Dallas is the most extreme horse I’ve ever met, and could be the best horse I’ll ever have.
My mother rescued Dallas when she was 10 months old. Now this little horse was the epitome of what Pat Parelli describes as, “Wild, wooly, full of fleas and never curried below the knees.” Most everyone at the boarding barn was afraid of this filly, except for mom, who immediately fell in love. Months prior, I had gotten my first horse, and had no interest in this wild young beast. Besides, I wouldn’t have known where to start with her. My mother had accompanied me to riding lessons for several years, but didn’t have much experience training her own. The phrase, “Green on green makes black and blue,” came to mind more than a few times. But somehow everything worked out . I grew and learned with my own steady-eddy partner Dixie while mom helped Dallas grow and mature into a spunky little mare.
When we moved to a different boarding facility, I had grown in the Parelli program. I was needing a horse with a bit more fire in their feet to achieve the next Level. Around this same time my mother was beginning the colt starting process with Dallas, and found we had a whole new creature on our hands. Never had we seen a horse this extreme! This little grey horse had more moves than a pound of Ex-lax, and could jump higher and buck harder than any rodeo bronc; with the stamina of an Olympian. As soon as you tightened her cinch, the show was on! Professionals would watch her in wonder, trying every trick in the book, to no avail. Some told my mother to sell her to a cowboy who would sack her out and hang her up sweaty. Of course that wasn’t an option. As soon as she mentioned the possibility of selling Dallas, I said “Ok mom, give me the horse.”
Somehow it worked. Dallas became my partner, and she’s been an absolute dream. We’ve gone to both Parelli campuses together, countless clinics, given many demos, and she’s been a rock star every time. I couldn’t have asked for a better team mate.