We've Only Just Begun
By Roxanne Runzer
I guess it was about 12 years or so ago that I saw my first
reining show. I stood there mesmerized. I knew that was what I wanted to do.
Problem was that all my friends and I were involved in showing AQHA. I had
a wonderful halter horse and a weanling futurity filly that I was showing
and buying a reiner was just not a part of the plan at the time.
Well, the years dragged on. After showing halter horses for four years, I decided that I was tired of that and wanted to try my hand at Western Pleasure. By this time, we had moved to Manitoba and I ended up in a Reiner Trainer's Barn. Problem #2. I ended up there because I bought a really nice western pleasure horse from him that he had trained before specializing in Reining. I fiddled around with this gelding for a while but didn't do much as we moved three times in the next 5 years. No reining for me just yet!
The last move brought us to Vancouver Island . I met a few people and took some lessons from a great gal. Unfortunately, the call of a cutting trainer (wink, wink) took her to California and I lost my teacher. I flailed around a while, struggling to get my horse rode while he battled the "my feet aren't used to this wet land" syndrome. I managed to get one lesson with Lynda but finally had to give up, pull his shoes and give him time off. Depression set in.
Then
one rainy, cool weekend this spring I decided I would quit moping around and
go watch lessons with Lynda. It was great to see everybody again. Lynda asked
me how my gelding was doing and in the course of the conversation, mentioned
that she had a few horses in the barn for sale. She started describing to
me a little, bay gelding that she had just gotten in for training.
I put my mittens over my ears and said, "NO! Don't tell me! My husband said I can't buy any more horses!"
But the more she talked, the more my interest peeked. I went home and told my husband about him. Of course, his first reaction was the same as all 4000 other times I had mentioned getting a new horse, but as the weeks wore on, I talked him into going over to see him. Well that's all it took! We both fell in love with the little fella, and I could see the potential he had.
First thing I did was to change his name from Larry to Mick.
Lynda fondly refers to him as MickLarry! Lynda kept him for another month
for more training and then I brought him home. It's been wonderful. Lots of
learning experiences for both of us.
And around the corner, a new adventure awaits. Soon we are moving to Alberta . I can hardly wait. I'll be sad to not have Lynda around to help me, but when I think of the number of reining trainers to choose from, I feel like a kid in a candy store. My heartfelt thanks to Lynda for talking through my mittens and telling me about Mick. I hope in the next couple of years, I can get him out to some Alberta Reining Shows and make you proud. Thanks a million!