Baxter Black: Mistaken Identity

[@michaeldaltonsr8954]

Ah!! Memories!! Having worked @ a Riding School Farm in my teens, the desire to ride followed me through-out my life. HOWEVER, finances prevented horse ownership. I opened myself to pride wounding by engaging "rental trail rides" on vacation, specifically around Sevierville, Tenn. The first jaunt, after I had picked my choice, I was immediately, and with much panic( weighing in @ 178 on a 5'9" frame) ripped off my choice, and put on "Clyde". Clyde was 14h 2f high, and 4 feet WIDE!!( a family of 4 could have easily spread out a red/white checkered table-cloth on his back, set bowls of 'tater salad, fried chicken, pitcher of iced tea, and had a picnic!!) Clyde would not have minded, as he was GREAT TEMPERMENT!! As we left the corral, my scowl followed My Choice, MIDNITE!! ( he was 17h 1f high, reasonably secure) BUT, the "wise" wranglers had imposed a man 5' 11", 190ish lbs, w/, and I DO NOT exaggerate, w/ a BELLY the size of a BEACH-BALL!!, and, seriously, that belly FLOPPED left, right,left, right, much to the stress of MidNite!! Our ride lasted approx 300 yds before MidNite became unmanagable, due to stress. The guide was forced to ask him to exchange mounts w/ me. Problem solved. Now in Hollywierd, my next trip would have me on MidNite, everyone smiling! Reality is, NOT!! The next ride involved a very nervous woman on MidNite, me on Clyde, and a curious black bear! With the bear nearby, MidNite was still skittish, BUT, everyone managed to have a nice ride! Again, HOLLYWIERD aside, begins w/ me on Clyde, a misting rain, and a large patch of muddy(SLICK) sand-stone rocks, and a lady on a horse, whose name I 've forgotten. Switcheroo, again!! The horse and I danced a coupla times, but once it realized that I was working w/it, it calmed down, and we all had a leisurely ride. These wranglers were only an example of those that misjudge me(like the jerk that laughed @a 400lb man on a 175 dirt-bike, yet commented that I would need a Harley Dresser) yet that is the way people(??) perceive me. SMH.

[@AnikaBren]

There was one horse that would come and go. I met him when he was a 3 yr old at a barn I was training at. When the kid that owned him moved up to serious 3 day event competition they moved to another barn. As the years went by I would be driving somewhere and my head would snap because there he would be in some paddock or pasture. I cannot count how many times that horse would pop up. Then one day a friend wanted me to see the new horse she got for the kids. I went over to her place and there was Echo. He was 20 yrs old and still going strong. The family moved 600 miles across the state and I never saw him again but I know they took good care of him