The $25 Horse I didn't Want: My mother didn't know what she started

I was about three years old when my mother gave me her old Breyer collection. She was passing on her childhood passion, little did she know that this childhood dream would turn into my lifelong passion. I don't think she intended for that happen, yet happen it did. Those poor Breyer's didn't last long before super glue was required to stop my tears from the broken legs from failing to hold my weight. My poor mother had to watch pieces get chipped off and abused as I rode the Breyers around the house.

Some could claim that horses came in my blood. My mother loved horses when she was younger and did some riding where she could. On my father's side of my family my grandmother and aunt both were horse enthusiasts. They both competed in endurance and had their share of horses. My father was raised around his mother's and sister's horses but did really get into them until I did as a way to share my passion. I never got to know my grandmother to well before she passed, I have pictures and stories from family and I wish I had got to know her better. My aunt was my idol. I have clear memories of her riding Jake, a huge smile on her face, as he power housed his way through our property right after we got him.

: This was Electron, (I think) I was about 7 years old in this picture.

I managed to find my way onto a horse's back every now and then. My aunt's husband's mother owned two horses. I remember loving the calm old Magic and would have anyone lead me around, loving it. Or my father visiting friends that had horses. In any way I could I would find them, you couldn't drive down a country road without me spotting out all the horses.

: Cleaning Electron's Hooves (Lesson Horse)

Then eventually I got into lessons when I was 6, and it kicked off from there. I took lessons when ever I visited my father (my parents divorced when I was one and half), so that was every two weeks. My passion grew and grew, I rode western and got into gaming and rodeo. I only got to ride once every two weeks, so I took a while to become accomplished in any skills, but as I worked my way into confidence I started to get an ego. I could handle anything and everything. I laugh now, knowing how much I didn't know....how good I thought I was. I guess that is a product of any kid in a lesson program. I would always spend extra time at the stables, cleaning and playing around. It was anything my father could do to pull me away. I am ever thankful for Helen allowing me to live in my dream life for that single day every once in a while.

Horses took over my life, I lived breathed and dreamed horses. All drawings were of horses, my thoughts were always on horses, the hoofbeats replaced the sound of my heartbeat, it was all I could do to wait for the next ride. Most people consider this as being bitten by the horse bug. I was bitten with the chronic horse bug, and its never going to go away. I still hear the hoof beats echoing in my mind, I earn for nothing more than open hills and a horse beneath me...to fly over jumps and feel the freedom of a partner that needs no words. Sometimes I hear someone say "Almost every little girl gets bitten by the horse bug, then they grow out of it." I beg to differ and say they never were bitten in the first place. Everyone can get a passion for horses, then grow out of it, just as most girls grow out of princesses and stuffed animals. If you're bit, it becomes you life, you can't live without it. Imagining my life without horses is induces a feeling of chocking and loss of breath, I'm probably past the point of being obsessed, but that isn't going to change. I have my other passions, I love snow boarding I love hanging out with my friends, I love off-roading and driving my car fast. Still, horses are in my soul, and it looks like they are never going to leave.