A pony is a childhood dream, a horse is an adulthood treasure. ~ Rebecca Carrol
I’ve spent most of my life riding horses. The rest I’ve just wasted. ~ Anonymous
Most of us got involved in the horse industry because we love horses. Sometimes this fact appears to be largely forgotten in the daily grind of training horses and cutthroat competition. Showing horses is seen more and more as a means to make money rather than an enjoyable way to relax, meet new friends, and revel in the company of your equine partner. We decided to ask various people in the industry about their equine roots to see how their horse obsession originated. We received a wide variety of inspiring and quite amusing answers.
Holly Hover of Cave Creek, Arizona
AQHA Judge and Top Clinician
I broke my first bone on my 27 year-old pony when I was three. He broke into a jog (a rare occurrence). I fell (not such a good rider). My dad wanted to sell him. I cried. That was it–actually my dad probably cried too because that was the beginning of him having to buy a lot of horses. There were many broken bones to follow!
Amy Gumz of Morganfield, Kentucky
Leading Breeder in the Industry
I always dreamed of horses and used them as my form of escapism. Later, I had the opportunity to ride with a Mounted Police department while working on my Masters Degree. Experiencing the heart of these working horses, secured a position for them in my life forever.
Bill Kaven of Whitesboro, Texas
AQHA Judge and Western Pleasure trainer
I have always loved animals and as a young boy always wanted to grow up to be a cowboy. My first horse experience, however, did not cement my love for them. I was five years-old and had the opportunity to ride a horse. I went and put on all of my cowboy duds including my six shooters. Once on board my 16 hand mount, I was quickly reintroduced to the ground. I did not ride another horse again until about the age of 10. My desire to be a cowboy brought me back, so I would have to say my love for horses was one that blossomed over time.
Lisa Ligon of Purcell, Oklahoma
Trainer and AQHA Reserve World Champion Exhibitor
Guess I knew I loved them when I watched the Kentucky Derby on television. Must have been like five years-old. I got a rope and fashioned myself some stirrups on the family foot stool. I rode the race with the only filly in the field as my mount. I wanted to be a jockey until I was fourteen. Hadn’t thought about that in a long time. It never occurred to me that I might not always be involved with them. I used to ride my bike 4 miles to take my riding lessons…. then I would stay and clean the stalls in the barn to earn my lessons.
Joe Mizzi of Newport, Michigan
Owner of Painted Plantation and Breeder of Paint horses
When I was younger, my father sent me down to Kentucky to check out a financial investment involving buying into a breeding partnership to try and produce race horses talented enough to race in the Kentucky Derby. The second I drove into this spectacular Kentucky farm, I knew I wanted to be involved with horses. It wasn’t until I was older that I was able to pursue my love of horses. I love everything about them.Riding them in solitude. Just you and a horse–that is the best and hearing their foot fall. There is nothing else like it.
Marilyn Randall of Bridger, Montana
AQHA Judge and Associate Professor, Equestrian Studies at Rocky Mountain College
I was the kid who grew up in the little white house with a white picket fence. The neighbor boy had a pony, and he used to leave it in our yard. Of course, I spent more time playing and riding the pony than the neighbor did. He was a little black and white pony. We moved from that house before I turned 5, so I was 3-4 years old. From then on, whenever I was asked what I wanted for Christmas, it was always a horse.
Cody Fisher of Olive Branch, Mississippi
Show manager of Circle G Classic in Tunica, MS
I have two moments. The first came when I was eight. We raised a colt, whom I named Smokey, who became my best friend. We played chase and took naps together. He would even meet me when I got off the bus from school. That was when I really felt that bond a man can have with a horse. I lost Smokey when he was two and lost interest in the horses for a while–even though horses were our family business. My second moment came when Jay Jordan, who was an assistant for my dad, helped me overcome the resistance to ride again. I rode one of his horses for him and didn’t miss a day for 15 years!
Beth Case of Pilot Point, Texas
Multiple World and Congress Trainer for High Point Performance Horses
My family had nothing to do with horses, so, I don’t know why I fell in love with them, but I remember one day in the summer, I was probably like nine, my mom and her friends took a bunch of the kids to a park and there were pony rides there. I didn’t get to ride them but from that day on I wanted to ride. All I could think about were horses. It drove my family and my friends crazy. I found a book about horses at the library and read it over and over again.
Austin Gooding of Fennville, Michigan
Top AjPHA Exhibitor and son of trainer Garth Gooding
I started riding almost as soon as I could walk. But, I would just as soon as play basketball or baseball until I was ten. I remember perfectly clear the moment I wanted to take my riding more seriously. I was shooting baskets while my parents were riding and my mom was expecting something in the mail. She asked me to hold her horse while she went to the mailbox. While she was gone, my dad talked me in to getting on to surprise my mom when she got back. They then talked me in to loping, and I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to ride again.
Dawn Clason of Medina, Ohio
Past NSBA President, AQHA judge and trainer
Oh lord! I’ve been hooked since I can remember. I grew up around Tennessee Walkers with my Uncle and Grandfather. Loved riding with them out in the fields. From there, my dad thought my sister and I needed our own horse. We went from trail horses to 4-H and open show horses to the Quarter Horse Circuit. I guess you could say my dad is to blame, but I never complained!
Kelly Boles Chapman of Kalamazoo, Michigan
Multi-carded judge and APHA trainer
I’m one of the ones who has the baby pictures on my mom’s old show mare. Seems like they always have been in my blood — from my first pony, Kayline. Then came the string of ponies following her: Corky, Buster, Captain, Shawnee. I remember playing horseback on the farm as a kid — I was either a pioneer on the prairie, or pretending I was riding in some big show somewhere — all while riding bareback, since it was way to much work to put a saddle on! That’s what I really hope that I can keep in perspective for my daughter — that play time/trail riding/ride for the fun and joy of it has to be there. Sometimes we get so focused on just riding to practice and school for the shows, that that fun time on horses where we go exploring or just riding and playing in the fields gets missed.
Debbi Trubee of North Lawrence, Ohio
Breeding Manger for Pine View Farms
My parents bought me a pony, Queenie, when I was 10. We were city folk and we boarded her by Lake Erie, and in the summer, I would take Queenie to the lake and swim with her all day long. She was my best friend and I loved running her bareback across the fields to the lake….silly memory. I’ve never done anything else but be in the horse business.
Stephanie Griffin of Durant, Oklahoma
Multiple Congress and World Champion competitor
We lived in town and my family didn’t have horses, so, it was not the most realistic obsession. When I was eight, my parents finally relented and let me start taking riding lessons. Finally they gave in and agreed to buy me a horse which turned out to be an unbroke two year-old in an auction. Not exactly the most ideal first horse for a nine year-old! That poor mare probably had more miles on her as a 3 year old than most horses have in a life time! In the winter, I can remember riding as long as we could stand it before having to run in and warm our frost bitten hands and feet around the wood burning stove before going back out for the next round. A few years later in our first trip to Congress, we were fourth in showmanship 11 and under, fifth in horsemanship and seventh in equitation, placing in three out of the four classes we showed in, so, it all worked out much better than it probably should have.
Fonda Nott of New Carlisle, Ohio
Multiple Futurity and Congress Winner
As a little girl, I lived in a subdivision in my hometown of New Carlisle, Ohio. I was one of the few lucky kids to be a friend of the neighborhood bully! Maybe the other kids would say UNLUCKY… or I just was the only one to put up with her (mom always says play nice with others). She had a horse and a pony that she would ride often. I would go with her and her dad sometimes, but she would only let me ride the mean pony that would bite, buck and rub ya off any chance he could. My family eventually moved to a farm where my dad decided that a horse might finally be okay, WOO HOO!! Dad gave me an offer–a three wheeler or a horse? At the time, my dad was into 1/4 mile drag cars and horses weren’t in the picture. Little did he know that buying me a horse would be a big mistake money wise. His little girl never out grew her passion. Thanks dad and mom for my first horse and all the fabulous memories they have given me. Oh yeah, and dad for giving up his passion for race cars for my passion for horses.
Cyndi Brown of Gainesville, Texas
AQHA Judge and Trainer
It was many moons ago, I was about 8 yrs old, it was 1965, I had my brother out with me (Jim Hershey 9 yrs. old) hiking through fields in the suburbs of Indianapolis. Off in the distance in a large vacant, field stood a lone pony. I looked at my brother and said, “Yimmy, I got a idea”, (I couldn’t say J’s very good yet), so I took him over to the pony( which lucky for me had a halter and a rope hanging from it), “We’ll take this pony home and care for it” So, I lead it all the way home and when we got there my mother (Margie Hershey), exclaimed,”Where did you get that pony!”, so I replied,”It followed me!” Of course it had to, I had a hold of the lead rope dragging it along. My mom made me take it back. Ever since that day I have been involved with horses one way or another, first with my Uncle Ross on his cattle ranch, then a jockey, then a show horse trainer.
We would love to hear from you! When did you fall in love with horses? Please let us know in the comments section of this article.
