42 / Sport and Trail Magazine
Rancho Tres Huesos
Hemet, California
By Lisa Bone
By Shirley Alaire
Continued >>
I was 30 years old when I got my first horse. I had grown up with the fever. I'm sure my family could show you hundreds of drawings I did in my childhood. I begged and pleaded, but my Dad was in the military and we moved a lot. It wasn't feasible. When my Dad retired, he bought a ranch and had several horses. I would visit and even rode his horse, I dubbed Satan, once. I knew nothing about horses or riding, and Satan promptly tossed me into the fence. I walked around with a limp and a black eye for weeks. I was Igor’s ugly twin sister. Then, one Christmas, my 30th Christmas to be exact, Dad got me three riding lessons. With three days’ experience, more precisely, three hours, I bought my first horse off Craigslist for $300. I had no business getting a horse, but my angels were watching over me and Katy turned out to be the most patient and bombproof horse I've known. I spent every day with Katy. My husband, Aaron, wanted to know what all the fuss was about. We borrowed a horse and went for a trail ride together. He was hooked.