Old Rock, Bonnie, and Maud

Old Rock was my mom’s horse that her dad gave her when she got married. He was probably about six or seven then and by the that time I was four or five. I, along with my siblings and the neighbor kids, were his best friends. As many as could get on him did. If someone slid off the "back seat", he would stop to let them back on. He could do several paces. One was the single-foot. Whatever he did, he was easy riding and was very gentle and just let us saddle and bridle him without jerking around (like Daisy!). He was broke to pull a buggy single or double. We rode him to school some. I vividly recall once that school let out a little early as there was a storm coming up. I was riding Rock and I gave him the reigns and a gitty-up and he ran FAST so we made it through the east barn door JUST as a great big clap of thunder sounded and it began to pour buckets. I didn't even get wet!

Bonnie was Chauncey’s riding horse. She was a bay color and well broke although she could get scared. After Chauncey left home, we younger kids claimed Bonnie. I rode her to high school some. There was a livery stable close to the school. I would have to go during the noon hour to feed and water her. We carried a sack of oats over the saddle horn or behind the saddle. Our lunch on those days was wrapped in a sheet of newspaper and tied with string and was carried along with books in the saddle bag. On walk-to-school days we had a dinner pail. Quite often that was a syrup pail, not a regular lunch bucket or pail. I remember preferring the newspaper instead of a pail because I didn't have to carry it back home that evening.

Howard had a pony named Maud. She was a bay and a stepper. When I was about 11, I was visiting at my Aunt Blanche and Uncle Roy's, who lived about eight miles from us. It was time for me to go home (I believe I was getting a little homesick…). Anyway, the day that someone was to come after me, it had rained, so Howard came after me on Maud. I rode behind the saddle. It seemed quite a long trek. The sun came out and we made it home without a hitch. The best part of it all was getting home and, when I went in the house, Mom was down on her knees cleaning the floor so I got a big hug and felt a safe, warm feeling that  "Be It Ever So Humble, There's  No Place Like Home".

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