Lucky To See Secretariat In Saratoga | A Legendary Horse Story

By: Bill Heller

We had no idea that the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga was the premier race for two-years-olds in the country, or that it’s name was derived from owners hoping their two-year-olds would challenge in the Triple Crown Classics the following spring.
We were just four friends with nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon on the weekend before our classes started at Albany State University in 1972.

One of us, Mike, had a car. And somebody said, “Let’s go to Saratoga.”

A story of a renewed spirit for both a horse and a girl by Becca Clayton

One day I was going to the barn I ride at to see my mean horse, Cheyenne. Cheyenne had bitten me three times the day before and kicked me twice. So I went into her pasture and when she saw me she immediately laid back her ears and snapped at me.

My older sister Brooke, was going into the pasture to get her amazing horse Moe. Brooke would never let me ride Moe and this hurt my feelings terribly. Even though Brooke knew the confidence I once had, was gone due to Cheyenne, she still did not let me ride Moe.

By: Lori Ford
Contributions from the forum of Americanpasofinos.com

In December 2001, I moved back to Florida from Texas, bringing my aged 19 year old Arabian mare with me. Not wanting to ride alone, I encouraged my mother to purchase another horse for us to ride together on her ranch. She told me that if she did, she was getting something gaited, preferably a Paso Fino. Mom had never ridden one, but had seen one being ridden, and was enamored already.

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By: Lisa Clement

I had just returned from a horse-buying trip to Oklahoma and Texas finding nothing to please me. I spotted an ad run in a local Southern California horse-trading magazine and made a call to see the horse. Sometimes you can travel a long way only to find what you want is right in your own backyard.

By: Dorthy M. Ross

There were lots of Appaloosa horses running around my dad’s central Illinois farm, including Colida, Franchita, Hobo Star, and many others over the years. Many of them were offspring of the famous outcrop Colida, and were named with M.S. in front of their names, indicating Marcussen and Son – Russell, and my brother Jens. Colida came into my dad’s possession with the purchase of his dam, Lady Chesty, AQHA P-19041 in early 1957.

By: Shaina Horowitz

It’s windier than I thought it would be today. The waves from the beach seem to stretch their icy fingers towards me, the grassy field not providing much protection from the coldness. Cantering along, the pounding of Meppen’s hooves on the hardened ground fills my ears, a deafening entrancing rhythm. My breath is lost in the layers of wind, making my beating heart seem an effortless miracle.

By: Danielle Thibault

It all happened one day when i went to my riding lesson. I saw the most beautiful palomino mare in the stall. i asked my instructor if i could ride her and i could! Palominos have been my favorite horse ever since. Of course being young and wanting to know everything about horses i asked all the questions i could about her. her breed, age, height.

By: Vicki Scammell

“Vicki, Vicki wake up the barn is burning!”

“Yeah whatever.”

“Vicki the house may catch on fire too. GET UP.”

That was the beginning of the most terrifying four hours of my life.

The night of January 10, 1996 had started off like any other evening on my farm. I had my two barns of chores to do and then I planned to go out. I was in hurry because I didn’t want to be late to meet with my friends, so I rushed about my barn doing my chores. Chores consisted of the care of one hundred and seven cattle and our three wonderful horses: Clover, Smokey and Flicka.

By: Loren Spiotta-DiMare

Searching for his first horse, John was instantly drawn to the bay Quarter Horse. She stood out among the others. Head held high, she was alert and inquisitive as she paced back and forth in the field.

Born and well trained as a reigning horse out West, the mare’s life took a dramatic turn when she was sold and shipped to New Jersey. Stabled in a boarding facility, her new owner treated her like a sports car. He’d ignore her for weeks or months at a time then take her out on the trails, working her hard, forcing her off trails into impossible bush, pushing her beyond her will. Due to his callous behavior, she grew to hate the whole idea of being mounted because of what it represented.

By: Eliza Dandridge

I acquired him like I acquired my other horse. I was going to work with him, but I fell in love. With Sierra, it was just lust. She was a big beautiful mare. She should have been a, then, thirteen year old girl’s perfect first horse, had it not been for her horrible attitude under saddle. I was bucked off of her more times than I had ever been bucked off of any horse in my ten years of riding. But with Bear, it was love. From the first time I saw him, to today when I went out to the stable and rode him and fed him. True love never comes easy though. You always have to give up something, in my case; it involved a lot of pain.

By Charli Ann Stevens

Have you ever met a horse that was absolutely destined to be yours—yours not only once, but twice and forever more?

By: Teresa Byron Amen

The great man stood there in his radiant brilliance. All of nature was alive and reveled in his glory. The man was humble but everything commanded attention in his presence.

He was drawn to the pond and seemed mesmerized by the contents. His gaze was broken once or twice to look up and around but found no audience. Then instantly out of no where a black horse appeared. He walked close to the man and playfully nudged his arm to break his stare that he had on the water. The man gave the horse a knowing look that only the two would understand. He motioned him to join him by the water. The man turned his gaze back to the pond and the horse shared his focus of something far deeper that the ponds floor.

By: Tamara Minadeo

I still remember the first time I met Maya and Geno. It was the first weeks before the fall quarter began at my Los Angeles area college and I was at the school barn getting my horse, Nutmeg, situated in her new stall.

A silver truck and horse trailer pulled up to my barn and out popped a tall girl with shiny dark brown hair and a spray of freckles on her cheeks. Being in a friendly, welcoming mood I jaunted over to her and introduced myself. Before I could get her name she quickly spouted, “Is there a turn-out I can put my horse in? He has just been in a trailer for 12 hours and really needs to get out.”

By: Sue Moss

When our youngest daughter was 9 years old, her Dad bought her a 5 year- old Quarter Horse gelding. Miranda named her horse Buddy. And that’s what he quickly became to her. She would spend hours with him, brushing, trimming, leading, playing with, and simply talking to him. She enjoyed riding him as well, of course, but for Miranda the greater joy was in sharing her thoughts with him. He displayed the greatest “horsonality”, always listening, never criticizing.

Miranda enjoyed Buddy for many years, competing in gymkhana events and joining a musical riding club, as well as going on many pleasure rides.

By: Kelly Castano

I don’t think that I’ve ever cried so much over something. I’ve cried tears of pain, joy, frustration, and recently grief all over my horse Kidd. It had been 3 months of horse searching after I lost my draft x mare and I wanted another mare just like her. It had to be just like her. I even refused an adorable mare and foal. I first heard about Kidd as a horse who a lady was giving away to a good home. If I had only known why. Kidd was a 15 year old off the track TB gelding. Definitely not what I was looking for. I went to see him because my mom wanted me to.