I Met My Heart Horse (The Beginning)
- Leanne Dunn
- Mar 6, 2015
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 5, 2020
On July 6th, 2013 my life changed forever, in the best way possible. But let me back up a little…
Late in June 2013 I received a call from a friend that they knew of a horse than was in need of a home. At the time I had been looking for a new competition/project horse for over six months with no luck. I had just gotten a raise at work and it just felt like it was meant to be. When I heard that she was an Appaloosa mare I just pictured a moody, stubborn, too-smart-for-her-own-good horse (aka, my other mare that I own). I had my reservations, but I made the choice to bring her home with almost no information about her, and having never met her. All I knew was that she was nine years old, a halter horse through her younger years, a trail horse in her more recent years, that she had been started for reining, and that she needed a LOT of work.
So, we made the 300 mile trip to go pick her up. A few hours – and one blown truck motor – later, we made it. I met Fancy on July 5th, 2013 after dark. I walked up to her stall and she instantly left her hay and came over to me. I really felt like we had an instant connection. I saddled her up and took her to the indoor for our first ride. There were a couple people there and they commented on how she seemed so much more relaxed with me than others that have ridden her. I couldn’t believe my luck, that this incredible mare was now mine!
On July 6th, 2013 miss Fancy made her trip back down home with me.
I spent the next few days learning more about my new girl- her strengths, her weaknesses. Her main weakness was she was so out of balance and careful on her feet that she couldn’t balance at a lope. She was very impatient when tacking up and always tried to do what she wanted to do when I started riding instead of listening to me. With all that being said, I saw very quickly how smart and willing she was to change with proper guidance. While I was looking for a project, she was looking for a teacher.
I got some shoes on her front hooves, which made a HUGE difference. She was much more confident in her movements and, mixed with lots of balance work on the ground and under saddle, balanced her lope. Over the next few months we worked on the basics and she is now the BEST horse to tack up, she’ll sit there all day patiently while you get ready. With a mare this smart, this willing, and this athletic, it didn’t take long for her to be where I wanted her to be. We went from only being able to do a fast trot to being able to flip from an English trot to almost a Western Pleasure jog, being able to lope in circles successfully, great stops, and great flexibility.
Aside from arena work I also started taking her out on some long trail rides. One of the things that I started to love the most about her is her very sound mind. This mare is fast. You could take her for a full out gallop, then bring her back down to a walk and she is totally fine with it. She crosses water, doesn’t spook, and will cover any ground- as fast, or as slow, as you ask. If you can’t tell, by this point I am totally in love with this mare.
2013 was spent getting to know each other, bonding, and learning how to work with each other. There were definitely our set backs- usually when I didn’t properly communicate what I wanted her to do. Fancy has definitely taught me how to be a better teacher, and to go into every ride with a plan. She’s the kind of horse that if I know what I want, and ask her properly, she will do it, no questions asked.
Then, 2014 rolled around. The first couple months were spent polishing the basics.
But what I really wanted was to make her a barrel horse. I’ve wanted to barrel race since I was about eight years old, but I never had the opportunity- I grew up riding in Western Pleasure. But I knew if I was going to start an adventure of learning how to barrel race while trying to teach a horse how to do it at the same time, Fancy would be the best partner I could have. In March of 2014 Fancy and I made a trip over to an amazing trainer for our first lesson. We did our first lesson at the jog, and two weeks later went back and tried the pattern at the lope…
Girl got skills… And I don’t mean me.
The next day Fancy and I headed over to a local barrel race to do some exhibition “runs”. This is the first time I’d taken her to a show, and she handled it like she does any other situation- calm, cool, collected, and ready for whatever I asked of her. She was so well-behaved. I knew at this point I really had a diamond in the rough! I had already decided if she was no good at barrels she would be my trail horse extraordinaire, but she was quickly proving to be much more than a one trick pony.
In April we exhibitioned in one more show, and at the end of the month entered into our first 3D competition- really just to get a starting time. I slowly loped her through the pattern, and she loped a 22.1.
The next show we went to a couple weeks later, we loped a 20.9.
With that particular Winter Series ending I needed to find another place to go. I decided last minute in June to take her to a show about a half hour away. I got there just in time to saddle up, sign up, and run. I was so nervous that with this being a new place and new surroundings (plus cows running around next to the ring), it was going to be a disaster. But of course, my girl was incredible as always! We only ran a couple exhibition runs due to the weather turning quickly to an awesome storm, but we got to go back two weeks later.
Two weeks later, we ran again, and what should happen but for her to throw a shoe in the middle of her run. Nonetheless, she still ran a 19.1! In the beginning of July I was so determined to break into the 18 second times. Each run we did was faster than the last, and with 19.1 as my best, I had to do it. In between the 1st and 2nd barrel I lost my stirrup, and honestly- Fancy did the run all by herself after that point. And she ran… an 18.999! We did it! She also loped a 28 second pole run her first time on them.
But besides barrels, we also went on several adventures out on the trails! I took Fancy swimming for the first time, went for several gallops through the field, and many leisurely walks through the woods, the fields, and everything in between. Plus we have awesome grooming sessions because my Fancy always loves to be pampered! Since we worked on ground manners she loves to be brushed… and brushed and brushed and brushed. She let me pull her mane back in late 2013 (it was uneven, as you can tell in beginning pictures- it’s long and even now!), and not only tolerated it, but lowered her head to let my short self get the job done. Anyway, my girl is my princess.
We had a bit of a bad patch mid July. We knocked a few barrels and had some communication issues. It was two or three shows in a row, and it was very discouraging. Luckily, we were able to work through it and (knock on wood) and been kicking butt ever since! (Note: I consider kicking butt as being better than our past selves, not others around us.)
Come August, we were really starting to come together well. With lots of slow work at home Fancy had the pattern down really well at this point. Honestly, it was me who is holding her back. For every lesson I teach her, she teaches me two more and she’s always two steps ahead of me… literally. I’m thinking about getting around 2nd, and she’s already on her way to third. She’s way too good to me. Anyway, in August we actually started placing and winning money in the 3D! We were running consistent 18.8, 18.7, and 18.6 times.
We took a break from showing in September and focused on trail riding, slow pattern work, and just having a good time. There’s so many things I could say about Fancypants, as I affectionately call her, but I’m trying to focus this on our progress on barrels!
In October we headed back to the shows and Fancy kicked butt. She ran a 17.6!! Two weeks later, she ran an 18.4 in really awful footing (after 3 days of nonstop rain). In November we started back up at the Winter Series we started at, and ran in the mid 18s. I got a new job and wasn’t able to exercise her as much, so since she wasn’t in top shape, I couldn’t knock her at all for not beating her best times. We’ve run in four shows so far, with three placing first in the 3D and one placing in the middle of the 2D. With two more shows to go, I’m really hoping to finish out top of the division so we can qualify for year end awards!
That being said, we are coming up on our one year anniversary since we’ve started on barrels and I couldn’t be more proud of both our progress. With neither of us ever being trained on barrels, I was amazed at how easily Fancy picked it up. She is incredible on the turns, plus she has the speed and the sane mind to run. Not to mention she absolutely loves her job. She will be running full out home, with her ears up.
Our next show is March 14th, and I’m really hoping the weather is okay since that will be exactly one year since we started at the jog. This year I’m hoping to keep moving forward and beating our old time, and maybe try out some rodeos! I’ll be documenting our journey here. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy coming along with us on our adventure!
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