There is an old adage that says "You can take the girl out of the horse, but you can't take the horse out of the girl." As far back as I can remember, I always found ways to be around (one of ) the most beautiful creatures God ever made.

I grew up in Rochester MI, as one of 9 children. Near our home was a ramshackle old farm that had caught fire years before. Half the place was burned out but to me it was paradise! My brothers and I basically had free "rein" of the place since the owner was friends of our parents. We'd run the Thoroughbred along the fence line, racing cars. (Of course we rode bareback and without helmets) We'd hook up the Sulky and Surrey to our favorite pony and paint gelding and give rides around the farm and in the local parades in town.

Sometimes we would skip morning mass on Sunday and run down to the farm for 45 minutes of fun before we were due back home. We always got busted and it took us many times of getting caught before we realized how our mom knew; the smell always followed us!

The farm was eventually sold, but my love of horses never abated I took some lessons and covered my walls with pictures of horses. I'd walk into town and visit the local tack store. Just smelling the leather of all the saddles sent my imagination into overdrive. Someday, I'd tell myself....

Once I started college a friend of mine told me about a place I could take dressage lessons. DRESSAGE?!?!?!? I soon learned I could take lessons and work them off cleaning stalls. I rode an Anglo-Arab named Ollie. We had a lot of fun and went to some shows together in the Kalamazoo area. In the early 90's I moved to the Lansing area and quickly found a place that gave dressage lessons. (At least the name was no longer foreign to me!)

I leased a horse and again cleaned stalls to work off lessons. I bought my first horse in the early 90's; a beautiful Thoroughbred named Kota. We did many schooling shows together and he taught me many things that could never be learned by the spoken word. He eventually came down with EPM and was no longer safe to ride dressage.

In 93' I bought Holly as a 2 year old and we've been together ever since. We've learned a lot together. I have spent years learning and unlearning skills and all the while she tolerates me. There are days I wonder why she hasn't bucked my bum from here to kingdom come! All the while we just keep working and growing together as "one".

We've been with the Rowes almost 3 years. Their unending patience, wisdom, knowledge and love of the horse and rider is beyond comparison. I now understand the longevity of Rowes' students: I feel blessed that Holly and I are a part of their barn family.

To try and describe the relationship between a horse and its owner can never be explained to a non-horse person. To a horse-person, there is no need to explain the relationship that goes past where the words end..., they already know.