My Passion For Horses #SaveAmericasMustangs #Cbias

Some of my very first memories as a little girl was falling in love with horses. Everywhere my family drove, if my mom saw horses in a field, she's point them out to me. Same way I used to point out bulldozers to my boys. Horses had my heart pretty much from infancy it seems. This love is why Save America's Mustang's is so dear to my heart.

One summer, when I was maybe 10-12 I visited my dad in Maryland. He gave me horse riding lessons that summer. I learned to ride English and my whole world was beautiful! Me, getting to ride a horse, all summer! What could be better.

Meanwhile, my mom and our family lived in Colorado. hahahaha I was in heaven with all the horses people had. Seemed there was something about wild horses and the Old West at every turn. It was exactly where I wanted to be. I dreamed of having a Mustang, finding a beautiful one, out in the empty spaces of Colorado? I was SURE there was one waiting for me.

My 7th and 8th grade years I lived in Erie, CO. My best friend at the time had a couple of horses. One was a Buckskin, appropriately named, Buck. I fell in love with this horse. I would go over to her house and ride any chance I got. Even just being at her house, being NEAR the horses made me happy. One time, three of us went riding, bareback. It was along a busy highway, but she assured me and my other friend (neither of us super experienced riders) that her horses were spook free! HA!

My friend's horse spooked first, but I thought she was just joking around. Her horse took off like a shot and I thought it'd be fun to follow, as we passed culvert after culvert, jumping numerous ones. I realized at some point she had no control over her horse and started freaking out. Buck wasn't paying attention at all and was going full speed. I started slipping off him and thankfully as I went underneath his neck, between his hooves, he jumped over me. Trust me, that could've been a very bad situation!

It didn't deter me at all. I got right back up on him the next time I went to my friend's house.

Our family moved to Washington my 8th grade year. It was a tough year for me. I'd end up going to 3 different schools. My 9th grad year is the year I decided to live overseas. I needed a break from my life. Yah, I certainly got a break alright

When I came home to go to high school where my family lived, I told my mom that I'd be willing to forgo a car when I turned 16 and have wild horses instead. She asked me how I'd get to school because I'd been dreaming of driving myself for a couple of years. Believe it or not, I really believed I could ride my horse to school every day and leave it at a friends house...or something.

Do NOT ask me what I was thinking. I had no where to really leave a horse while I was at school. I'm sure at the time I had Little House on the Prairie ideals. What I knew was, I could have my horse and I'd be able to save horses at the same time. What more could my little girl heart ask for?

My mom said no to the horse idea, but that never stopped me from watching all the auctions that they had in WA for wild mustangs. I almost went to one with a friend, but the family ended up not going. I had no where to board a horse if I got one, but my heart still yearned for a horse. Skip ahead to me at 35 yrs old, I live in MN now and that summer, for my birthday, my mom gave me the desires of my heart. She gave me enough money to buy my first and only horse. My 2nd daughter had friends with horses and everything seemed to fall into place at once. Smooch's best friend also got a horse.


Winston, my horse. He was a beautiful creature. I was living out my girlhood fantasies with him. I'd go out during the day just to see him, to be near him. He had such a calming affect on me. I would call him from the fence, and he did what every little girl (which I was in my heart with my horse) would want, he would come running to me!!

He was amazing. Did you ever have something you could turn to, like a dog or a cat, or "fill in the blank" when your world seemed to be falling apart? When that happened with my marriage, I would go out to my Winston, cry in his mane and he would just stand there, letting me. He was an amazing creature.

Unfortunately, he came at a time when I had a toddler and wasn't able to really get out there and ride him. He was a stinker at any events and that meant Smooch really couldn't ride him very well. We did some training with him, but even then, he was a pain sometimes. He had the most amazing trot, so smooth. People liked to ride him because of his gait. His big, beautiful hooves gave him that smooth ride.

My love for horses hasn't waned since I had to sell him to a family at our same barn. Life happened. I became a single mom. It just wasn't possible to have him anymore.

About Saving America’s Mustangs:

Wild horses are a living symbol of our American heritage and freedom. These 
mustangs must be protected. Business woman and philanthropist, Madeline Pickens 
is committed to this promise.Through her Foundation, citizens form all walks of life are
uniting to create a permanent home, a Sanctuary, to save these magnificent national
treasures.

Be sure to keep up with this wonderful organization on
Twitter and
Facebook

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop
has  been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for
Collective Bias™ and Save America’s Mustangs. 
#CBias #SocialFabric All opinions are my own and are never influenced by
the company.