When I was about six years old, I wanted a horse more then anything else in the world. I had always wanted a pure white horse and that’s what I got… sort of.
One day, my mom took me to a friend of hers’ farm. At the time, I thought she was just doing it to be nice because I loved to look at horses. Her friend took us to see one horse in particular. I remember that she seemed very tall because, of course, I was short.
I thought that the horse was beautiful. She was mostly white but she had a circle of brown on her face that went around her eyes, which were a sky blue. On the tips of her main and tail was also brown.
Then, I remember faintly, I said, “She’s pretty.”
My mom and her friend both laughed, “Well I’d sure hope so,” my mom’s friend said, “since she’s yours.”
I couldn’t believe it. This beautiful horse, was mine?
“What are you going to name her?” asked my mom.
I replied, “Sky.”
“Why that name?” asked my mom’s friend.
“Because of her eyes,” I replied.
“Well, how about we brush her?” asked my mom’s friend.
“Yes!” I said excitedly. The only horse that I had ever brushed was my mom’s horse Sugar (who would later become my own).
“I will be right back,” said Mom’s friend as she left to go get a brush.
When she came back, she handed me the brush and let me stand on a bucket. Surprisingly, Sky did very well for a one year old. She stood still and let me fuss over how dirty she was.
After a while, it was time to go home. We were going to leave Sky at my mom’s friend’s house until we could find another place to keep her.
We went to my mom’s friend’s house as often as we could. My mom wanted me to be comfortable around Sky and vise versa.
A couple of months went by and we finally found a place to keep our two horses. It was this cute little goat farm called Sunkist Farms. The owner’s also had horses so we out our own horses in the same pasture as theirs.
When Sky turned two, my mom started training her. Since she already was okay with being led by a halter and lead rope, we started with groundwork.
Groundwork is where you go through different exercises with your horse, but you are walking. Anyway, after we were done with that, my mom put a saddle on Sky.
Sky was unsure of it at first. She bucked and kicked like any horse would. After a while, she calmed down. My mom did this every day until Sky stood still when you put the saddle on.
This is about as far as we got with her training when we had to sell her. I was already on my second horse while also owning her. My mom couldn’t afford the cost of hay for four horses (since my step-dad also had a horse) anymore.
We took her to the horse sale outside of Waukon. My mom had me help her get Sky ready to go into the arena, but then I had to go sit with my grandparents in the stands. Sky was quiet and gentle as my mom led her around.
Finally the bidding was over with and somebody had bought Sky. I forget his name, but what I do remember is that the guy bought her for an embryo mare. This is when you take the egg of a foal out of a mare that is sick or going to be slaughtered, and out it into another mare. Sky was going to be like a step-mother to whatever foal she gave birth to.
I knew I was going to miss her, but I also knew that she was going to a good home.
Sky was my very first horse, and always will be.