Forty years ago today I got my first horse. My father had inherited a little money from his mother, and decided that I needed a horse, finally. We had trail ridden in South America for four years while I was in grade school, I did not learn much about how to ride properly back then, just posting and using the reins clumsily to turn and stop. I never stopped hanging onto the pommel when cantering. Of course I thought I knew how to ride until I started reading riding books in those long teenage years when I did not get to ride. It did not take me a lot of reading to realize that I knew NADA about riding horses! I begged and begged for lessons, and every birthday and Christmas I hoped, hoped, hoped for a horse. I got to ride a horse only four times in seven years. Then, one wonderful day, my father said yes--he would get me a horse!

We started searching. We almost got a nice dusty Palomino QH mare, but her owners ended up not being able to stand the thought of not having their mare around any more. On our way home from there we got a newspaper, and there was an ad--5-year old chestnut Anglo-Arab gelding, green broke $350.00. Well I had been gaga over Arabs ever since I saw my first one at a county fair horse show, and I had always liked TB's, and I already "knew" how to ride, no problems. The next day, July 4, 1970, we went out to the Deerfield Horse Center to check him out. I knew next to nothing about proper conformation and movement, luckily, and on the first ride I was trying to ride as well as I could, since by then I was painfully aware of my ineptitude on horseback as far as educated riding was concerned. The ladies running the stables were both Morven Park BHSI full instructors, and I felt quite inadequate with my rough and ready seat learnt in South America.

After some talk and dickering I OWNED A HORSE!!! The lady (I am ashamed, I cannot remember her name) kindly also sold us a serviceable used bridle with a full cheek snaffle and an old used Borelli pre-knee roll old English hunt seat saddle. She also threw in a months worth of lessons, and gave us a deal on a month's pasture board. I have often wondered why she sold me this horse, Hat Tricks, since it must have been so obvious that I was not qualified to ride and train him, and how easy she made it for me to finally get some of the instruction I so sorely needed. She and her partner gave me lessons, and I finally learned to sit the trot and canter, I got taught how to NEVER ride the horse behind the bit, I got introduced to riding on contact, and to overcome my fears after a fall (I got a concussion, was unconcscious and could not ride for three weeks) and introduced me to riding ala BHS and Museler. Then a few months later I got a marvelous, eye-opening week at North Forks School of Equitation where Kay Russel introduced me to the Forward Seat, Forward Control, and Forward Schooling as according to Vladimir Littauer. I've ridden Forward Seat ever since, I do not care that it is not fashionable any more. Hat Tricks just moved so much better when I rode him FS.

At that time, in 1970, to get an acceptable hunt seat horse capable of competing at the local shows cost AT LEAST $500.00 USD. The only reason I could get a horse of Hat Tricks's quality for $350.00 was that he had splayed, calf-kneed front legs and his hind legs were sickle-hocked and cow-hocked and boy, did he wing out when he trotted. He also had a minor parrot mouth. Plus he only had 3 weeks of proper training, and he had recently been gelded (at 5 yrs. age), he still had the scabs on when I bought him. I figure that he had been a really pleasant colt, friendly and amiable, but sold on because he was so faulty in the leg department. Luckily I did not know much about proper conformation, or I would have missed out on a horse of a lifetime. Everything above his knees and hocks was great, good long shoulder, good withers, nice long croup, reasonable long neck with a very clean throatlatch, and very well balanced. He also had good, thick hooves that wore well when barefoot.

What made Hat Tricks a horse in a million was his disposition. He looked out at the world through kindly eyes. He was perfectly willing to deal with people and think the best of them. He taught many, many people that even though they were terrified of horses that no harm would come to them when they were dealing with him. As a green-broke horse he put up with my clumsy seat and my clumsy hands, and after 4 or 5 months of owning him I finally convinced him that I WAS TRYING TO RIDE WELL, he turned around and started teaching me how to ride. I would read something in a book, and try and teach it to him, and in spite of all my ineptitude he would often learn it and then turn around and teach me how to do it properly. I was too physically klutzy (my undiagnosed MS) to do many things, but when I finally got my aids right he would immediately deliver. When I decided to go with lightness with my hand and leg aids he immediately became even more obedient and smooth in his movement. Whenever I put a beginner up on him, Hat Tricks would take care of them, he would do his slooow walk until they started to feel more confident, then he would slowly speed it up. When he thought they were ready he would sneak in a nice, calm and smooth jog trot, and when they got good enough with the posting trot he would sneak in a slow, calm canter. Whatever I asked Hat Tricks to do Hat Tricks would do his best to deliver.

I did not compete with Hat Tricks, I did not have the money to show. This was good because I tend to get too ambitious, and with his legs Hat Tricks would have suffered trying to fulfill my ambitions. What I did have was a horse that ALWAYS inspired me to ride the best I could, and who always inspired me to learn more about horses and riding so that I would be worthy of my wonderful horse. I started riding bitless on Hat Tricks, with an old style Jumping Cavesson bridle, and he obeyed my just as well as with a bit, and it would depend on what I wanted if I rode with a bit or not, he really did not care either way. Same with a double bridle, and the same the summer I just rode him on a Weymouth curb. As long as I tried not to hurt him he was perfectly willing to cooperate with me. So wonderful a horse. So cooperative a horse. Such a wonderful horse--how could I have been so lucky! With my very first horse I got the first horse that all girls dream of (so long the dream did not include winning conformation classes!) I even had grown women, upon getting to know Hat Tricks, turn to me with tears in their eyes saying "Why couldn't he be a man, I'd marry him in a heart beat!"

I still miss you, Hat Tricks. Thank you so much for coming into my life and taking care of me all those years.