One sure way to make a small fortune in the horse business…..Start out with a large fortune.
Learned that one the hard way. Still had to mow pastures, (which I liked anyway, a good way to get away from it all, me, my John Deere, a cooler full of cold drinks and a pleasant afternoon) clean stalls, work horses, give horses baths, clean stalls, feed morning and night, clean stalls, Saturday morning, spent cleaning every bit of bedding out of the stalls and replace. Finding places where I can buy or obtain free bedding, Buying and storing hay, finding someone to take bad hay off our hands, because it was not cured properly, clean stalls (did I mention cleaning stalls already?)
but there was this one Saturday night in Mississippi….Our little Fashion’s Flirt was in the arena with the big dogs, including one trained by the current world champion trainer. The last horse to leave the ring, was our little Fashion’s Flirt, with Brenda aboard. The crowd closed in on her, everyone seeming to want to get a closer look, at that grand little mare. Me screaming to Brenda, we had to get her to inspection. It was a scene from Hollywood. All trainers get that one good horse, Fashion’s Flirt was ours.
Seen two years earlier, leaving the ring last, blue ribbon in hand as a two year old, only her second show under saddle, showing the aged horses how its done.
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Did I mention cleaning stalls? Oh, I forgot, staying up all night walking a colicky horse.
In case anyone is wondering, the last horse to leave the ring is the winner. That horse is given the honor of doing a victory lap. All the other horse are excused so the winner can be honored.