From: joi@cbnewsc.cb.att.com (JMM)
Subject: Re: Reader Bio's
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 23:31:10 GMT
Keywords: how to visit

Well, here goes.

I grew up in Massachusetts and spent summers and holidays in Maine at my 
grandparents' farm.  They had a great big white mare, Cracker. I don't know 
what breed, a draft breed I'm sure, because whe was *big*, with very big
hooves, and used to pull hay wagons, plows, etc.  I used to ride her every 
chance I got (as did my sister).  We'd get out the bridle, complete with 
blinders (part of the harness), hide it behind us until we got up to her 
in the field, and then find a rock or tree big enough to climb on her.  
I, too, was "horse crazy". I loved to draw, and drew horses all the time.  

I never rode with a saddle until I was almost grown, except for one time
when my father arranged with a business associate for my sister and I to
ride a TB race horse at an indoor track.  Whew!  I can still remember that
one!  I felt like I was riding the wind!  I was probably about 8 years old.

After my grandfather died, the animals were all sold and after that I got
to ride occasionally at a riding stable.  Very tame, but at least they were
horses.  I rode very occasionally (years between times) until I was in my
30's.  In the meantime I was married, divorced, and had a son.  Because I
was sure he'd be deprived if he didn't learn to ride, I made sure he got
to have lessons and spend time at horse ranches and so forth--but I didn't
ride.  Then we moved to Utah and I became acquainted with someone who had
a couple of horses.  When she decided she couldn't keep them any more, she
sold her mare and GAVE me her 7 year old gelding, a QH cross--grade mare
to registered regional champion cutting horse.  Stormy's now 18 and he's
done just about everything I've ever asked him to do.  Trail horse,
mountain horse, parade, drill, jump, even a little dressage.  I've never
competed, never thought I could (no guts).  Now Stormy's navicular and
his jumping days are over, but I still ride him, bareback, western, and
English, and he still follows me around like a puppy.  BTW, he's a dark
bay, my neighbor calls him a silk bay, and he has a snip on his nose..

Since we moved to Colorado, complements of a transfer at AT&T's expense,
he's been very lonely.  (I took him away from his buddies at my sister-in-
law's place.)  At first, I thought I'd just find a nice horse to maybe do a 
little jumping--but then I started looking at warmbloods, realized that 
ohmigod I can afford it, and I now have a 2-1/2 year old grey Trakehner 
filly, "Letzte", by Erzsand out of Lustra.  And I've just put a deposit on 
a yearling Oldenberg colt, "Winnipeg", by Wenderpunkt (a Hannoverian, but 
approved Oldenberg) out of an Oldenberg mare.  Winnipeg is a chestnut with 
four white socks and a sweet disposition.  Over a 1 foot free jump (at a 
walk), he showed 3 feet of air and brought his knees clear up to his chin.  
He'll be vetted in the next week and probably he'll be mine too.  Is this 
insanity?  Could be, but it feels great!

Tom, my S.O., feeds in the afternoons (I feed in the mornings) since I'm
at work until midnight.  He doesn't ride, but has learned to like horses
since he discovered that that have *personality*!  In fact, today he was
out there helping me with Letzte (I've started softening the sound to
"Lesse") while I was showing her around the scary world of my five acres.

This is kind of long, so only one more comment.  I'll be training Letzte
myself for dressage and maybe jump her eventually.  A scarey thought,
but exciting.  Oh, yeh, and I have two dogs (Juneau and Sammi) and three
cats (Oliver, Sunny, and Jacques) and hundreds of birds.  Well...I really
only have five bird *feeders* but I claim all of the birds, too.

Life is good.

	Joy Metcalf
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian