It is said by my father that my first word as a child was; "horse," and my second words were; "I want." That pretty much sums up how it all started for me and my love of horses

Although I had been caring for and helping with horses as a very young child, it wasn't until I was eight years old before I actually owned a horse of my own. My first horse was a 16yr. old Appaloosa mare named "Double Easy." She was red-roan in color and as her name implies she had a very easy and mild temperament and was the perfect horse for me to begin my horse career with. She was so easy going in fact, that I could actually take my naps on her so she in essence served as my sitter as well! One interesting experience with Easy was the occasion when we happened across a black bear on the trail!

My second horse was an eight year old Appaloosa mare, blue-roan with a blanket, named; "Flirt's Lace," aka: "Fancy." She proved to be more spirited than Easy but she was very nice to ride. It took us about two years of work, patience, and bonding to get there, but it was well worth the effort.

My third horse was a colt foaled by Fancy that I named "What-A-Flirt," aka: "Scooter Bob." I was nine at the time of his birth and actually witnessed the birth at approximately nine a.m. on June 19, 1981. As a two year old stud I had to halter break him. Let me tell you what a cloud of dust and commotion we both created in the process. That same summer with a lead rope and coaxing him with treats I was finally able to gain his trust....to the point that he was more like a pet "dog" than anything else! Scooter was gelded that summer and we both received ground training etc., and developed a bond that was such that we could do any kind of riding and training together.

My fourth horse was a three year old Quarterhorse named; "I like dreaming," aka: "Smooch." I purchased him from Roxanne Seward then of Soldotna, and he is to this day a very special horse in all of our hearts. Bred at Marlene Root Training Stables at Bar-R Ranch, Smooch is the handsome fella you see pictured throughout this website. Although I sold Smooch a few years back to Joe & Jessie Day of WhiteHorse Heaven, in Washington state, we remain close and I've visited, and rode him on a few separate occasions since.

As you can see from the images, Smooch is a beautiful boy with a beautiful coat and mane and a very friendly albeit mischievous temperament! During my most formidable years, he was my main "man," as we practically grew up together and spent many hours training and riding together. We learned together, we overcame many obstacles together, and won a few titles and a few hearts together. He remains my special "boy" to this day.