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| Joined: | Tue Dec 7th, 2004 |
| Location: | New York USA |
| Posts: | 3520 |
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I had a big golden Palomino QH who was a real character. If you knew what you were doing, he would really test you - but once you proved who was boss, he was an absolutely amazing horse. He taught me soooo much!
Champ was also my "babysitter" horse. If you put a beginner rider or a child on him, he absolutely took care of them. I swear he thought like a human, and could read people better than any human.
My son had a friend who thought he was "all that." A swaggery little braggart who thought no one could ride better than him (or do anything better than him, really). Kelly was one of those kids it was just hard to be around for long.
One day he came over and he and my two boys decided to saddle up and go for a ride - they were about 10-11 years old. I let Kelly ride Champ, and watched the kids as they started riding the path through the field that led to our trails. Kelly kept popping Champ with the ends of his reins trying to make him run - being the "cowboy" he thought he was - but Champ wasn't having any of it. I was disturbed to see him smacking him harder and harder, and was just about to go out and holler at him when Champ stopped dead in his tracks.
Kelly worked up a real sweat trying to make Champ go again, but no matter what he did, that horse wasn't moving. My boys were laughing by now (and so was I), and Kelly was no doubt feeling totally humiliated. He got off the horse and tried to walk him toward the trail - no go. Then he tried to get back in the saddle, and Champ just kept walking circles around him so he couldn't get his foot in the stirrup.
After several minutes Kelly gave up and started leading the horse toward home. I met the boys at the barn where Kelly handed me Champ's reins with the disgusted comment, "Stupid horse!"
. . .but he was smart enough to teach that young boy a lesson!
PB
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