I Wish My Horse’s Mentor Could Be…

Chics Smart Lena, H&R’s January 2017 We’d Love to Own horse. I think my Quarter Horse mare, Danielle, could pick up how to do a sliding stop.

SUNSHINE STROUSE, Missouri

Ronteza. In 1961, Sheila Varian’s legendary Arabian mare beat out all the Quarter Horses at California’s Cow Palace, the most prestigious reined cow horse championship of the day. My Half-Arabian mare is “cow-y,” but she could learn a lot from Ronteza.

AMELIA SORENSEN, Massachusetts 

Chocolatey. I’d love for my Western-pleasure-bred Appaloosa gelding to move like this beautiful stallion, a National Snaffle Bit
Association champion.

MARIE GONSALVES, Michigan

Goldie. I was inspired by Arthur Godfrey’s horse back in the 1950s, when I saw him perform tricks on Arthur’s show. I teach my mare tricks—she already bows, rings a bell, picks up each foot on command.

BRENDA NUTTER, Texas

Baby Flo. An amazing horse. She’s been around rodeo a while and knows how it goes.

ANGELIA TUOMINEN, Virginia

Invitation Only. He’s my Quarter Horse mare’s grandsire, and one of the most beautiful stallions I’ve ever seen. I’d love for Bea to move and carry her head the way he does.

BLAISE RUNYON, Ohio

Cortes C, Beezie Madden’s fabulous show jumper. Owen, the gelding I ride, could benefit from being exposed to that jumping ability…and it wouldn’t hurt for him also to pick up some manners.

ELIZABETH WEADICK, Illinois

Baby Flo! Fallon Taylor has done an amazing job training her, and both Fallon and her mare pour their hearts into running the pattern. If only my barrel prospect, Risk, and I could perform half as well as they do.

TESSA HARKEMA, Ontario, Canada

Baby Flo, Fallon Taylor’s horse. Fallon is my barrel-racing idol.

AUBREY MINICH, Pennsylvania

Maximus, from the movie Tangled. He’s all horse, with some canine begging/hunting instincts, plus a human’s no-nonsense wit. My Appaloosa gelding, Leroy, already watches and follows what a human does through ground-pole obstacles. Maximus would get him even more clued in.

JANET PODOJIL, Ohio

Mr. Ed. It might make my gelding a brilliant conversationalist. We could just walk and talk along the trails.

ANN CONAWAY, Texas