Member - Sharon
I was born just across the river from downtown Indianapolis – a city girl. I had very little contact with horses
growing up. One of my brothers owned a Palomino horse for a short time when I was a teenager and I rode her
a little. But about the time I was getting comfortable riding, she was mistaken for a deer and killed. In 1995 I
talked my husband, son and sister into going to a dude ranch in Colorado. That was great fun.
In 1997, I lost a brother to lung cancer and then another brother to lung cancer the very next year. They were only
54 and 57. Needless to say it made me realize how short life can be. I took stock of my life and realized there
were a lot of things I had wanted to do and never got around to. One thing that had always interested me was
horses, so I decided to take riding lessons.
After six months of lessons, I began talking about buying a horse. My husband said that when we retired we
could get a some land and have a horse. I said “When I retire! What if I don’t get to retire?” I started researching
the various breeds on the Internet and decided I needed a gaited horse because of my bad back and knees. I
wound up on the Indiana Foxtrotters site and read Brenda’s article What The Hoosier Horse Fair Means To Me,
and a few others. After hearing of their people-personality, sure-footedness and calmness on the trail, I began
searching for a Foxtrotter.
I purchased Heavenbound’s Carmel Clown “Mel” in November, 2002, he was 4 years old. Since then I have
been having the time of my life learning about horses. They are such wonderful, intelligent, sensitive creatures. I
was told I should have purchased an older well-trained horse, instead of a young one, but Mel has been very
tolerant of my lack of experience. We are learning together.
If you had told me 10 years ago that today I would own a horse and be driving a truck and loving both, I would
have said you were crazy. I’m living proof that a dream can be reached at any age.
growing up. One of my brothers owned a Palomino horse for a short time when I was a teenager and I rode her
a little. But about the time I was getting comfortable riding, she was mistaken for a deer and killed. In 1995 I
talked my husband, son and sister into going to a dude ranch in Colorado. That was great fun.
In 1997, I lost a brother to lung cancer and then another brother to lung cancer the very next year. They were only
54 and 57. Needless to say it made me realize how short life can be. I took stock of my life and realized there
were a lot of things I had wanted to do and never got around to. One thing that had always interested me was
horses, so I decided to take riding lessons.
After six months of lessons, I began talking about buying a horse. My husband said that when we retired we
could get a some land and have a horse. I said “When I retire! What if I don’t get to retire?” I started researching
the various breeds on the Internet and decided I needed a gaited horse because of my bad back and knees. I
wound up on the Indiana Foxtrotters site and read Brenda’s article What The Hoosier Horse Fair Means To Me,
and a few others. After hearing of their people-personality, sure-footedness and calmness on the trail, I began
searching for a Foxtrotter.
I purchased Heavenbound’s Carmel Clown “Mel” in November, 2002, he was 4 years old. Since then I have
been having the time of my life learning about horses. They are such wonderful, intelligent, sensitive creatures. I
was told I should have purchased an older well-trained horse, instead of a young one, but Mel has been very
tolerant of my lack of experience. We are learning together.
If you had told me 10 years ago that today I would own a horse and be driving a truck and loving both, I would
have said you were crazy. I’m living proof that a dream can be reached at any age.