This is Sigs Semper Fi.
This is probably the best horse I will ever own. I bought Semper from a retired veterinarian that raises and races quarter horses. I was not in the market for a horse for myself. I was looking for a husband safe horse and Doc said he had a 4 year old that was broke to ride and just as quiet and willing as could be. I had been to Doc's place several times and remembered seeing the horse he was referring to. He was a tall, lanky tovero paint, mostly white with some speckling on his chest and a medince hat. He had a huge ugly scar on his left hind leg. He was always the horse that was pushed around and was pretty timid. He had never made it to the track, Doc didn't like him because he had a "Dur, dur da dur" attitude. I decided that we should at least go and look. I had to drag my husband out there to look at him. Doc's hired hand had been running Semper up and down hills, he was soaked with sweat, dirty from head to toe, and his mouth is red, raw and sore. He had spur tracks up and down both sides and a look of sheer terror in his eyes. We stood and talked for a couple of minutes and let him air up and then I got on. I rode him up and down the side of the barn a couple times, ask him to back etc. I just wanted to make it look like I was trying him out without really pushing him. He complied with what ever I asked but was a bundle of nerves. I felt so bad, I just wanted out of there. My husband and I get in the truck to come home and I asked him what he thought. This is my husbands exact response. "That is the f'ing ugliest horse I have ever seen and I would not be caught dead riding him." I thought that was pretty harsh. We rode the rest of the way home quiet. I thought about Semper almost non stop for about a week. I kept seeing his face and his eyes filled with confusion. I would be sitting at my desk thinking about him on the verge of tears. I felt like I had left an innocent child in an abusive situation. Without saying a word to hubby, I called Doc and asked if we could make a deal for the horse. He was pretty shocked. He is an old hand and saw right through my "pretending to try him out". He listened to my offer and accepted it without hesitation. Now I had to come up with a logical explanation to hubby why I bought this horse. The bottom line was I felt sorry for him and my heart ruled over my brains.
From the day I brought him home I have always felt confident that I did the right thing. I bought him for myself. I don't like to sharing my horse and after hubbys comment about never riding him, I figured this was the horse for me. Semper stands 16 hands and at his best weight is probably around 1200 lbs. He is conformationally correct and all the pieces flow together just right. In his foal picture he is all white with brown ears. As he ages he gets more and more color. His breeding isn't anything spectacular, you can check it out on at http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/sigs+semper+fi Semper has turned into a steady companion with a huge heart, a willing attitude and more than enough athletic ability to take me anywhere I want to go. He is one of the kindest and most social animals I have ever owned. He is respectful of your boundaries and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. I have taken him trail riding, sorted cattle on him and whatever I put in front of him, he takes it all in stride. I had been dabbling with the idea of showing again but never really got serious about it till about a year ago. I sent Semper off to a reining trainer. I knew she had her doubts on whether or not he would make it. His age, size and laid back personality didn't impress her. After a few months she told me that he was coming along beautifully and that she really liked him. He was easy to train, had tons of try and wanted to please. Great combination. He is coming 11 this year. We will be starting our reining career in the "green as grass" or as I like to call it the "dumb as dirt" class. I take reining lessons every Wednesday and will be posting about what we learn on Thursday mornings.
Come along with us on our journey.
Good luck with your endeavors with Semper...you and him sound like a great match and you did the right thing by bring him home! I'll try to keep track of your progress with your reining.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it just works that way...they get stuck in your head. Had an old red roan wallker pull that on me. I saw the ad and a week later had to go see him. He came home with us. Best $250 we ever spent. We kept him until he had to be put down. He could gear up for a top rider and plod for a beginner. A grand old man.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful horse!
ReplyDeleteMy girl pulled the same trick (She is in my profile picture)! She was going to auction on the weekend and her owner was a coworker of my moms. My mom sent me pictures... I fell in love! Pure black (although I never wanted a black horse) 2 year old Percheron x Quarter Horse, wasn't trained and lightly handled. Went to see her, she was pittyful, alone in her small paddock, shivering in the cold spring rain, getting most of her hay stolen by cows, she was thin, vitamin deprived and disrespectful. The first thing she did when I got in the paddock to have a better look was to kick out at me... but I couldn't bare the thought of seeing her go somewhere else (she was going to a cattle auction... probably wouldn't have made it passed the meat truck). She was well put together, but you couldn't see it, the outside was so ugly. Fortunately, I rehabbed her and trained her, got her feet trimmed (I'm a barefoot trimmer) and now, she is the best trail partner I could ever want, she goes through anything, she is beautiful today, I get remarks all the time, even if I am riding with the flashiest horse, they always comment on the black horse. Somehow, she spoke to me that day, when I saw her... she was unhappy, I could tell. It's been a year and a half and her basic training is complete, she is 99% spook-proof, light and collected. I love her to death and will never sell her no matter what! Even if it means sleeping in the barn with her and eating plain spaghetti.
Horses can really pull at your heart strings. Glad do hear you found a good one. I always joke with my husband that Semper is going to be buried between up when we go!
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