journey into miniature horses.
I was a rider.
I loved trail riding, drooled over dressage, though never got closer then a few years in basics.
I enjoyed team penning, but only was able to go a few times.
I have ridden all my life, after learning the word "no" my first love was horses.
I dreamed as a teen of owning a buckskin horse
and what would have been better is one related to Mr. Gunsmoke.
That dream came true in in 2001 when my husband bought me Cody, aka RWR Cody's Charisma.
Not only was he a buckskin, but he was a great great grandson of Mr. Gunsmoke.
Cody was my heart, and soul. We had 8 wonderful trail rides
in July of 2006 he spooked, tripped and we did a somersault.
They say the art of riding is keeping the horse between you and the dirt.
Seems Cody and I didn't get that memo.
The saddle horn hit me in the perineum and took out my hip.
I was blessed that prior to that ride, that still small inner voice,
told me to go back and get my helmet on. So for the 1st time I wore my helmet
it saved my life.
Sadly in Oct. of 2006, after an 8 day battle to save Cody from Potomac Horse Fever, we lost him.
( warning, PHF vaccines do not completely protect your horses)
This literally broke my heart.
It took everything out of me and I physically felt like
just a shell with a heart that was bleeding internally.
I purchased Shorty in 2007, he was awesome for me, we did team pen once.
My hip was an issue and I was in constant pain
after an arthroscopic hip surgery in 09 I was unable to even walk down to the barn
let alone back up to the house. So we sold Shorty and took down the cross fencing
I couldn't stand to see an empty pasture.
I became severely depressed and in 2011 hubby said go get 2 mini horses.
Two because he feared if something happened to one
it would put me into another depression and he hoped have fallen in love with both
I would survive having the other.
Thus began my love of miniature horses
The Lord has blessed me beyond what I ever imagined.
When he closes one door, he truly opens another.
It is us, who stand crying at the closed door We must have faith to walk into the new open door
to see what the Lord wants to bless us with.
I learned of Personal Ponies, they breed, raise, train UK Shetland ponies.
Quote " Personal Ponies began with the dream of our founder, Marianne Alexander
(and just two ponies) to do something special for special children."
As my son has Autism, this was something I wanted to be a part of.
I looked into it and hoped to become a breeder for them. My view on a feed program did not match theirs. Thus that door closed.
I found 2 pet mini colts and brought them home. Then our vet, Gary, gave me one of their miniature mares, and an idea sprang into my head. I would love to have a foal. One that I would keep. The only stallions in the area belonged to a horrid person with the worst ethics and complete lack of caring for the health of her animals. So I bought another mare and an older stallion as he was in horrid condition. Las Doradas B True as a doll once he got to a good weight with proper food, dental, worming and delousing. He gave us 3 beautiful foals.
I then found a darling colt (Gizmo) who was Champagne and fell in love with the color. We brought in another Champagne colt (Cody) from a wonderful and ethical breeder in Wy.
Susan of Hilliard Horses to Hug.
In 2014 ACAN testing for dwarfism became available. I tested both my CH boys and they were carriers, N/D3. So I tested my mares, most of them were carriers as well. As I love my horses so deeply, I decided to geld them as I couldn't part with many of my mares.
Another door closed, my dream of breeding smaller miniature horses for therapy
and those with hearts like my own who simply can not thrive without the love of a horse.
Then I saw River. Redbuds Wizard King, he is the son of "First Knights Wizard of Oz" who is now owned by Wesco Farms, and the grandson of "First Knights Breaking All The Rules".
Thank you to Mountain Minis for You for allowing us to purchase River
and give him a herd of his own.
The rest and best of my journey with miniature horses is yet to come.
I was a rider.
I loved trail riding, drooled over dressage, though never got closer then a few years in basics.
I enjoyed team penning, but only was able to go a few times.
I have ridden all my life, after learning the word "no" my first love was horses.
I dreamed as a teen of owning a buckskin horse
and what would have been better is one related to Mr. Gunsmoke.
That dream came true in in 2001 when my husband bought me Cody, aka RWR Cody's Charisma.
Not only was he a buckskin, but he was a great great grandson of Mr. Gunsmoke.
Cody was my heart, and soul. We had 8 wonderful trail rides
in July of 2006 he spooked, tripped and we did a somersault.
They say the art of riding is keeping the horse between you and the dirt.
Seems Cody and I didn't get that memo.
The saddle horn hit me in the perineum and took out my hip.
I was blessed that prior to that ride, that still small inner voice,
told me to go back and get my helmet on. So for the 1st time I wore my helmet
it saved my life.
Sadly in Oct. of 2006, after an 8 day battle to save Cody from Potomac Horse Fever, we lost him.
( warning, PHF vaccines do not completely protect your horses)
This literally broke my heart.
It took everything out of me and I physically felt like
just a shell with a heart that was bleeding internally.
I purchased Shorty in 2007, he was awesome for me, we did team pen once.
My hip was an issue and I was in constant pain
after an arthroscopic hip surgery in 09 I was unable to even walk down to the barn
let alone back up to the house. So we sold Shorty and took down the cross fencing
I couldn't stand to see an empty pasture.
I became severely depressed and in 2011 hubby said go get 2 mini horses.
Two because he feared if something happened to one
it would put me into another depression and he hoped have fallen in love with both
I would survive having the other.
Thus began my love of miniature horses
The Lord has blessed me beyond what I ever imagined.
When he closes one door, he truly opens another.
It is us, who stand crying at the closed door We must have faith to walk into the new open door
to see what the Lord wants to bless us with.
I learned of Personal Ponies, they breed, raise, train UK Shetland ponies.
Quote " Personal Ponies began with the dream of our founder, Marianne Alexander
(and just two ponies) to do something special for special children."
As my son has Autism, this was something I wanted to be a part of.
I looked into it and hoped to become a breeder for them. My view on a feed program did not match theirs. Thus that door closed.
I found 2 pet mini colts and brought them home. Then our vet, Gary, gave me one of their miniature mares, and an idea sprang into my head. I would love to have a foal. One that I would keep. The only stallions in the area belonged to a horrid person with the worst ethics and complete lack of caring for the health of her animals. So I bought another mare and an older stallion as he was in horrid condition. Las Doradas B True as a doll once he got to a good weight with proper food, dental, worming and delousing. He gave us 3 beautiful foals.
I then found a darling colt (Gizmo) who was Champagne and fell in love with the color. We brought in another Champagne colt (Cody) from a wonderful and ethical breeder in Wy.
Susan of Hilliard Horses to Hug.
In 2014 ACAN testing for dwarfism became available. I tested both my CH boys and they were carriers, N/D3. So I tested my mares, most of them were carriers as well. As I love my horses so deeply, I decided to geld them as I couldn't part with many of my mares.
Another door closed, my dream of breeding smaller miniature horses for therapy
and those with hearts like my own who simply can not thrive without the love of a horse.
Then I saw River. Redbuds Wizard King, he is the son of "First Knights Wizard of Oz" who is now owned by Wesco Farms, and the grandson of "First Knights Breaking All The Rules".
Thank you to Mountain Minis for You for allowing us to purchase River
and give him a herd of his own.
The rest and best of my journey with miniature horses is yet to come.
© McCoys Miniature Horses
2011-2023
2011-2023