Like a lot of little girls, I was horse crazy from a very early age. I wanted to learn to ride, and for the longest time thought my mom just didn't want me to learn -- it wasn't until I was an adult that I finally realized she more than likely coudln't afford to send me for lessons, since she had 3 of us kids to put through school. I'd always ask Santa for a pony for Christmas, but of course never got one. I didn't start riding lessons until June 1988, when I was 21 years old and could pay for them myself. (I hadn't learned to drive yet though, so for a few years I had to rely on my parents for transportation to & from the barn!) The closest barn taught English riding -- which was fine with me, since I preferred to learn English. I took lessons for 5 years, and yes -- did learn some jumping! I never jumped anything higher than 2-feet, and never got good enough to enter shows. It's a long & complicated story as to why I stopped taking lessons, and a chapter of my life I'd just as soon forget. I did return, but rode on my own -- I cleaned tack (saddles, bridles, etc.) to pay for part of it. (Normally Sandy, the barn owner, doesn't rent out her horses. She made an exception with me since I was a student of hers for 5 years & since she needed somebody to clean tack.) Riding was sporadic at times -- thunderstorms, snowstorms in winter, extreme cold temperatures in winter, or extreme heat & humidity in summer ... or Sandy didn't have a horse for me because of pony camp. (Missing one ride meant having to wait a whole week -- and that was if the weather cooperated!) That last part got really frustrating one day when I'd missed 3 weeks of riding & was really looking forward to going that week. So....
I called a barn that offered trail riding so that I could still go riding that week! This was in August 2003. They also teach lessons there, both Western & English. I asked about taking Western lessons, and started the following Wednesday! After a few lessons, I determined I like riding Western more than English! I still rode English at the other barn, but only a couple more times since I had a feeling I'd be able to afford my own horse soon.
On October 12, 2003 after carefully thinking things over and reviewing what my normal expenses are like, I decided to make my life-long dream a reality and put a down payment on a horse! I chose Cody -- who's page you may have already seen! :-)
Naturally, 15+ years of riding means that I rode a LOT of different lesson horses! I don't have photos of every horse I've ever ridden, but have set up a couple thumbnail galleries of some of the horses I did ride. Any horses that I know have passed on, I've left a candle burning.
This is what happens when you're really desperate about riding: