Happy Birthday!

photo taken by Susan Deboer

Nearly 8 years ago, I met a brazen little filly in a pasture full of mares and foals. She was 2 or 3 months old, and marched right up to the humans walking around the field, her dam out of sight on the other side of a hill.

She had no cares of where her mother was in her state of curiosity. The people were much more interesting and knew all of the right places to scratch. She continued to follow us as we met each mare and foal pair and until we left the pasture.

I received updates from her breeder throughout the year in stories and pictures, and we met again at the horse expo. She'd grown out of her curly buffalo coat, her ugly duckling phase, and for the first time away from her place of birth - she was mellow as can be. While I thought the little filly I met a year before was cute, I fell in love with the yearling in front of me.

photo taken by Susan Deboer

Some months past, fall came, we met again at the farm she was born at. I hadn't been able to shake her since seeing how lovely she was in such a chaotic environment.

And then more photos came.

photo taken by Susan DeBoer

And I was sold.

And the little mare came to live with us at the end of November, 2003.

And now, 6 1/2 years later, she turns 8 on this day. She's all grown up and has her first REAL show season this year!

love my Cholula Mae.

(photos taken last spring/summer)