She started it!

Cassie did. This is Cassiopeia.


Cassie is an Appaloosa although she doesn't look much like one. She acts like one though. You know the joke.

I took up horseback riding late in life. A very good friend suggested I try taking a few lessons. She had a horse. I liked visiting the barn. I've been around animals all my life. It would be something fun to do and a good way to meet women.

I got lucky. My instructor's focus was on the experience of being with the animal rather than just learning and applying techniques. I was assigned Cassie and we started with "this end bites and this end kicks" and went from there. This is how you clean hooves and this is how you groom and this is how you saddle and bridle.

By my 3rd lesson I was hooked and then by my 5th lesson I was hooked in a big way. Cassie is one sweet ride! When she was in the zone she'd swing her nose to music only she could hear and I swear she'd rock you to sleep. And it's fair to say, even though I'd had lessons in the past and been on trail rides, Cass is really the first horse I ever rode.

I really enjoyed my riding lessons and I couldn't get enough.

Within 6 months I had my first horse.


I'll call him "B". B was an (unregistered) American Quarter Horse. He'd come into the barn as a prospect for someone else and failed his vet check. B had navicular disease.

He'd be sent back to the sale barn he came from and most likely to auction from there. He didn't deserve that. He was a good boy, he was well trained and he'd served someone well. I don't know how they could have done that to him. Dumped him like that. I didn't know his age, 13 to 15 was a best guess, he was thought to have been a working cow horse from Ohio and I was gonna learn a lot from B. I didn't know what I was getting into but I knew I was getting into something.

I learned a lot and he grew old and grey and sway backed. I'm kinda partial to old horses. He took good care of me and I did my very best to return the favor. May he rest in peace.