This is Applejack, an Appaloosa gelding. (He has what's called a roan pattern.) He was about 25 years old when I started taking lessons. He used to take off at a canter every week on me -- I was inadvertently asking him to, when passing the horse in front of me too closely. It was a scary experience since we'd just barely started to work on cantering, and I soon became afraid of him. He's the ONLY horse I've ever been afraid of. After riding another horse for some weeks, Sandy (my instructor) put me back on him & let me know the week before. So... I put my foot down, and decided I wouldn't be afraid of him anymore. Boy was he pokey!! *LOL* I also rode him again the next week, and also had no problems then either. I trusted him again & stopped being afraid of him. The following week Sandy told me he had to be put down -- she said it was intestinal problems, but that basically he had died of old age. I'm glad I had started to trust him again before he passed on, or I never would have forgiven myself!

Horses I've Known main page home