December 2000
Dear Ms. Gina,
You haven't met me, but my name is Allemande, and I'm seven years old. I
know about you because my Mom, Marti Steussy, leaves me and goes to Georgia to
visit you sometimes. My pasture buddies tell me that the first time she
went was two years ago, before she even met me. They say that before she
went to see you, it was hard to carry her because she sat crooked. Now
she sits straight, which makes it a lot easier for a 15.1 Morgan to carry her
in a straight line.
This summer, a couple of months after she bought me, she went to see you again.
She wanted to know if it was OK to let ME carry the bit, instead of fussing and
pulling at the reins. You said "yes," and had her practice
sitting very nice and tall and keeping her hind legs under her to make it easy
for me to lift my back. I have a big head and a wide jowl, and before she
got me I was used to balancing myself by holding my head very high. When
people tried to pull my nose down, I looked all crammed up and ugly. It's
taken me a while to develop the new muscles, but now I hold my neck lower and
stretch through my topline, and everybody says how cute and classy "that
little black horse" looks. And since I have a sensitive mouth,
I really like being allowed to choose a light contact, and being stopped by
what Mom does with her seat instead of having her pull on the reins.
This fall Mom made ANOTHER trip to see you. (I guess it was a present
from that guy she's married to. I met him once the night before she
bought me, and he seemed pretty nice.) Before she went, she was slowing
me down because when she sat so tall, her back would get kinda stiff. You
must have done some very good schooling with her, because now she's losgelassen
and moves right along with me, and is even starting to use her back for some
impulsion. Also, somebody tipped her off that she can steer me just by
how she puts her weight! I wanted to thank you for that. It is so
nice when what my rider's body tells me to do is the same as what she actually
wants!
The only thing that worries me a little is that you've got her riding so well
that she gets invited to ride bigger fancier horses, but she says I'm the
lightest and most correct, even though I don't know a lot of fancy moves yet.
I think that's because you showed her how to do things right. Thank you!
Gratefully yours,
Allemande
Zionsville, Indiana
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