TO THE AMATEUR SPOTLIGHT

By

Lisa Davis

LTD Quarter & Miniature Horses

Since my father was in the military, and not in the horse business, owning a horse ranch and raising quality horses had always been just a dream as a little girl. I can't ever remember not wanting to have my own horse, but we moved all the time and I never thought it would be possible. When I was 11 we moved to Kansas where my dad retired and we just happened to live across the road from a riding stables. Well naturally that is where I was every day from sunup to sundown. Hoping that if I hung around enough I could help do something so I would be able to pet and eventually ride a real horse, since I didn't have my own.

Immediately I fell in love with a palomino mare named Blondie, for 2 years I tried to talk my parents into buying her. But they just couldn't afford her and she was sold to some friends of my fathers instead. I was heartbroke, but lucky for me they knew how much I loved her and allowed me to ride her until she was moved to her new home. By this time I was really hooked and my folks knew there was no shutting me down. I was determined to have my own horse and they finally agreed, but I had to save enough money to pay for it. Well needless to say my first horse was a very inexpensive, yearling, unregistered colt, who needed gelded and lots of feed and TLC. Every day we would go to the big pasture in front of the stables and sit for hours so he could graze. I was counting the days until we would be able to ride, and trying to learn everything I could about grooming, feeding, and training a young horse. He was the beginning to my future with horses, and we learned alot together.

Well time moves on and eventually graduation was approaching. Although I had gotten older my love for horses was as strong as ever. I had plans on becoming a vet, and specializing in horses so that someday I would have that horse ranch and be able to take excellent care of my own horses. While moving to a house near campus I met a girl who was a jockey. We became friends and I moved my second horse, an Arabian, out to the boarding stables where she kept hers.

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