Virtual Brush Box

Last week was a series of retrospectives. So what was it like trying remember all the horses I have ever ridden?

Surprisingly easy. Horses I owned, past & present. Horses I leased. Horses I rode regularly. Horses I rode once.

Names were harder, particularly IHSA or camp horses. Years were way harder than I expected. Was it late this year or early that? When in doubt, I ascribed events to separate years, for easy of display. Reality is +/- three months either way.

The years from 10 to 19 had the most variety. I suspect this is true of most people, whether or not they are involved with horses. I started off as a 10 year old in the middle of Manhattan, ended as a college student with horse of my own.

My 20s were about owning a horse and the concomitant buying and selling, Since I was boarding, a horse who didn’t work out had to move on.

My 30s & 40s had much activity by less overt change. Mathilda decorated our backyard all of those 20 years. Caesar was with us for 17 of them. Lots of riding, lessons, showing, falls, victories, lamenesses, illnesses, recoveries, and so on. The day-to-day life of taking care of horses.

My 50s are going to be fabulous. Onwards!

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Horses I have ridden.
Horses I have OWNED.

Horses
MATHILDA
RODNEY
Horses of Stepping Stone Farm: Trump, Sam, Alvin, Iggy, & others
Horse Shopping, looked at 13, rode very few.
MILTON
Horses of Whip Hand Farm: Lyricc, Bliss, & honorable mention to Jewel, who I have met and petted, but not driven.

Milestones
2014, age 51, Mathilda 😦 Milton 🙂
The rest is blog.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Horses I have ridden.
Horses I have OWNED.

Horses
CAESAR
MATHILDA
Einstein
Moses
Miscellaneous single riding lessons, AL: James Hale, El Gezira, Windwood, Black Jack.
Horse Shopping, looked at ~50, rode 24.
RODNEY
Horses of Stepping Stone Farm: Sam, Buster & others

Milestones
2009, age 46, Caesar died peacefully at home. First horse for whom I was able to provide a forever home.
2010, age 47, bought Rodney. [Rodney in Horse Illustrated]
2012, age 49, first lesson at SSF. [Sam I Am]

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Horses I have ridden.
Horses I have OWNED.

Horses
BENTLEY
Horses of the IHSA
Horses of Avenel: Tory, Prinney, & others
Horse Shopping, don’t remember but must have done
JEEPERS
George
Horses of Hi-Horse Farm, my side-saddle years
Horse Shopping, 3 or so
CAESAR
Patient Little Horse [Husband Training]
MATHILDA

Milestones
1985, age 22, Bentley finally convinced me that he REALLY didn’t want to be an event horse [Reverse Epiphany]. Sent him to a sales barn where they turned him into a hunter and sold him.
1986, age 23, bought second horse.
1988, age 25, frustrated with ongoing foot issues, I allowed a trainer to talk me into letting her take Jeepers to a sale, where she told me she found him a good retirement home. I am an idiot.
1989, age 26, bought Caesar, aka Previous Horse. [In Defense]
1991, age 28, Greg bought Mathilda. Brought horses to backyard. Experienced steep horsemanship learning curve. Kissed vacations good-bye. Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Horses I have ridden.
Horses I have OWNED.

Horses
Horses of Clairmont Riding Academy, NYC
Horses of Camp Longacres, East Aurora, NY: Randy: Hooligan, Wind Chines, Pepper, & others.
Horses of Bar 11, Wyoming: Puff, & others
Starter
Booie
Boogie
Horses of Avenel, Potomac, MD: Chantilly, Sabo, & others
Horses of Turtle Creek Farm, MD: Wilbur, Jonesy, Joe, & others
Horses of Morton Farm, NH: Trescott, Bronson, Rogue, & others
Horses of the IHSA
Horses of Upper Valley PC, VT
Horse swaps at my C3 & B tests
Horses in Europe: trotting an Italian racehorse & a tourist ride in the Camargue
Zephyr
Chantilly (different one)
BENTLEY

Milestones
1978, age 15, someone told me about “leasing” horses. The next day, I found an ad for Starter in the newspaper.
1979, age 16, leased second horse, Booie.
1980, age 17, leased third horse & first active competition horse, Kanu Boogie. Joined Potomac Pony Club.
1982, age 19, first horse!

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott

Horses I have ridden.
Horses I have OWNED.

Horses
Bucky
Horses of Riverdale (?) Day Camp
Horses of Fire Place Lodge

Milestones
As a horse-crazy kid in Manhattan, I used to buy knicknacks from Miller’s & Kaufman’s. I could not afford, nor did I need, bridles or brushes, so I bought oddments, e.g. a pair of driving goggles, a measuring tape.

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott