The Raw and Uncut Version! – Part 2
In the Summer of 2002, I packed up my life, three horses, my dog and headed to Pagosa Springs to start a new chapter of my life.
Over the years to come, I always enjoyed that drive to Pagosa from South Texas. I always stayed at the Big Texan the first night. The horses had their own little barn and paddock area, and I stabled in my little retro 1950s throw back hotel room.
The next day we would drive to New Mexico and spend the night at a friend’s. I still remember hanging out outside my horse trailer in my camp chair, watching the horses in the paddock and waiting for the sun to drop and the heat to drop so I could crawl into the gooseneck and go to sleep. The air was so warm and dry then drastically cooler in the evening. It was heaven.
We then would start the climb up the mountains to Pagosa. This was so amazingly beautiful to me- being from South Texas where we have no trees, no hills, just lots of land and mesquite weeds…this was another world to me. The George O’Keefe colors blending on the sides of the mountains were just stunning.
12,000 feet later, we landed in Pagosa. Since I was almost done with my level 3 with George, he was to stay at the Ranch. Maggie and Buckley were going to stay at a ranch around the corner.
I will tell George’s story another time. Fast forward two days later, George was attacked by a mare in the pen next to him and in defending himself, he kicked the steel pipe and broke his dorsal sesmoid bone.
George was now out (he had surgery then went into recovery). I was getting ready to start Parelli University without a horse.
I remember sitting at the Lodge with Neil Pye eating lunch and he asked, “Do you have any other horses here?”
I replied, “I do….but he is sub level 1! (Buckley)”
He told me to go and get him, that Pat would have us up to level three by the end of the summer.
Oh boy, I thought….no way am I going to get this lunatic horse done with level three in 3 months.
But it happened….stay tuned for Part 3!!!!!