years reading about them (anyone remember the Black Stallion books?), even more time dreaming about them, and plenty of time riding them. My parents were fabulous and catered to my whims and the huge number of hours I spent at the stables. One of my first and best riding instructors was Mrs. Johnston. I remember her old, green boxy car and her slave driver tendencies but most of all I remember her installing in me a deep and abiding love for Arabian horses. The first horse that truly captured my heart was a grey Arabian mare Mrs. J owned named Frenesi. All the horse I rode before that seemed lesser in comparison. Frenesi had the beautiful arched neck and the delicate teacup muzzle that Arabians are so famous for. She had the smoothest gaits and riding her was pure pleasure. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of her to show you right now (they aren't accessible) but she looked a lot like that beauty to the right. I think leaving her when we moved from Florida was almost as hard as leaving some of my friends.

I rode some during high school but there were no good stables or instructors where we lived. It wasn't until I was in college, that riding became a huge part of my life again. I joined the Equestrian Team while I was at Duke and, believe it or not, that led to my first job after college

I spent the summer after college training horses at an Arabian farm just north of Hillsborough, NC. Yeah, that's right, add former professional horse trainer to my resume. I got to spend the summer working with former United States Equestrian Team member, Laurie Visser. I lived in an apartment above the stables, spent my days working my tush off with the horses, spent some nights nursing horses through colic (unlike colic in babies, colic in horses is life threatening), got a concussion when the young stallion (he looked like that handsome guy to the left) I was riding decided I didn't need to be on his back, and, all in all, had an incredible time.

If I ever win the lottery or get left a fortune by a long lost relative, I am going to buy a couple of horse (since a dragon is out of the question). I want at least on Arabian and I'd love to adopt a Mustang from out West and a wild horse from Assateague Island off the coast of Maryland (best known from the Misty of Chincoteague book).

I think Shakespeare captured what I feel for horses the best...

When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes. ~William Shakespeare, Henry V