11/21/2025
Sappy Appreciation Post for Waffles 🧇
September of 2022, I got my heart horse, Dozer. He made me so happy, made me an amazing rider, and saved me through so many hard times in life. On August 3rd in 2024, Dozer went to his new home to live on lots of acreage, playing with cows and running in the fields- something he needed but I could never give him. After Dozer left, I started leasing Shad again, an old grey arabian, but I still never felt 100% complete. I have a lot of horses in my life that I love, but none that truly made me happy the way that Dozer did. Even though he was just a lease, he was my whole heart and forever will be.
August of this year, 2025, I bought my first horse on my own. Totally spur of the moment, my parents didn’t know until 3 days after, and she was a super cheap mustang because all my friends bought a new horse, so why can’t I? Lulu made me so happy and I was so happy with my decision- until it came to riding her. She has some serious trauma behind being ridden and she took me from an all time confidence high, to way down deep into a basement. I was scared, and anyone who knows me knows that I don’t get scared of riding horses- I’ll get on anything.
Late August/Early September I got in contact with Kristin Connor through a referral, as she really wanted an Oregon mustang. After going through the plans, Yellow Mare Mustangs and I left the barn at 3am on September 18th to go pick up a mustang from the corrals. I totally overlooked the little palomino pinto mare in corral number 1. She was in the corner by herself, wanted nothing to do with the outside world. But, Kristin saw her in a video I sent of the options so we decided to give her a shot after going back and forth through our options.
Days 1 through 3 were so hard for me. She was terrified, she would kick out if I got near her and she wouldn’t look at me. I told everyone that this is going to be one hard mustang. Day 2, I’m at my boyfriends 2 hours away and I get a call from Emily at 6:30am that this mare escaped out of her stall, so I make the 2 hour drive to help corral her back into her stall. I’m so frustrated, I’m just praying to God that this was the right choice for my client. The 2 other mustangs picked up from our appointment were coming along so great, so why wasn’t mine? I questioned my abilities a lot, but knew that every single horse is different, so why am I trying to put a timeline on her?
Fast forward 60 something days and we are now onto day 65. I have finally met the horse that makes my heart whole again. I don’t fall in love with client horses, but this one is something truly special. This horse has brought my confidence back, she’s the reason I get up early to go to the barn in the morning and why I stay until late at night. She truly is my best friend.
I am so incredibly grateful to be her trainer over the next few months, and I am so excited for her owner when she goes to her new home. I hope and pray everyday that she can make Kristin as happy as she makes me, because she truly is a once in a lifetime horse. Her personality is beyond amazing, such an “oh okay, i don’t know what exactly you’re trying to do but go ahead” attitude.
