By: Bob Goddard
There was a time when I believed a horse was a horse was a horse. I didn’t know the difference between a Quarter horse, a Paint, and a gelding, or that the same horse could be all three. But thanks to my adolescent horse-crazed daughters, Jamie and Hiliary, I’ve learned some things.
When Jamie announced she was giving up horse shows for trail riding, I learned that certain breeds of horses are better suited for trail riding then others. I also learned that some horses are bred specifically with trail riding in mind and that Jamie’s horse was not one of those breeds.
Breeding for a purpose? What a great idea! Maybe humans should try this.
The next thing I learned was that my wife, Jenny, was taking the girls half way across the province to look at a trail horse for Jamie. A “Spotted Saddle Horse” to be specific.
I volunteered to go along, mainly to keep the females from trading in my truck for the horse.
I spent the long trip navigating and learning about Spotted Saddle Horses. I learned that Spotted Saddle Horses have high energy and great stamina (like me, before we had kids). They are calm, controlled and friendly (like me, before we had horses). Their hooves are sometimes so thick they can go all summer without shoes.
I also learned these horses are known for their smooth gait and comfortable ride and that Jamie could sound like a Toyota commercial when she wanted to. And, finally, I learned that the horse we were going to look at was called ‘Toby”…
Toby? Obviously, this was not Jenny and Jamie’s first trip to see this horse. This was when I learned that they didn’t need my map and that I was taking them the “slow way.”
I liked Toby the moment I saw him. He seemed sturdy and clean and well-behaved for a four year old. However, I wasn’t crazy about his name. I’m sure the seller had a good reason for naming him “Toby”, but I had a better idea.
Toby had a large splotch of brown covering a good portion of his left flank and rear. This splotch had an uncanny resemblance to the continent of Australia. In fact, I could easily make out the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Great Australian Bight.
There were places where Darwin, Sidney, and Melbourne and the major rail lines could be drawn in. There was even a small patch for Tasmania. The horse’s name, I decided, should be “Aussie.”
As I wandered around the seller’s spread, I inspected other spotted horses. Each one had potential geographical features. This was when I learned to love the Spotted Saddle Horse. What I wouldn’t have given for a good SharpieTM!
When I got back to the paddock, I gave the females my permission to go ahead and buy Aussie. Jenny said she was glad to hear it, since the seller was already on his way to the bank to cash our check.
“In that case, we need to stop on the way home and load up on SharpiesTM,” I announced.
“You’re not going to touch my horse, Dad.” Jamie had learned some things in the last few years, too.
On the trip home, the learning continued. I learned that the Spotted Saddle Horse also made for a great show horse. And I learned that Hiliary had already picked one out.
None of us would be getting new shoes that summer.
