Dear Readers,
He or she was a little brown and white paint; Tobiano as I was later to learn. I have no idea of the gender of the first pony I ever rode. It was a painful experience and I was around three or four years old at the time. I rolled off the back and said pony came around and stepped on me; I had a horseshoe mark on the side of my thigh. My mom asked me if I wanted to get back on and I said "YES!" I'm sure my mother knew what she was in for: rocking horses on springs that would pinch , Breyer horse models as gifts for every birthday and Christmas, riding lessons and deciding which is more dangerous for a sixteen year old; a car or a horse. I have wanted a horse for as long as I can remember. I pined away for the majority of my life dreaming of the day I would hear hooves clopping down off a trailer just for me. And then it did happen! A dear friend said I could keep a horse at her house with the usual stipulations. The hunt was on! A gelding was found and the day came when he arrived! That day the clip clops were for me! My friend was true to her word and she kept my big, bay boy safe. I was in love but I missed him when I wasn't with him so I started a hunt for a farm of my own. Who knew I would find my farm 3,000 miles away in Florida? And that is where
this blog begins.
Oh, the things we do for the love of a horse! I moved from Washington state down to Florida, paid a transport service to ship my horse and then drove, towing a trailer for the first time in my life, from one corner of the country to the other. I literally "bought the farm" in Pensacola Florida, named it Southern Zephyr Stables and without recognizing it took my first steps toward creating my own equestrian business. In the beginning there was just me, my dog, two cats and a horse. Now there are three horses and three cats plus myself and my dog. I'm building my own little empire! That empire revolves around my land and two horses.
The man that started it all was my OTTB gelding I named d'Artagnan. He's every little girl's dream: 15.2, dark bay with soft brown eyes, a white diamond on his forehead and legs forever. Dar (as he is called around the barn) was my first ever horse. I was advised he was 19 or 20 years old when I got him but the vet said he was closer to 25 years old. Thus began my safari into the jungle that is caring for the hard keeper! He is now 31 years old here in January of 2020 and looks great even in his shaggy winter coat! Dar is like a giant golden retriever and loved spending time with me but as we know horses are herd animals. I felt bad for him; in a new home with no other horses. I began a search for his friend.
After trying several horses and working with other local barns to track prospects I found a mare. A MARE! I loved working with geldings. I had so many witchy lesson mares when I was a kid in Hunter/Jumper classes! Still, there was something about this little girl. She was an 11 year old dun draft cross with lots of chrome. Standing right at 15.0 and a chunk she seemed perfect for me as I was now much older, with confidence issues and a widening girth. I was trying horses around November and was setting sail for the Caribbean on a cruise in early December so it was an exciting time. I told the owner she was the one and began gathering my funds. The day I went out to pay for her it was 8pm and I was to get up at 4am the next morning to get to the airport. I didn't want anybody to come get her while I was gone! Because I sailed for the Caribbean the very next day I named her Calypso. Yes, she's a mare but I've never looked back.
This blog is about my journey starting a new equine business. I'm an artist, rider, crafter, writer and brand new, horsewoman. . My stables are at my home and I can't think of anything better. The chores, the grooming, the feeding and nutrition of the horse along with tack, farm layout and materials, riding lessons, clothes and more are what this blog is about. The focus is horses; the subject is creating Southern Zephyr Stables.
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