HI, Sue Barger here....
Lady and I met in 1977 when at 29 years old, I moved to the hilltowns from Albany/Schenectady area. It was an instant bonding and although I was relative novice at owning a horse,
never mind one only 1.5 years old, I had been reading and steeping myself in horses and dogs since I was 7 reading Black Beauty. I had been riding "problem horses" at an hourly "rent a horse" trail ride barn
while a teenager and was deep into the Walter Farley and Marguerite Henry philosophy of horses for years.
Lady was the daughter of Marilyn Miles' stallion Rocket, and Quiimmaa. She was born with only one working eye, and was described as "blemished", but that was a minor disability for us. We were a team from the start. Sandy Zeh Miller introduced me to Marilyn and other club members and within a couple of years, I joined the club. I got interested in competitive trail riding -I'd had a rather negative experience with showing - and Lady and I decided to try it. With experienced club members to advise me, we managed to do very well in the rides I was able to get to.
When Lady died at the age of 25, it was a blow I found it hard to recover from. I almost felt like dropping out of horses altogether!
Fairy and Rimfyre have tried hard to convince me that they can fill the void, and I have hung in there for them.
They are like my children -- I have raised and trained them from birth. But Lady was my partner. I'll always miss her...
My younger sister had to find a place for her Connemara/Arab mare when she moved to Pennsylvania and her resultant solid bay filly out of a local Arab stallion is my now 21 year old Fairy.
20 year old Rimfyre is Lady's chestnut son out of an Arab stallion near Unadilla.
Shiloh, a 21 year old pinto Arab/Saddlebred cross gelding, was rescued 3
years ago from 7 years in a straight stall. He has been gamed and needs
work, but is very kind and gentle-- a people horse. He is fun to ride, and
can be a handful, but is so affectionate he's hard to resist!
Our most recent arrival is Rosey - a 21 year old former show chestnut
American Saddlebred mare who had after producing 7 or 8 foals failed to
breed and was left out to starve. Her friend, Chris, asked for help to
rescue her and my partner, Dan, and I agreed to help. She is very arthritic
and broken down in the rear, but such a kind and willing lady we cant' help but try hard to help her get better. Any donations for her care are
gratefully accepted! She needs monthly custom foot care and deep bedding and senior food to help her gain weight back.
After one month of careful feeding, she is looking and feeling better but it will take time before she can go out and 'be a horse' again.
Unfortunately, they lied when they told me she was beyond breeding. She and Rimfyre are in love and he can't wait to get her into his "herd"!
This is putting a strain on my barn situation since I haven't had to keep Rim away from the others his whole life! He just can't understand why she is kept away from him!