Starwars...

Starwars was one of those horses that come along and completely change your life. 
He was there for me through so many ups and downs. 
Life without him still seems unimaginable.

I learned so much from owning him, loving him, 
and then loosing him that I will always be thankful for the time we had together. 

            

Cinderella's Slipper...

One of the first things I realized when I got Sky was that saddle fitting would be incredibly important. It's important for any horse, of course, but Sky had a unique shape and already showed signs of being uncomfortable, including a large raised area of scar tissue along his withers most likely caused by an ill fitting saddle. He's croup high (one of these days I'll get him on level ground and measure at his withers and at his butt to see the difference) and the definition from the scar tissue at his withers gives him a sharp curve making him look positively sway backed at times. Saddle fit is also something I feel I'm more consciousness and worried about as a larger rider. I know I'm not as balanced as some (working on it!) so I want to make sure I have the best fit possible to keep a horse working comfortably. 

Luke Skywalker...

I found Sky on August 25th 2015 after getting back from celebrating my twenty fifth birthday in Seattle.  That Monday morning I got into to work, settled at my desk, fixed my coffee, and browsed Facebook until time to clock in. While scrolling through the posts I saw a sale ad featuring an Appaloosa. All the ad said was "16.2, nine year old, Percheron/Appaloosa gelding". The video showed he was forward and more horse than I had ridden in the past. But there was something about him. 

I had to find out more. So I shared the ad, tagged my mother on the post, and messaged the seller. While thinking he was most likely out of my price range or already sold.