I got a very uncomfortable ambulance ride, complete with backboard and spinal compression fractures
and a lecture from my orthopedist suggesting that I belonged nowhere near a horse.
My grandson decided he would love riding Tali, who has just the sort of big engine a 14 year old would
appreciate. They're doing very well together, and I started looking for another horse.
Because I have some residual back pain, someone suggested a gaited horse and I ended up in Eugene
looking at Hunter. He was very VERY restless and I told the seller I wouldn't be interested in that kind of
horse. She said she understood, but I had driven a long way and had never ridden a gaited horse,
"wouldn't I at least like to ride him?"
I did - up a mountain, down a mountain, through a bunch of trash from a logging operation. He was racking
right along and would go anywhere I pointed him. I came back to the spot where she was waiting and
bought my first gaited horse.
Hunter has not been without his "issues", and I schooled him through several rides last season. I have
never ridden a better mountain horse. We completed the LD at Prineville in 3 hours flat and got a nice
prize for being the first TWH.
The Welsh ponies found other homes, but I have two Icelandics growing up for when Hunter and I both
get REALLY old. I turned 65 right after Prineville and Hunter is twelve, so I figure we have a few good
years yet.
Nancy Sturm
and a lecture from my orthopedist suggesting that I belonged nowhere near a horse.
My grandson decided he would love riding Tali, who has just the sort of big engine a 14 year old would
appreciate. They're doing very well together, and I started looking for another horse.
Because I have some residual back pain, someone suggested a gaited horse and I ended up in Eugene
looking at Hunter. He was very VERY restless and I told the seller I wouldn't be interested in that kind of
horse. She said she understood, but I had driven a long way and had never ridden a gaited horse,
"wouldn't I at least like to ride him?"
I did - up a mountain, down a mountain, through a bunch of trash from a logging operation. He was racking
right along and would go anywhere I pointed him. I came back to the spot where she was waiting and
bought my first gaited horse.
Hunter has not been without his "issues", and I schooled him through several rides last season. I have
never ridden a better mountain horse. We completed the LD at Prineville in 3 hours flat and got a nice
prize for being the first TWH.
The Welsh ponies found other homes, but I have two Icelandics growing up for when Hunter and I both
get REALLY old. I turned 65 right after Prineville and Hunter is twelve, so I figure we have a few good
years yet.
Nancy Sturm
I've been riding various disciplines since 1964, mainly
hunter/jumper/dressage.
When I reached a certain age, I decided I was too old to
ride, so I bought a 14.1 h grade pony, cart and harness
and took up driving. I have always liked ponies, so I
bought a pretty little Welsh filly for my grandson to ride,
and a cob and a nice gelding and pretty soon I had more
ponies than I had stalls in the barn. So I moved the
driving pony to Creekside Farms, just around the corner
from us, and the home of endurance riders Bev and
Robert Hoogendyk.
It didn't take long for me to realize they were having all
the fun. I asked if they thought I was too old to take up
endurance - I had followed Tevis since the very first
ride. They said "of course not" and suggested I just
start riding what I had on hand, my driving pony. He
quickly proved that he did not love climbing the steep
trails behind Creekside and I began to look for an Arab;
after all, aren't all endurance horses Arabs?
I tried several and eventually bought a nice horse
named Tali Sinjabi. Tali is everything an endurance
horse should be, but not quite everything an older lady
should ride. I did a couple of rides on him, and then
eventually failed to stay on him for one of his many
sudden and explosive spooks.
hunter/jumper/dressage.
When I reached a certain age, I decided I was too old to
ride, so I bought a 14.1 h grade pony, cart and harness
and took up driving. I have always liked ponies, so I
bought a pretty little Welsh filly for my grandson to ride,
and a cob and a nice gelding and pretty soon I had more
ponies than I had stalls in the barn. So I moved the
driving pony to Creekside Farms, just around the corner
from us, and the home of endurance riders Bev and
Robert Hoogendyk.
It didn't take long for me to realize they were having all
the fun. I asked if they thought I was too old to take up
endurance - I had followed Tevis since the very first
ride. They said "of course not" and suggested I just
start riding what I had on hand, my driving pony. He
quickly proved that he did not love climbing the steep
trails behind Creekside and I began to look for an Arab;
after all, aren't all endurance horses Arabs?
I tried several and eventually bought a nice horse
named Tali Sinjabi. Tali is everything an endurance
horse should be, but not quite everything an older lady
should ride. I did a couple of rides on him, and then
eventually failed to stay on him for one of his many
sudden and explosive spooks.
