I was optimistic, because I didn't know any better. Rocket and I entered the arena with about 30 other kids and horses. I don't know how the 4-H Horse Project is in your area these days, but back then in these parts, it was a big deal.

Poor Rocket's little mind was blown by the unfamiliar situation, and I could barely control her. Of course, we ended up near the bottom of the white ribbon group. I felt so humiliated. No, I didn't blame the horse; I could see that we had been unprepared.

Did that horrible experience make me want to quit? NO! I wanted to do it again and to do better the next time!

My parents decided to get me more help. I don't know why they didn't think of getting me riding lessons, but my guess is that they thought they couldn't afford it. I know now that it was a struggle for Daddy to come up with the money even to keep my horses with feed and hay on his blue collar income.

Their solution was to join the local saddle club. The saddle club had weekly playnights at its arena where the members brought their horses, rode together, and had some fun. I enjoyed that so much!

The saddle club put on a couple of shows each year, and it also belonged to an area association of clubs and as a member of the club, I was eligible to show in the other association shows as well.

Dad managed to buy a horse trailer of the old bumper pull straight load variety that was typical of the era, and throughout the spring and summer, we went to a horse show almost every Saturday and Sunday.

I continued to have problems with Rocket. Again, I have to confess that I understand NOW that I was her problem, that the horse herself wasn't that bad.

You see, back then, in the 60's, information about horse training and horseback riding just wasn't as available as it is now. Our major source of information outside of 4-H or saddle club was magazines such as Western Horseman.

I think if I could have had instruction along the lines of classical dressage, that it would have been enormously helpful, but in Manhattan, Kansas, back then, who had ever heard of such a thing? (We didn't even get our first Hunt Seat advocate until the late 60's.)

I remember one horse training book that made a tremendous, life-changing difference for me, and I'll go into detail about it a little later.

Well, that's all I have time to write for now, so I will pick this up later this evening.