I love horses. I love to be around them.

 Being number two of five children, however, and wanting a horse of my own? Well,that was NOT on the To Do List at my house! The way my sister and I got around that problem was to go to Patchwork Farms (where all the cheerleaders and rich kids played, you know the type of place?) and we would (willingly, can you imagine?) muck out the stalls, twelve stalls to a side, water, feed, curry comb, all of that all day long not to mention put up the snotty little ummmmm girls when they would come get their horses. We'd do all that, tack, leather, everything and then, just at sunset, we could pick any two horses and hack them down to the end of the property and around and back for an hour or so.

For FREE!!

My sister, Mary, never had to be taught horseback riding. She actually could get any animal to do whatever she wanted. It was amazing. I so wanted to be just like her, too.

But, alas, it was NOT easy! I fell, I slipped sideways, I bounced, I'd lose my stirrup, drop a rein. You name it, it happened to me all the time. Mary would laugh and I'd laugh and she'd come back and talk me through whatever problem I was having...like uh...getting the horse to go was always good for a giggle!

I knew that one day, Mary would have horses of her own and then maybe, just maybe, I would finally be able to learn to ride as well as she did. I am grown and grown again of course, and do not have horses. But the love is still there for me for horses, riding and being with them.

I keep saying, in my dreams, one day...

I keep wishing, in my secret dreams, one day...

If wishes were horses beggars would ride, eh?

And in the meantime? I watch RTV (Rural Television) and drool over this really cute Aussie, oh goodness, my fainting heart! And now, in my dreams I am the one teaching my sister, Mary, all the groundwork and how to desensitize the horse and to let the horse have a heart attack away from you.

 What?

Oh that's so funny, you should watch Clinton, he talks about how horses will shie at anything and it takes time for them to learn that you are the boss and in the meantime to keep them out of your space!

You don't want to get hurt!

Horses will have a heart attack at a fly on their nose!

Let them have their heart attack over there!

 Not in your space

! "Heart attacks are free"  he says.

Clinton Anderson, man he's the best!