Soft Hands

"Soft hands makes soft horses."  ~ Rick Gore   

My love of horses started early I'm told...

Long before I could talk or say the words I'd see a horse or pony and smile and point and quiver in excitement. It hasn't changed much. Horses still have the ability to lift me to places of happiness I can't find elsewhere.

The 3 photos to the right are:

Top - My Fair Lady. A mare that was given to me by a kind-hearted woman who didn't want to face shipping the mare for auction as dog food. The mare was named Christie at the time and called Killer Christie by her friends and family. The mare had issues.

There were friends that would not ride with me when I rode her and one instructor that refused me lessons and training, "That crazy horse will kill you someday and I don't want to be a part of it." It took a while, but in a few years Killer Christie had become My Fair Lady and was rock solid, courageous, trusting, and the second most wonderful partner of my life. The photo is from our first show together - and is moments before our first winning ribbon. It's been many years since she left my life, and she is still missed.

Middle - "Beaker". A friend's horse that I rode a lot for a while. An ex-racehorse (Thoroughbred) with a kind heart and willing spirit. Tall bugger, and hard to mount when you're only 5'4", but worth the climb. And that awful nickname he had? Check out the nose on the pretty boy.

Bottom - Danzig. Me and Danzig, one of the world's best ever Thoroughbred breeding studs. A little guy, sweet, lovely to look at. This was during a trip to Kentucky to visit the stallion. My thanks to his handler who allowed me a special private time to meet him.