A CHRISTMAS PONY

                                     
(Dedicated to Sandy Adams and Mary Shappee horse trainers extraordinaire)         

Don’t we all remember our first Pony!!! Of course we do, and especially our family remembers with great love and affection, our pony “Oatsie Daisy”.

There was a little girl, age 7, who wanted a Morgan horse, but her Mama only had $300.00 for a pony. The girl was really a little too small for a big horse anyway, her Mama told her. It was a little before Christmas, and typical for the Mama – she decided on a whim to buy her youngest daughter "K", for that is the child’s name, a pony. 

Sandy Adams and Mary Shappee the riding instructors searched the classifieds, made phone calls, and who know what other resources they had for a pony. I got “the” call with the news they had found what they thought was a suitable pony to go and see.

On a very cold, Oklahoma winters day, we three bundled up and loaded into Mary’s old truck pulling an older trailer behind us. I can’t remember how far we had to drive, but we had a great road trip to see this promising pony. We got out of the truck and of course, the old guy didn’t have the pony up for us. I remember he went out to the pasture to bring her in. I can still see the man’s silhouette in my mind, with the pony coming along beside him.

My first impression was what a weird color!!! I had never seen a dun colored pony with a dorsal stripe and primitive leg markings before. And she had a very large, almost deformed wither. But that face! What an adorable pony, cute and friendly, with large, large velvety brown eyes. But the thing that stood out for me was her wild, untamed mane! The wild, untamed look reminded me
of my "K" – who had more joie de vivre than most, and who was a very animated child!

If I remember correctly, Sandy was awarded the honor of riding the pony first. Sandy, being a petite, pixie of a woman, was small and didn’t look like a giant riding the small pony! That pony briskly trotted around, just like a merry legs!

The pony was pronounced to be a winner by Sandy and Mary, and then the dealing began!!! I think the man was asking $400.00 for the Pony. I had only $300.00 for the pony. If I had been alone, I probably would have gone home with an empty trailer, not being much of a horse trader. But as luck would have it, Sandy and Mary practically had the man crying! The story they told was so moving, even I had tears in my eyes. How Christmas would be ruined for a little girl who would wake up Christmas morning and no pony in the stall! How the little girl was at home right now pleading with Santa and the Baby Jesus to bring her her heart’s desire - which apparently was the dun pony now standing before us.

The story sunk in. To his credit, the man didn’t have the heart to ruin a child’s Christmas, so I bought this awesome (and we didn’t know then how awesome) quirky Dun pony for $300.00. Another horse bargain!

The day or so before Christmas, "K" went for a lesson and was told to saddle up the pony. All the kids at the barn thought it was Mary’s new lesson pony. After the lesson, while "K" was still on the pony, we asked her if she’d like her Christmas present early. DUH!! Yes she excitedly said. And we told her, YOU’RE ON IT!!! "K" was one happy girl.  The beautiful blue halter for the pony matched "K"'s blue hooded zipped jacket.

 Due to Oatsie Daisy’s weird wither, she was a Saddleseat pony extraordinaire – picking up her feet and moving on like a saddle horse! Oatsie also rode hunter, jumped and was a good trail pony. "K" learned to ride on Oatsie Daisy and rode and showed that marvelous pony for many years - that is, until she got too big for the pony!

Later, Mary bought Oatsie Daisy for a lesson pony and Oatsie lived the rest of her life at the stable. Oatsie provided many children with a safe, stylish, obedient pony- not often found in the world of ponies.    I still have "K"'s and Oatsie’s 8 x 10 portrait on my dresser with a large piece of Oatsies’ mane draped over it. She was a once in a lifetime pony and we were lucky to have her in our lives.
Rest in peace precious Oatsie Daisy, the memories remain.