| JUMP INTO SPRING CONTEST......
Congratulations to Sharon Anderson of Tennessee, winner of our 2011 Jump Into Spring contest! Sharon has won a TheHorseStudio Masters line bridle, the Renoir.
Here is her super story entitled ' Sacrifice of the Fatted Calf.' It'll bring tears to your eyes, very touching and eloquently written.
I've ridden, owned and shown horses, since the age of 7...(I'm 55, now). My family consisted of 7...mom, dad, 3 brothers, a sister and me. I'm the "baby girl". I lived in South Alabama, and was part of the generation, where Mom stayed at home and Daddy worked. She would can vegetables, sew our clothes, cut our hair, etc, while my Daddy worked as an electrician, wherever he could find work. Looking back, some might say we were poor in some ways, but always had enough to eat, a roof over our head and clothes to wear. We always kept a milk cow or two, raised a hog for pork and a calf for the freezer. From the time of learning to talk, I wanted a horse. Of course, the programs back then, were Roy Rogers, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, My Friend, Flicka, Lassie and so many others that featured animals throughout the episodes. Animals were my closest friends and the horse was the one that I wanted most, to be my "best friend". When my dad sometimes had to travel out of the state for work, as a toddler, I would always ask him to bring me "a Sugar Daddy and a horse" back for my "gift" on his return! I've often found it strange that my siblings never found horses to be as magical as I did. I was the only one that had that deep, need and yearning, to touch, smell, ride, bond with, that wonderful creation called the "horse". I had always been very close to my dad...he was 55 when I was born and I was always in his "back pocket"! Although gruff and very hard nosed on the outside, he had a soft spot for me! He'd stop at neighbors, for me to be around their horses, we'd spend an extra few minutes at a cattle sale, if there was a stall with a horse thrown into the mix. He'd marvel with me at Roy Rogers' Trigger. He'd talk about work horses that he grew up with...all the time, adding "fuel to the fire" of my dream! I asked for a horse of my own until the age of seven, not knowing that money in our household went for utilities, groceries, doctor visits (when needed) and that money wasn't for the "luxury" of owning a horse. One day, while listening to a local AM radio program "The Trading Post", there was an individual that had a grade mare for sale. Healthy, kid safe, dead broke, 15 years old, $150.00. This was the one! I begged my dad to go look at her, but he wasn't able to for about 3 weeks due to his work schedule. When we finally called to plan our visit, it wasn't just the mare anymore, she had given birth to a beautiful little filly...that had not been mentioned. We drove down to look at the pair. The mare was everything described and more...she was a dark sorrel, with a blaze and 2 white socks on the back. Soooo gentle, letting me go into the stall with her and the new baby, never spooked, never backing away, but always watching with those beautiful brown, calm, trusting, loving eyes. When it was time to go, I saw my daddy shake hands with the owner. He explained as we left, that we were going to buy the pair and that the man would deliver them the next day (we had no trailer). I couldn't sleep that night and from that day on, I've never lived a day of my life without having a horse with me. "Tammy" was my best friend and lived on our farm until her death at the age of 25. Sweet memories of her are never far from my mind and the secrets we shared, the miles we traveled are the best in my life. Her foal, "Owassa" was my first attempt at training...I rode her for years, she also stayed on the farm until her death at the age of 24.
It was years later that I found that my dad couldn't afford the $150.00 for the mare and foal. He'd made other arrangements with the owner. We had raised a fine, Charolais bull for the freezer for the year. He was healthy, filled out and ready to contribute to our family's needs. My daddy traded that bull for my "dream"...I've never forgotten that gesture and I never will. My dad died a few years ago at the age of 95. He never failed to encourage my riding...he would take time to cheer me on at every local saddle club show, brag about me to his friends, take plenty of pictures when I rode in parades. I know that because of him and my mom, I have my life, but because of him and his selfless sacrifice of the "fatted calf", I've shared it with the most special of all breathing things, the horse.
As for advice for buying that special equine...Listen to your heart, trust your instincts and do both honestly and with committment...the choice to make will become clear.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my experience with the two first loves of my life...my daddy and the horse!
Here is a photo of Sharon's dad Lonnie Baggett, taken around 1979 and Sharon's eldest son. The horse shown here is a quarter horse that I owned for 22 years.
What is Sharon up to now?
During the course of my life, I've shown walking horses, timed event quarter horses, participated in western/english pleasure classes and halter.
For the last few years, however, we've "advanced" to gaited mules. We now trail ride and show our mules all over the southeast. We also have a beautiful team of Haflinger mares that we use for wagon excursions!!
We have a 40 acre hay production farm here in East Tennessee, near the beautiful Smoky Mountains, where my husband and I are owned by 3 mules, 2 Haflingers, 2 Boxers, 7 cats, 6 peafowl, 16 guineas, 20 laying hens, 3 goats and a donkey!! My husband's retired from GM and I have a studio (Magical Mule Folk Art Studio) here at our farm, where I paint on a daily basis...wood, canvas, jewelry, ornaments...anything that is still long enough will end up with acrylic paint on it!! I've painted for 25 years and my theme usually involves horses or wildlife! I'm very honored to mention that I've recently been chosen as a winner in a National Art Competition, hosted by The Trail of Painted Ponies...my entry "Tumblin' Tumbleweeds" won in the category, "American Country". I still respect the simple things in life and strive to invite other folks to do the same!! Here's the news on last years winners of our 2010 Jump Into Spring contest.
Congratulations to all our winners! We thank everyone for their entries too - it was a tough choice. 
Tammy Sinnett of IL is the winner of our 1st prize, the beautiful black and white leather The Horse Studio line, Degas snaffle bridle.
Here is Tammy's winning story: When I Fell in Love with Horses. A great mixture of horse rescue and emotion, realized dreams and lovely writing style. It brought tears to our eyes!
Waking up in the morning to birds chirping, horse hoofs pounding the ground outside and whinnies is an addiction. I can’t tell you the exact day that I fell in love with horses I can only tell you the day I fell unconditionally head over heels with a special one. It was 8 years ago August. My husband had sold all his horses the year before, our farm was not the same . The sound of the horses in the morning had been greatly missed by me. Being my Birthday month I shocked everyone in saying I wanted a horse. This is when the search began. I had heard so much about off the track Thoroughbreds and decided this is where my search would start. Through Canter I met a wonderful woman that came to know me and learn just what I was looking for. I will never forget that phone call about a beautiful stallion, his father of great blood. He was dark bay almost black one small white star on his forehead. That 3 hour drive was a nervous time for me, I knew a stallion was really not what I was looking for. But it happened that day , not when I walked in the barn and looked in his stall, not when I walked him out of the barn to check out his muscular body, But when I took him back to his stall. I took his halter off hung it up and went to walk away thinking he was too much horse. Then it happened his eyes met mine and both of our inner pain bounded together as two in love. His deep brown eyes sunk right in the bottom of my heart. I got in the car and drove away, everyone said he was to much horse for me and to keep looking. Not until two days later when his eyes kept haunting me did I decide he is what I wanted. That phone call to tell me he was gone broke my heart, I cried that night wondering if he would find the love I could give him. On August 4, 2002 at 7 am in the morning the phone rang… “ he is yours if you want him, the sale fell through, but he has to be out today” Ten o’clock that night when that big horse trailer came down our drive I knew my life was about to change. When they unloaded the love of my life I realized he was the horse I had dreamt of so many times as a young girl. Eight years later, I share this feeling with him still. I wake up to hear his hooves pounding on the ground outside by bedroom window, and his whinnies accompany his sons to tell me it is time for breakfast. I love this horse , he is my whole world. He has given me so many wonderful days. Thank you Summit Climber love you Always. Here are some super photos of Summit Climber and Tammy's comments on winning. I am so excited!! Thank you so much. I love my boy more than anything...he will always be my partner in life. Here are pics of my boy he deserves all the credit I only write what he gave me-- a lifetime of love.  
 Kyley DiLuigi of Downington, PA is the winner of our 2nd prize, the new DVD from trick trainer and horse master Allen Pogue and his partner Sue De Laurentis from Imagine A Horse. Using Treats as a Training Tool.
Here is Kyley's story When I Fell in Love with Horses, My Little Chincoteague Pony. The wonderful account of how Minnow and Kyley met and developed their relationship through trick training is testament to the power of trust. My Little Chincoteague Pony
I’ve been involved with horses since the day I was born, but I didn’t really fall in love with them until I was 18 and Chincoteague Minnow came into my life. He was a short, rotund Chincoteague pony that started his life as a wild pony on Assateague Island. I didn’t know much about him except for the fact that an owner in his past had neglected him and his care for several months, and I quickly found that he had deep trust issues as well as a nasty buck.
For two years Minnow and I battled to gain an understanding of each other. He constantly ran away with me and wanted nothing to do with me. He ignored scary situations and refused to confront anything he felt threatened by. But I loved him anyway and I refused to give up on him.
It wasn’t until a simple book came into my life that things began to change. Trickonometry by Carole Fletcher was a book that detailed a multitude of tricks to teach your horse. As I taught Minnow his very first trick, to give me a kiss, something began to happen. Minnow began to light up as he discovered what it meant to learn. We flew through the book as he learned to play fetch, shake hands, and even bow. Minnow and I were now communicating and understanding each other.
A year passed and I could barely recognize him as the pony that had appeared in my life 3 years earlier. He was bright eyed and excited for my daily visits to see him. He no longer ran away with me and most importantly we were a team. Minnow had showed me how to teach him and in doing so we opened up a whole door to the world of horse training. And I loved him more every day.
Minnow is now an accomplished trick pony as well as an exceptional riding pony. As he now enters into the retirement phase of his life we enjoy spending time together even more. I have him to thank for my love of horses, although I can be sure that I will never love another horse the way I love him.
Here are some super photos of Chincoteague Minnow. He is famous as a 'painting pony' and Kyley's comments on winning. Thanks so much!
Attached are two photos of me with Chincoteague Minnow. The one is Minnow shaking hands in 2005 when had just begun learning tricks. The other photo is of Minnow and I in 2009 on Chincoteague Island. Minnow was invited to perform tricks and paint (his now favorite thing to do in retirement) during the annual Pony Penning Swim.
Thanks again, I can't wait to read all the other entries.  
On a side note we stock all of Carole Fletchers DVDs and books on trick training.
Vicki Cornell ( Lyn Chapman) of Sussex, NJ is the winner of our 3rd prize, the black leather leadshank from The Horse Studio line. Here is Vicki's story When I Fell in Love with Horses. We particularly loved the line "e; She was probably the slowest and oldest lesson horse at the farm, but to a 5 year old girl she was a magnificent steed, ready to take me away on wild adventures."
Haven't we all felt that way. We were also sorry to hear of the loss of the good friend that introduced Vicki to horses all those years ago and of the pony too, but glad that Vicki has gone on to embrace all things horses!
At age 5, there are few things I remember with much detail. But one October day, shortly after starting the first grade, a new friend asked if I would take a riding lesson with her. I had never done much more than pet a carriage horse's nose, but the idea seemed like fun, and so off I went with my friend and my mom, to a half-hour experience that would change my life forever.
We drove down the long gravel drive and I remember the smell of grass and hay and horse - a smell that, most horse lovers will agree, is still a favorite today. The was a pony waiting for me as I pulled on the red cowgirl boots my father had picked out for me. The pony, Palm, was a 12 hand Pony of the Americas, a dark roan with a big belly, a big white star and kind eyes. She turned her head and nuzzled me with a "let's go!" attitude, or so it seemed to me. She was probably the slowest and oldest lesson horse at the farm, but to a 5 year old girl she was a magnificent steed, ready to take me away on wild adventures.
My 1st riding lesson felt like slow-motion. 30 years later, I vividly remember sitting on Palm's back and wondering why in the world I hadn't done this sooner!
Palm has since moved on to a better place, and there have been hundreds of horses in my life. I have trained, taught, worked at stables, guided trail rides, and competed; and now, with a human family of my own, I still have horses and ride when I can. Horses will be with me forever: they are my solace and my inspiration; and I can thank my friend and that one first ride on Palm - both are long gone but the memory has shaped this horsewoman's life.  
Vicki & family with Booboo, Zykar & Disney. Vicki riding Palm
Vicki riding Mandy
 Kris Piel of Gummi, IL is the winner of our surprise prize, one of TheHorseStudio.com exclusives, the Gustav Steinbrecht design long sleeve T-Shirt.
Here is Kris's story When I Fell in Love with Horses. The Horse Studio Team particularly admired Kris's persistence in working with her horse and seeing the diamond in the rough. We're sorry Kris experienced negative comments from judges and other competitors on her horse when showing, that's unforgivable. But so glad that Kris has overcome all obstacles to stay with Daisy and to appreciate the gift that she is in her life. This may not be the first time I fell in love with horses, but it's the first time I fell in love with a horse in particular.
I've always loved horses. I rode hunter/jumper when I was younger, took a break for several years, then decided one day about 15 years after stopping before that I was going to start taking lessons again. Deciding that jumping wasn't for me anymore, I started dabbling in dressage and quickly gained a huge amount of respect for people who could have such a strong partnership with a horse. I knew that I had to form that bond with a horse of my own. I bought my first horse and started training, but the bond just wasn't forming. We tried and tried, but we just didn't click, so my trainer and I decided that we would look for something else. We searched online and found several prospects, but each was ruled out due to one reason or another. One February morning, though, we headed up to Wisconsin-it was so cold outside that it was a wonder that the horses' hooves weren't frozen to the ground (a lot of them stood there like they were, though!). We drove up a long driveway, passing several handsome looking animals along the way, and I eagerly anticipated what looked to be like a cute little mare for sale on a well known web site. We found the owner and she walked us out to a far pasture where she called out to Daisy. The hairy beast came moseying up to us. I thought at first it must be a large mountain goat, but no-it was the mare we had looked at online! She was out of shape, her tummy enlarged from having her only foal within the past year, and poor muscle tone. She was out to pasture for a long time and the owner had been using her for trail rides about once every three months or so. I was less than thrilled, but we had driven over an hour to get up there to see her, so we gave her a try. The owner rode first-my trainer and I were both surprised at how lovely her movements were! The trainer rode second, then she came to me and told me that I needed to try her out. I hopped on and, again, was a little less than thrilled with how she felt, but the sweet look on her face and the way she nudged me with her muzzle, I couldn't say no.
The giant fluff ball was delivered the next weekend. She adapted quickly to her new surroundings and it only took a few days before we were starting to work. She muscled up and I lost weight. She became more balanced and I became a better rider. We grew together and became the team effort that I had wanted from the beginning! She has lovely movements that get better and better each time I ride her and I know that I'm becoming a better rider because of her. I'd like to say that she's forgiving and sweet and never does anything bad, but it's quite the opposite: She can be a sweetheart, but she has a temper and it can be difficult to put her in her place sometimes. Once, she was in such a rotten mood that she reached around and bit me on my butt-it was in the wintertime so I had thick jeans on fortunately, but somehow she broke the skin without ruining the jeans and I couldn't sit for at least 5 days. As harsh as that sounds, those are the things that make me really appreciate her! Daisy has taught me to be a better rider and a better horsewoman. She didn't develop her muscles too well before we started showing in Intro levels to get her used to the show scene. At one show, someone came up to me and said, "Oh! How cute! Is she in foal?" To which I responded, "No, she's just fat." (I think I embarrassed that lady....) Another show, we arrived the day before the show so we could practice in the arena. The judge was already there and was surveying the grounds before the show the next day. We walked down, Daisy just off the trailer and not tacked up, and he, in a nice way, laughingly asked "What's THAT?" and pointed to Daisy. We all laughed it off and Daisy went on to get the second highest score of the entire show the next day. (Someone beat us out by 0.2 points late in the day-ugh!!)
We have our ups and downs, but almost every day always ends on an up and I couldn't be happier with my horse! I'm so glad I found her and now I'm very happy to say that even though we're still only (probably) beginning First Level this year, I have my partner. She went from giant hairball to (almost) elegant dressage horse over the course of a few years, and I went from a timid and overall not very good rider, to something at least somewhat respectable. Training together and growing together has made all the difference in the world and I wouldn't have it any other way :) Here are some wonderful photos of Kris and Daisy.   
Jump Into Spring Sweepstakes Rules: Limit one entry per customer. Entrants must be registered users of TheHorseStudio.com website, must be over 18 years of age and must be a legal resident of the U.S.A. and may not be employed by The Horse Studio Inc., its divisions, owners or directors. Value of prizes is MSRP value as noted on TheHorseStudio.com website. Prizes may not be substituted for cash or for other products by recipients. Prizes may be substituted for an item of similar value in the case of availability issue by The Horse Studio Inc. without prior notification. Competition is void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified via email and agree to provide a copyright release of their entry for any and all use promotional and otherwise by TheHorseStudio.com in perpetuity without remuneration. Sweepstakes are conducted in accordance with the laws of New York State. Prizes will be shipped free of charge to USA addresses only. Competition begins April 15th, 2011 and ends midnight EST June 30th, 2011. Winners will be voted on by TheHorseStudio.com Team without prejudice and all decisions are final. Look for more customer loyalty and open sweepstakes competitions coming soon!"
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