Peekaboo Sugar

Since I used another header pic earlier this month, featuring my ‘pretty princess’ show horse, Odessa, it’s only fair to give equal time to our family girl, Sugar. Sugar’s a 12 year old Appaloosa mare. She was solid black when she was born, with the exception of a few tiny white spots on her rump that looked like someone had spilled a small bit of powdered sugar there...hence her name, Sugar. I bought her when she was 8 years old from a stable that leased horses out for trail rides. She was as sure-footed as a mountain goat on the trail, but once off the trail, she was pretty unschooled. She didn’t know how to move well in circles (especially at the canter), she couldn’t neck rein, she didn’t understand the concepts of ‘leg pressure,’ but she DID have an EXCEPTIONAL temperament -- I figured we’d have plenty of time to work on the other issues, which would be just a simple of matter of continued education.

Within only a few months, she was doing everything she couldn’t do when I bought her, as though she’d known it all her life. These days, she carries the kids around as though she were a paid baby-sitter -- they ride her, climb on her and roll all over her back as though she were a jungle gym. She’ll go anywhere at any speed you ask (and even STOP when you ask) and she and my grandson have even learned to take small jumps together. She is a true gem among gems. No one could ever hope to own a more lovable, enjoyable or dependable horse -- we hope she lives to be at least 50 years old! >grin<

This wonderful breed was meticulously developed by the Nez Perce Indians of the Inland Northwest, who bred their horses for strength and sturdiness, speed, temperament and sure-footedness. Along with the white man’s destruction and dispersion of our Native American tribes and their cultures, this wonderful breed of horse might have been lost as well, if not for a wheat farmer from Oregon, Claude Thompson, who took interest in the breed and established the Appaloosa Horse Club, to promote and restore the Appaloosa’s position in the equine world. Today, I doubt any ‘promotion’ of the breed is necessary -- just own one -- it’ll be the beginning of a life-long love affair.

On another note, beautiful fall colors have appeared all about us, seemingly out of nowhere, though oddly, unusually LATE in the season. Hence, we are off for a photo excursion -- later dudes!