Spurring C Performance Horses

05/10/2025

🧥 When Henry Ford asked for the cheapest hotel in town… people were stunned.

He had just landed in England — already a billionaire, already one of the most recognized names in the world.
But instead of luxury, he walked up to the airport information desk and asked, simply:
“Where’s the cheapest place to stay?” 🛏️

The clerk hesitated.
Worn coat. Modest bag. Calm voice.
Then he realized who was standing in front of him.
Henry Ford. The man whose name was in every newspaper.
The face behind an empire.

🗣️ “Sir… aren’t you Mr. Ford?” he asked, still processing.
Ford nodded.
“Yes, I am.”

Still puzzled, the clerk continued:
“I know your son always stays in the best hotels, wears the finest suits. But you—
you’re asking for the cheapest room, in an old coat that looks older than you…
Why?”

Ford smiled. Just enough to say everything without saying too much.
🧠 “Because I don’t need more than a place to sleep.
Wherever I stay — I’m still Henry Ford.
And this coat? It belonged to my father.
It keeps me warm. That’s enough.”

He paused. Then added, quietly:
“My son is still learning. He still worries what others think.
But I’ve learned to stop paying for approval.
I didn’t become wealthy by spending — I became wealthy by understanding what matters, and what doesn’t.”

💡 A quiet lesson wrapped in humility:
True wealth isn’t in what you show — it’s in what you know.
You are not your coat, your hotel, or your bank account.
You are who you are, wherever you go. 💼✨

05/04/2025

Roy Cooper 1955-2025 RIP Legend!

05/03/2025

Every horse goes to heaven

05/01/2025

When I was a little kid, I used to watch this movie, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken a lot and I was obsessed with this newly-blinded girl learning to jump on a horse’s back and dive off a platform.

It never once occurred to me to question whether or not horses diving into water was a real thing; I assumed it was just a movie premise. But as it turns out, starting around the 1880s and up until the 1970s, diving horses actually were a real attraction. I’m not sure what I thought “based on a true story” meant but it was not “this is based on a true story about actual horses diving.”

Apparently some did it without riders, and some did it with riders. Although there was not a single report of an injury to any of the horses, it was apparently quite dangerous for the rider. Lorena reportedly broke an average of one bone per year for the duration of her career, and Oscar Smith, an 18-year old, lost his life in a 1907 dive (the horse survived).

And then there is the fact that the movie was based on Sonora Webster, one of the first woman divers. In 1931, Sonora hit the water with her eyes open, and the impact caused both of Sonora’s retina’s to detach, blinding her permanently. She continued horse diving afterward.

The platforms used in the past used to be up to 60 feet tall, and the water below at least 12 feet deep, with some kind of ramp so the horse could find the bottom and walk out afterward. The Steel Pier horses dove anywhere from 2 to 6 times every day.
The most famous act was at the Steel Pier amusement park, and featured two horses, King and Queen, and was built by the son (Al Carver) of the guy (William Carver) who first had the idea. William’s daughter, Lorena, became the first rider. The show became known as The Great Carver Show.

04/18/2025

That's impossible 😆
credits: Pinterest

04/07/2025

Earlier today I wrote an article about learning to discipline your horse, and I thought it was a fairly well spoken opinion post. Nothing too abrasive or rude.

Someone saw it as a reason to verbally attack me, calling me a "F'ing a #$hole" among other things. My first thought was...

I'm 57 years old, I grew up in the horse business, I'm opinionated...don't you think I've been told that about myself already?? 🤣 Jeez, if you are going to insult me, use a little imagination! 😜

04/06/2025