A familiar face

I have never learned as much about horses as I did the summer of 2005. I was riding with a trainer in Germany, Martin, who taught me the basics of all horse training and everything I know today. He taught me about horse shows when I got to go with him and his team to my first real big show, the European championships. He taught me the importance of having a horse with heart when he let me ride his own favorite horse Lemon Starlight.

If anyone has taught me more about riding than Martin its Lemon. I have never ridden a horse with a bigger heart than him, he would do anything you asked from him, walk through fire if he had to. I spend that whole summer with Lemon and Martin, learning more and more by each day.

But the summer came to an end and I had to go home to Sweden, hoping Lemon would still be there when I returned later that fall.

Lemon had been for sale and of course I wanted nothing more than to take him home with me! Unfortunately that was not possible, but Lemon did end up with a new owner in Sweden. A youth rider up here bought him as her new show horse. The Lemon I knew was gone and was now a completely new horse. The new owner pushed him too hard and Lemon was not a horse that handled stress very well, he started to do bad in the show ring and got a reputation as a pretty but useless horse.

I moved to the states and then later to Germany, getting news from home every now and then that Lemon was for sale or that he had a new owner. That's what happens to horses that gets missunderstood by the owner, they just get sold.

His current owner is training with Martijn who owns the barn I have my horse in and she is on vacation this month.

Imagine how surprised I looked when I came in to the barn and Lemon Starlight was standing next to my horse Grace. I hadn't seen this horse in about 5 years and here he was, My Lemon...and he looked just like he did that summer in Germany, except for a few more gray hairs.

Im sure some of you are thinking “ but horses cant remember people”, yes they can. They do. And I know he remember me, and I know he could feel that I remember him and that Iv missed him all these years.

Lemon got me to think of that summer all those years ago... life was a lot more simple then, but was it better? I dont know.. I just know how life is right now and its not that bad, its alright, and that Lemon is here. Next to Grace.

 

Lemon and Me. winter 2010

http://open.spotify.com/track/7fPdHUNZy4DEbZj3crITiz