With the holiday season in full swing and everyone buying presents, decorating trees, and helping individuals in need during this holiday season, GoHorseShow.com wanted to know about our readers’ favorite horse-related Christmas memories. Some recall when they were younger and received their first pony for Christmas and others remember their favorite horse show memory during the holidays. Many in the industry have memories of spending Christmas at the Florida Gold Coast or getting snowed in at the Tulsa Holiday Circuit. What is your favorite memory?
Ashley Hadlock–When I was about three or four years-old, Santa brought me my
first pony. He left pink buckets and grooming supplies under the tree.
Then, sitting outside in front of the barn on a rocking horse was a pony
saddle that led me into the barn to find, Dolly, a little white and
brown Shetland pony. I thought it was so neat that my pony flew with
the reindeer!
Jason Wanderer–Only a few years out of college, I was able to save
enough money to buy my first horse on my own. However, it was seriously
all of the money I had at the time, and I still needed to buy a saddle,
headstall and show clothes. I woke up Christmas morning at the home of
my then trainer, Holly Hover, and noticed the bedroom door was partially
open. As I attempted to open the door more, it was stuck and tight as
if something was pulling on the outside knob. I finally slid between the
door and wall only to see that a clothes line had been tied to the door
and attached to it were thousands of
clothes pins, each one holding a one dollar bill. I followed the line from the
start through the hallway, through the living room and through the
kitchen where I finally found the end of the line with a plastic toy
saddle clipped onto the last clothes pin. Completely unknown to me over
the last two months, Holly had called everyone of my horse and non-horse
friends, my boss, my colleagues, etc. and asked they send a check to
her rather than buying me a present. When I finally took all of the
clothes pins down and counted all of the one dollar bills, (which took
hours) I had more than half of what I needed to buy a show saddle. This was my best Christmas gift and memory ever!
Lindsey Gillette–Christmas for my sister, Vanessa, and me is all about
horses! We always attend the Gold Coast Circuit in Tampa every
December. It’s become a tradition that we spend Christmas morning
opening presents–most of which we picked out ourselves in Congress
Hall, cooking, and spending time together, but the afternoon is all
about getting ready to show! It’s nice because it’s one of the few shows
that our other sister and two brothers are able to come watch and cheer
us on. Christmas really makes me appreciate how lucky I am to have not
only supportive parents that allow me to show but also brothers and
sisters that are a hundred percent supportive of me pursuing my dreams.
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Hexter–When I was little, my dad took great pains in keeping me
believing in Santa. I would not only leave goodies for Santa in the
house, but all kinds of hay, grain, carrots, etc in the barn for the
reindeer. One year, when I was starting to be a non-believer, I got up
and went to the barn on Christmas morning–it was an absolute wreck!
Buckets everywhere, hay strung everywhere, including the roof of the
barn, and even some man made reindeer paw prints around… And dad being
the actor he could be, was acting mad because Santa had made such a
mess. But, he said we would let him come back next year since he brought
Joey (my pony) a new halter and bucket–bright blue no less! Still, I would loved to have seen my dad with the ladder throwing
hay up on the roof of the barn!
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Wood–When I was 11 years old, all I wanted to do was ride hunt
seat. I would sneak to the neighbors and ride her huge 16 hand gelding
in her hunt seat saddle for hours. I remember my grandparents telling
me, “Only sissies ride in those little saddles”, so I knew for me, riding
hunt seat wasn’t in my near future. That Christmas, I finally gave up. I
only asked for things for my barrel horse. I remember running down the
stairs that year into the living room…. And there it was, my brand new
hunt seat saddle with all the fittings and even a new bridle. I didn’t
open a single present and headed straight outside to the barn. I saddled
up my barrel horse with my brand new tack and off I went in the snow.
For me, this was a very memorable Christmas, as I now train and show
AQHA hunter under saddle horses. If it wasn’t for this particular
Christmas, I may not be doing what I am today!
Christy Snyder Kelly–Before my father past away, he purchased a
cattle drive for us–being out on the range with our horses and free
spirits was the most memorable gift I have ever received. For the most
part, I spent all my time in the saddle with my mother at horse shows,
so, for my father wanting saddle time with me was really special. We got
more accomplished on that ride with our relationship than any
conversation ever did. I think that was the real gift.
Margaux Tucker–We used to hook a long wooden sled behind my pony,
Ringo Starr, when I was a kid. We would try to get as many kids on it as
possible, and I would dally it off to my horn. Then, we would take off
through the snowy pastures. I would see how far I could toss those kids
off as I did sharp hair-pin turns and go over snow covered trail poles,
which made awesome bumps for just the right amount of turbulence to jar
the last little rascal off. It was a blast…for me and Starr anyway.
Kaylee Marie Mellott–My first horse show with, Dam Im Hot, (Luci) was at the Gold Coast in Florida during Christmas break. I had some really high moments like winning my horsemanship class, to some very low moments of almost getting bucked off. At the beginning of the show, I couldn’t even get her shown, and we were having to lunge her nonstop and pray that she would behave well in the class. As the week went on, things got much better, and I ended up winning my Novice Youth Horsemanship class with 30 in it. All in all, the show was a learning experience, and I wouldn’t want to spend my Christmas any other way than at a horse show, showing!
Keri Collins–As a child, my favorite holiday memory is going for a trail ride around our property on Christmas morning. We had just gotten a beautiful fresh snow, and I remember being bundled up in my snowsuit riding my dappled pony named Darcy. My father riding along side of me on our first horse, an Appaloosa, named Dusty. We had blast riding through the drifts!
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Tamulewicz–When I was really little, probably like five or six, my mom
wrapped a shoe box and put it under the tree. When I opened the box, there was a pair of little bitty paddock boots. They had signed me up to take
lessons at a near by hunter/jumper barn. A couple months into it, she
decided that it was too scary to watch me jump on crazy Thoroughbreds,
and decided that I needed a Quarter Horse. If it weren’t for that
Christmas, I don’t know if I would have ever gotten involved with
horses, let alone Quarter Horses.
Nicole Barnes–My favorite horse show memory during the holidays isn’t a new pony or a special prize. My dad and I always traveled together to Tampa for the Gold and Gulf Coast Circuits. For some reason that I cannot recall, we flew out on Christmas Day rather than on the 26th. Searching for something to eat was tragic! It ended up that we had ham and cheese from a gas station for our Christmas dinner… just a little short of home cooking for the holidays that year!
Jonathan Nowacki–When I was much younger, my parents had bought me my first horse for Christmas. It was a black mare–she was a retired race horse. So that has to be my favorite Christmas memory because I was so shocked. They had been leasing that mare for months for me. I even remember a box wrapped in red paper, and I opened it and it was her registration papers–that was the start of it all for me. I finally had a horse of mine own. Aya now lives in a pasture living the good life!
Courtney Sturgill–My favorite memories would have to be about me not receiving new horses as gifts, but rather spoiling the ones I had. Over the years, I have shown some great horses, and it is funny how they really do become a part of your family. A tradition of ours has been to make stockings for each of our horses and fill them each with their favorite treats. This started as a tradition when I had my first little grey pony and it has continued on since. I always believed that Santa knew our horses had been good that year. Bearly Zippin, my now retired all-around horse, is definitely the most spoiled of the bunch. He always has a great big stocking full of peppermints, carrots and apples. Along with this, my horse is always included on my Christmas card.
Lauren Michelle Kelly–As most teenage girls, I was in love with my first horse. That first Christmas, everything on my list was for my horse–brushes, treats, clothes, chaps, you name it. I was living a little girl’s dream. And as I have grown up, not much has changed. I love “the horse life” and I will always be thankful to my parents and grandmother for making my dreams come true.
Jerri Rorke–I think my favorite Christmas memory was when I was 12. We had purchased my first horse on Halloween that year. We didn’t have our barn finished so my horse had to live with a family friend. I wasn’t able to see my horse that often due to the circumstances and I hadn’t seen him for over a month due to weather. I was awoken Christmas morning by my dad, and he told me I needed to go look in the barn. He had seen unusual tracks in the snow. I ran outside still in pajamas to find my horse in his new stall. I was overjoyed. He had been delivered Christmas Eve while I was asleep. I was even more overjoyed when I opened my gifts to find new brushes and a new blanket for my horse.
Erena Lanza–I was eight years old and it was two weeks before Christmas when my mom took me to visit Santa at the mall. I sat on Santa’s lap every year, but this year I had something very special I was asking him for. After waiting for about an hour, I sat on Santa’s lap excited to tell him what I wanted for Christmas. I had thought about it for a long time, and there was nothing I wanted more than a horse. I told Santa my wish and off I went eager for Christmas Day. When it was finally here, I had never been more excited, I rushed down stairs to see what I thought would be a horse in my living room. However, to my dismay, there was no horse, not even a picture of one. I cried all day long that day. My mom asked me why I was crying, and I told her that I had asked Santa for a horse and only a horse, but I didn’t get one. I told my mom that I couldn’t tell her earlier because I thought my wish wouldn’t come true. She calmly told me that the reason I did not get a horse was because Santa couldn’t fit it through the chimney. Two years later, I finally got my first horse. It may not have been the Christmas I asked for it, but my wish came true.
Farley Sliss–I’ve always been around Quarter Horses thanks to my grandfather, Harry Mullins, who was a Director Emeritus for the Georgia Quarter Horse Association. He, along with my parents, Mike and Sharon, made Christmas Day in 1991 very special for me. I had been asking for a horse for a while and especially started asking more for one around Christmas. One Saturday, my Mom and I went to see Gran Gran at the sale. He used to help run and work the sales at Dewey Henderson’s, which was a show facility and sale barn outside of Atlanta. I had no clue Gran Gran had my mom come to watch a little grey appendix mare run through. I remember seeing the mare and watching her and wondering who bought her. I hoped beyond hope that my Gran Gran bought her for me, but Christmas Eve rolled around and there was no horse in the pasture. Christmas morning rolled around and still no horse! Well, I gave into the fact that I must not be getting a horse. I remember wondering why Gran Gran hadn’t shown up for Christmas breakfast. Next thing I know, I’m being called to the door and waiting in the driveway was Gran Gran with the little grey mare. Her name was SWF Crystal Story or simply Crystal. That little mare took me to my first Youth World and first Congress Top Ten in the Hunter Hack–which Guns Flash Bull won and I was in complete awe! That was by far the best Christmas I’ve ever had. It enabled me to meet some lifelong friends and experience what some little girls only dream of!
Lauren Rodberg–After about two years of lessons, when I was twelve, my parents started discussing the idea of letting me get my own horse. We went around town and saw a few and I fell in love and begged relentlessly for each one of them. A few days before Christmas, my parents took me to a local stable and we met Fancy Joe. Joe was beautiful and sweet…and had a huge red bow in his feeder. My dad pulled out a giant card that my mom made letting me know that Joe was the newest member of our family. I will never forget that morning…and I know my folks will never forget that morning either, for very different reasons. They had no idea what they were in for!
Caitlin Ackerman–I don’t know that I have any big Christmas stories to share, but I have to say my favorite Christmas memories included a yearly ritual when I received my first horse. When I was younger and my horse lived nearby, I would trek to the barn bright and early, still dressed in pajamas and before opening any gifts, just to bring my horse homemade treats, bran mash, and every holiday-flavored candy cane. Only until my horse was fully spoiled, was I able to carry on with the rest of the Christmas festivities.
Carli Pitts–My favorite Christmas memory was definitely when I got my
current pleasure horse, Youneverlookedsogood, as an early present this
year. She has been what I call my “horse crush” ever since she came to
the barn over two years ago. I couldn’t believe it when I saw her papers
with my name on them as the new owner. My parents got extra kudos for
that gift!
