My Fire Cracker

by Rachel
(Salem, Mo. USA)

My sister was looking for a young horse to buy cheap and train so she posted an ad on the internet. Someone replied to her ad and said they had a sorrel grade filly. She was only 13 hands tall and too small for my sister. At the time I was 12 and she was 16. So mom called them and finally they agreed that they would trade the filly for 3 old Bosten Terriers that we were trying to find homes for. Mom decided if we got her she would be my younger brothers horse. We went and looked at her and while we were there the guy said if she didn't sell soon he was sending her to the auction. She was 2 years old and her mane and tail (or what was left of them) was covered in cockle burrs. Both her mane and her tail were trimmed very short to get rid of most of the cockle burrs. She was terrified of pavement as when someone had given her to them and they were unloading her she had slipped and fell coming out of the trailer which they had parked on pavement. They said she was an Arabian/Appaloosa cross. She was pretty homely and didn't seem to have much potential but since she was practicly free we got her. 6 months later my brother was riding her but after getting bucked off a few times he decided he didn't want her. I had just bought a package of licoriche and I noticed he kept eyeing it so I said kind of off hand like, you give me Canyon (which is what we decided to name her) and i'll give you 4 licoriches. Well he jumped on that deal and I had me a horse. Now at age 4 she is pretty as can be. She will walk right across pavement, tarps, ect.. no hesiation and I have brought her in fun shows, parades, on trails and just about everywhere. She is 14 hands and has a beautiful build. She is my best buddy and I wouldn't part with her for the world. I already had someone offer me $3500 for her and of course I said, No. And when I look at her I can't help thinking, they were got her for free, mom traded her for for 3 old dogs, and I traded her for 4 licoriches and now someone wants to give $3500 for her! Belive it or not there are horses out there that nobody wants that are just as good as horses with papers and the professional ropers, and the whole nine yards.