My first real encounter with horses was when I was 9 years old. A distant neighbor stopped by our house while out on a trail ride with her tall appaloosa mare. I was bit by the horse bug, and it was irreversible.

At a local trail riding operation. 2000.

I started taking traditional English riding lessons in June 2000. Soon after I began riding, the facility I was riding at got a new pony, Prince.

Riding Prince at a Pony Club meet, talking to my sister. July 2001.

He was a Pony of the Americas, about 12.3 hh and looked like a punk because of his wacky mane-cut. He had issues with running off, and after I rode him for the first time, by my lesson next week, he had already dumped 3 riders. I started riding him regularly, and he got over his fear of most things. He was a great little jumper, and he took me to my first show. He taught me a lot about balance and staying calm and passively persistent.

Prince and I at our first show. August 2001.

In 2001, I started searching for a horse of my own. I discovered the Haflinger breed in a magazine, and got the opportunity to visit with and ride a 6-year-old Haflinger stallion named Max in the summer of 2001.

Max introducing me to the beauty and gentleness of the Haflinger breed. Montana 2001.

After many months of looking at horses over the internet, I came up with one Haflinger gelding that I really liked. My sister had taken up riding since I started, and she was also looking for a horse. We found a gorgeous Haflinger mare for her.

 

On October 28, 2001, our horses arrived after a 6-day trailer ride from Washington. I had seen many ads for Parelli Natural Horse.Man.Ship in horse magazines, and I knew I wanted to do that with Staunton.

As a Christmas gift, my parents bought my sister and me the Partnership, Harmony and Refinement kits. Staunton and I started playing, but I still didn't know where to start. In June, I had a friend come to my house and teach us the Seven Games. In those two hours, I learned to communicate effectively with Staunton, and we have only gotten better from there. Now that we are studying Level 2 Harmony, I am getting better at presenting my ideas to Staunton, and as a result, he is getting much faster and more exuberant in his playing.

My horsemanship journey took an accelerated leap in 2008 when I attended a 6-week course cycle at the Parelli International Savvy Center in Florida, January-March. I got partnered with Little George, the clever ranch horse, and I learned so much.