My Marmalade My Horse
By 24601
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22nd Jun 2010 •
2,894 views
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8 comments
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Many people are born into families with lots of horse experience, and getting their first horse is no problem. Others are financially blessed and can invest in an expensive horse and riding lessons. Not so with me.
Like any girl my age, I loved horses (and still do!) but could not find any easy way to be around them. I adored trail rides, revered time spent in tack stores, and hated leaving the horse displays at fairs. Still though, we couldn't afford riding lessons, much less a horse of my own!
Then the day came when my mother called me into her office. She'd opened up a web page for a local stable that we drove by every day on the way to school, but still had no idea existed. She mentioned that the owner had an e-mail, and she suggested I ask her if I could work for riding lessons. Being a somewhat shy person, I was reluctant, but caved in after about a week. To my surprise, the lady said she would be glad to teach me to ride for four hours of work a week! I was stunned, I would be closer to horses then I had ever been in my life.
We quickly purchased all the necessary items for lessons: a helmet, extra jeans, work shoes, and the like. Over time, the other riders at the barn became accustomed to my presence, and I made friends with many of the adult riders and their regular mounts. There were many horses at the barn, some boarded and some that were kept as lesson/lease horses, but only one really stood out to me. Her name was Marmalade.
She wasn't anything particularly special, 13.2 hands high, crossbred Connemara-Quarter horse-and who knows what else, shaggy, dirty, and not flashy at all. But something about that dinky little mare standing in the 12x12 foot roofless pen made me jubilant every time I saw her. I soon planned to raise the $2,500 she cost and was determined to buy her.
Sometime after working there for about a month and a half, one of the regular riders approached me. Her husband was leasing a fancy paint horse, and came every Saturday to ride him in the pen for lessons and free time. The woman currently didn't take lessons on Saturday, so she came to say hello to the horses and watch all the action. We began talking, and soon discovered we both loved Marmalade. She was very supportive of my endeavors to buy the pony, and agreed she would be a perfect first horse for me.
Things went well for several months. School started again. Mid-November, my mom told me what I’d been expecting to come for a week: the woman who owned the stable was moving across the country. Everything she had would be sold. Including the horses. Including Marmalade.
I was in a panic, I was nowhere near the $2,500 she cost. The trainer was moving at the end of the month, I had mere weeks until she was gone forever. My only hope was to help see her off to a good home. I prayed.
I prayed that God would let me visit Marmie in her new home, and, if a miracle happened, own her. The chances were one in a million, but if the chance did come, I hoped with every fiber of my being God would let me keep her as my own. The end of the month came and a nice lady who lived about a mile from us bought her, and she said I was welcome to visit and ride any time I wanted. I was ecstatic, it was just what I’d hoped for. I said my goodbyes to Marmie tearfully, hoping we would visit her soon.
A few weeks passed. It was December 2nd, 2009. I remember the day vividly. My parents told me about their plan to buy her from the lady in the morning. I almost passed out. School was endless, but when my mom picked me up, the one of the first things she asked was “Are you ready for this?” And, to tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure.
I searched my heart, and knew Marmalade would be happy with me, and I would be happy with her. I said yes. We bought that 13.2 hands high, crossbred Connemara-Quarter horse-and who knows what else, shaggy, dirty, dinky pony, and I love her more then anything in the world.
My Marmalade.
My horse. |
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Jun 22, 2010
• 2,380 views
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Riders Up Ranch
great story, very well written. Thanks for sharing!
great story, very well written. Thanks for sharing!
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Jun 22, 2010
• 2,263 views
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bucknut
Very good article
Very good article
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Jun 23, 2010
• 2,392 views
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T W I
Aww! Great article.
Aww! Great article.
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Jun 24, 2010
• 2,258 views
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Jun 25, 2010
• 2,289 views
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Sylly
Great article!
Great article!
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Jun 30, 2010
• 2,269 views
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Dreamer100
I think she is a great looking, lovable horse. That is great!
I think she is a great looking, lovable horse. That is great!
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Jul 1, 2010
• 2,276 views
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