The True Story of My First Horse by Sierra

The True Story of My First Horse Scout
By Sierra, age 12

It all started in the late summer of 05 when I was about 10. I was at a barrel race with my aunt/friend Tracey. I would always cool down her horses for her after the big run. When she lead her gorgeous sorrel 16 hand quarter horse named Cody to me to cool down, she had a surprise for me. She told me that her husband, Rick, found a older paint mare for sale for me. I was so excited.

As I walked Cody out and then talked to a girl on a 27 yr old appy gelding, all I could think about was the supposed paint mare. I thought of names. My first choice for her would be Omi, because that was the name of a paint I had cherished ever so much. The second name was Scarlett.

After the barrel race that day, the next moring we set out to go see the ' 19 yr old sound paint mare'. When we got there, the place was a dump. There was about 10 uncovered muddy and poopy stalls on each of the two sides. In the middle was a rock hard arena.

The lady lead us to a big bay quarter horse gelding which was in the 'stall' next to the paint. His name was Sprite, he had ringbone she said but he was sound, with some time of rehab. That's all I caught of the conversation because my ears and eyes, my soul, kept drifting to the skinny sorrel tobiano gelding next door to Sprite. Could he be the 'paint mare'?

Well he was. The lady had advertised him wrong. As she told us about Scout [that was his name then, so I kept it cause it fit him] she said he had bad navicular and ringbone and he limped alot. She said he was about 24 and he had ran gymkhana earlier on in his life, but once he didn't run fast enough for them he was sent to them, to this hell hole {where he had been in an uincovered stall for two years, only being let out once or twice every 2 weeks} No wonder why he had all those problems. And to top it all off, if she didn't sell him this week, off to slaughter he went. And she didn't even care. all she wanted was the money in her pocket. I knew we had to get him.

So Ashley { 19 at the time, Traceys daughter, now 21 almost 22], rode Scout first. He limped but he kept on. Ashley only rode him a half lap before she wanted me to get on. Poor Scout kept going for me. He walked on, but he seemed like he wanted to give up. Like there was no hope at all. Like we were probally just ganna say "No thanks." and toss him away. Poor boy. Then Tracy asked if he would trot at all or if he would collapse and give up... I asked him a little with my voice and little with my leg. He trotted. After about 4 steps I slowed him back down to a walk and brought him back to the gate. My eyes were watering but I had a smile on my face. I knew he had tried hard and had given it his all. Tracey and Ashley knew that he was the one.

We paid the $250 dollars for him and took him back to Tracey's place, where he stayed for 3 months. Kinda like rehab. There he flouished. He was fed alfalfa and grass hay even grain and was turned out all night with Cody. He started to play and his limp was getting so good that it was hardly even there. Only on really hot days or really cold days.

In December or 05, I took him to Alpine Stables. A stable where I board. Everyone fell in love with Scout's gentle personaltiy and he got treats galore. I made sure I got out there every day to groom him and let him play.About once a week I would walk and trot him around the arena. He WANTED to trot. I didn't even have to ask... Then I asked him to canter. I had never cantered before, but he had made the experiance worth while.

After about 7 months of care and carrots and apples and grain and actual food, we went to our first gymkhana. Now don't feel bad or like we were running him on bad legs, he wasn't limping and on supplements. And when I got into the arena, we had to back him in because he wanted to run so badly. I I didn't want to run. All I wanted to do was just walk the patterns. I had to keep him in a tight hold on the reins that attached to the hackamore because If I let him go he would have taken off in a dead run.

After the 6 events and a few runs, Scout was happy and prancing his stuff. Not showing that he had limped ever in his life. One lady came up to me and asked how old he was because she was looking for a project for her daughter. I told her he wasn't for sale and that he was 24. She thought he was 8. I was in shock!

After another year with me, Scout had flourished on the outside, but you could tell his wanting to be young again streak, had really hurt him in the inside. I didn't ride him anymore. He limped every day, so to let him work himself out, we put him to pasture with 12 other horses. Poor Scout would want to run so badly and he would run but would pay for it in the end.

So on Febuary 2nd of 07, he went to his new mommy. A lady named Julie. She wanted another pasture pal for her 16 hand grey arab Freedom. He would live his life out there. In a pasture with Freedom and maybe a mare named Tasha. He would finally have peace.

On that same day, I got Ace. My new horse. Again another case of abuse and neglect. Ace was a bay appendix gelding. 16 hands and 16 years old. He had won me gymkhana reserve championship at the SJVR arena and had taught me proper saddle fitting and about hard keeping horses. He was a dream that even my 66 yr old step-dad could ride on the busy streets and orchards around Alpine stables. On Febuary 16 of 08, (now im 12..ill be 13 on August 9th) I traded Ace for my new horse Misty. Misty is a 10 yr old paint/qh mare. She has two blue eyes and a blaze and 4 sox. But Ace went to an amazing home. Ashley[his new owner] keeps amazing care of him. He is a trail and light western pleasure trail show horse. Good luck on your new season Ash!

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