About Me

I grew up on 40 acres with horses and cattle and goats and chickens, etc. We always had some horses around.

I started out on Red, the horrible Shetland pony at about age 5. After that I wouldn't ride until about age 10. I took saddleseat lessons at a Tennessee Walking Horse barn. I had my lessons on the greatest little lesson pony ever and got over a lot of my fears. We, my friend, Pam and I, were supposed to get to the level to show her TWH horse that her dad had bought. Something happened and we never got that far. Meantime I got a Red Roan Mare named Strawberry whom I rode Western at my house (40 acres). She was probably a QH. I never really bonded with Strawberry, but I rode her every day dutifully. We went to drill team practice (to ride at the opening of the rodeo!) a couple of times, but for some reason, known only to my parents, I never got taken back. She was a kicker, so I got sent to the back of the line. LOL. I got busy partying and going to college and law school and didn't ride any more for a lot of years.
At age 30 I was living in Dallas and started taking hunter/jumper lessons again. [Note that at about this time, unknown to me, Dude was born!!]. I had to get my balance back again and pretty much re-learn to ride. Did weekly lessons at 2 barns there and again in Edgewood when I moved to Albuquerque. The Edgewood barn had only dressage so I got into that. Divorce, moved back home to Louisiana. Rode friends horses here and there until my daughter was about 6. I put my daughter in lessons at Big Tree (name changed to protect the innocent). I always wanted to ride, but figured my day was over and it was my daughter's turn.

My father had been a horseman all his life he wanted my daughter to follow that tradition. My father died about 4 years ago. My daughter was promised a horse for her 10th birthday (this year). We started shopping for horses in January. I got the horse fever and started taking lessons with her.