Turkey & A Dream Horse

So, I had Turkey and loved him, but after some time my fifteen year old head decided it was time to up the ante a bit (I think I spelled ante right, but not sure). So, I decided that he would be sold and that I would find a new horse in order to start those victory passes I so dreamed about. Looking back, I feel kind of sad for that behavior, but Turkey was sold to some wonderful people in Texas where he lived out the rest of his life in happiness. One day as an old old man, he lay down underneath a tree and never woke up. I know it sounds unreal, but it's true, I swear. I know he was in his mid twenties, so atleast I know he had it good.

Meanwhile, a new horse for another client of J's was just about to arrive to the farm from Florida. I heard J and the client (her name was Jessie) talking about this new horse, whispering about how gorgeous he was and all that jazz. I felt my skin tingle and welcomed a feeling I began to relish and despise all at once - jealousy. I wondered who this fabulous horse was they were speaking of so secretly and reverently. A week or so passed and my mom and I had been hunting for that perfect horse. Our budget had increased very very slightly with the sale of Turkey, so my hopes were high for a champion (it cracks me up, all we had to spend was $4,000.00), but hey, a girl can dream!

Meanwhile, Jessie's new horse had arrived from Florida, and I was dying to see him. I quickly walked to his stall the next day, and low and behold, the horse of my dreams was before me. My heart sank a bit as I realized, he already belonged to someone. I began barn chores, and as I was finishing up, Jessie showed up with her father to ride this new horse of hers. Jessie merrily began the grooming process, saddled him up and invited me to come watch her lesson. Begrudgingly, I did, even though I knew it would only make me GREEN with envy! Jessie was about 16 at the time, very sweet and outgoing, but she had had a bad horse back riding accident years earlier that made her quite timid on a horse, she really needed a slow, steady and dependable mount to bring back her confidence. I had the distinct feeling that her father was the one pushing her to show horses. I wished that my father would push me to ride horses too!

I watched silently as Jessie lunged her new horse and then mounted him. He was just gorgeous, he was a dark bay with dappling, a stunning delicate head, tiny tippy ears, a slightly shout and full neck with a semi high crest, my favorite! He was the epitome of what a Morgan should be!! Jessie rode her new horse with a look of pride on her face. She jogged him and circled a few times before disaster struck. From no where this new horse of hers planted his feet and began backing so quickly, he'd make the Quarter Horse crowd take notice. He wheeled around and charged forward, then stopped and backed again. Poor Jessie was beside herself and though Jitried to talk her through it, she just couldn't summon the courage to do what needed to be done.

The next week, J called my parents house and asked to speak with me. "Jenny, I have a few horses here at the barn you may be interested in." she began.

My first horse show with Shaker - lovin' my mint green second hand outfit!

She listed them off to me, and be still my beating heart - in that list of horses she mentioned was none other than Jessie's new horse, Shaker's Sierra! She said that Jessie was frightened of Shaker, and that he was testing her a bit too much. Jessie's dad watched with a look of remorse as I got Jessie's gorgeous horse and the mint green western outfit too. I was now the proudest owner of my dream horse (thanks to my mom and her bank) of Shaker's Sierra. Shaker was 15 when we got him, but I didn't care - he was splendid, it was love at first sight and he was mine, mine, mine!!! That's really how dramatic I felt about it too, I promise, I'm not this obnoxious in real life - it's hard for me to put into words without sounding like a fool - ah well, it can't be helped!!

Shaker and I after we won our Hunt Seat Jr. Ex. Class (Jill told us we wouldn't do well, I love it when I prove her wrong)! Shaker's 16 here!

The horse at the top of this blog is Shaker's Sierra and he really was THAT horse for me. I don't think I'll ever own a horse that is as cool as he was - my old Cecil Beesil.

Anyway, Shaker was a handful, but in a controlled way. He snorted and pranced as though he were spring loaded, but he never ever did anything. I tried on several occasions to take him on a trail ride, but he'd snort and balk and spook, so that was a failure. Sometimes he'd launch crazily into his canters (we showed western pleasure mainly) and he'd blow the class completely, but he never failed to turn heads. We took him to open shows occasionally, and people would constantly come up asking us questions about him. People would insist he was an Arabian because of his lovely head others would scold saying that it wasn't fair to the other exhibitors showing that he was there. Shaker and I were great ambassadors to the Morgan breed. Shaker was by the great Troutbrook Playboy, a sire who in my eyes, is one of the breed's best. I will look for horses with his breeding in the future.

Senior pictures - I'm dating myself here, but this was 1998 and Shaker was 16 or 17.
About a year ago, another Shaker prefixed horse with similar breeding to my Shaker arrived at J's barn. He too was a bit too much for his newbie rider and looked similar to my Shaker. The owners needed to sell him, so they had me hop up to tape a video. Ahhh - it was like old times, I cruised around on that hot tamale and just beamed - if only I could buy him! It wasn't to be though.

One thing I had to promise my mom when she bought Shaker for me was that once I graduated high school, he had to be sold. I wish I could say that I was the perfect horse owner my 17th and 18th year, but I began focusing on college, friends and a social life and Shaker enjoyed his life at Jill's without my intrusion on a regular basis.He was sold, like I promised my mom, to a 13 year old girl who showed him in Saddleseat and Hunt seat for a few more years. I wonder about him all the time and hope that somehow Shaker's still alive, he'd be about 26, so it's possible. I would buy him back in a heartbeat if I found him!!

I could go on and on like a dork about Shaker's Sierra - but I'll spare the details of that - it's so mushy and I'm all mushed out for today.