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I have always been an animal lover.
Ever since I can remember. I was that little kid who brought home every
animal they found, with the exception of bugs. I always had lots of
animals when I was little. Dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, fish,
you know all the regulars. When I was three I saw for the first time the
animal that has now taken over my life...a horse. From that time on it
was "Daddy can I have a pony?" and "Daddy can I take lessons?"
One year I remember I had a dream that my
parents bought me a beautiful white horse for my birthday. I still
remember that dream today and it still seems so real. When I woke up,
I ran over to my sleeping parents' bed saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank
you." Startled and half asleep my parents looked at me as said "For
what?" When I said "My horse, the one you bought for me" I
knew by the expressions on their faces that there was no horse, and that my
virtual reality experience was just a dream. When I turned five, I began
taking lessons at a barn in Easton, CT, but between the tap, jazz, ballet,
piano, gymnastics, and ice-skating lessons I was already taking, horseback
riding was the most expensive. So my riding career was cut short for a brief
one year later. When I was ten, after many well thought out "you
don't love me" tantrums, I began taking lessons again at a barn called
Chance Hill Equestrian Center, which was located in Wilton, CT. During the
5 years at Chance Hill, I found my life's passion, and my life long dreams began
to come together. I wanted to have my own farm where people could ride and
board their horses. Where I could have broodmares and babies. Where
I would keep my five horses and ride everyday, carefree. Sounds like the
same dream every little horse loving girl has huh? Well life was good
riding and dreaming of the all the intricate details of my fairy tale barn, but
something was missing. I felt an empty feeling when I rode, and it finally
came to me. I wanted a horse to call my own.
So when I was fifteen I started on my
parents again, and they finally gave in and gave me a decision. I could
have a horse, or a car. Naturally, I choose the horse, (which by the way
cost no where near the amount of a car). So they bought me a green broke
Appaloosa gelding. This particular gelding was a little different than
most horses in that he had been taken away from his previous owner and placed in
a foster barn because he had been almost starved to death. This gelding
became my life and I became his. He was the reason I woke up every morning
with a smile, just because I knew he was mine. I lived solely for
him. Given the early years of his life, I named him Second Chance.
The day I bought him it was like a new horse and rider was born. Chance
was and still is one of the best thing that has ever happened to me.
I trained Chance over a period of four
years. I taught him and he taught me. Since my lesson money was now
being used for board, I used to watch people who rode well and then mimic what
they did with Chance. My father and I took Chance to tons of shows and
events, and we always did well. I remember the second time Chance and I
went to the Stonegate Cross Country event in New York. Chane and I ended up off
course and came to a halt in front of a judge. The judge looked at me and motioned me
over. When I got close enough she said, "I've never seen a horse and
rider have so much fun. It's very refreshing." I politely said
thank you and went off galloping. That's what Chance and I did, we had
fun. We had a bond that no one could break, and now as I remember all of
the memories we had together, it brings tears to my eyes.
When I was a junior in college I had to
sell Chance because I no longer had the time or money to keep him, and he didn't
deserve to sit idle in a field. Heart broken, I gave up horses all
together for a year. I didn't touch one, see one, or even go to a barn and
smell them. I wanted to give them up completely, but after one whole
horseless year they pulled me back. People always say that once you have
horses in your blood, you can't get them out. Well it's true. If you
are a true horse lover, you need horses in your life to be happy, and I am.
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So until then, I am leasing a beautiful 15.3 bay Thoroughbred
mare and take lessons twice a week at Sunset Hill Farm in Redding, CT. I
plan to buy my own horse soon, definitely a baby, and while I know I will never
find another Chance, I always find myself looking. In my search now for
the "perfect horse", I see how truly hard it is to find one. If
it has the confirmation it can't take two steps, or if it's a great mover and
has done it all, it's 15 years old, or it's 8 and gorgeous but doesn't vet
clean. Not to mention the ever sky-rocketing prices of horses today.
And how annoying is it to have to buy three different magazines to see the
same horse ads over and over. Well, while I cannot control the prices of
horses or how lame, beautiful or correct they are, I can control the convenience
of trying to find the ONE for you. That's why I decided to start
HJDHorses.com. I myself am an Internet junkie and love the convenience it
brings to me when buying things like clothes, pet stuff and even groceries...so
why not horse buying and selling. Check out my site! There are a
variety of horses for sale in the Hunter, Jumper and Dressage disciplines.
Use our search page to help narrow your selection, and if you see any that
interest you email me and request a
video. I truly hope you enjoy this site and with any luck you'll find YOUR
Chance!
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WHERE I'VE BEEN