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My Bio & Personal Horse Journey
Michelle Buegeleisen
I grew up loving horses. From the time I could walk and barely talk all I wanted to do was be near a
horse. We lived next to a ranch with hundreds of them. When I was about 4, I took my first ride on a
big bay gelding. I was hooked. To this day I remember everything about that ride, the way the sky
looked, the way the saddle felt, the way the horse smelled, and most of all how I felt sitting on top of
that amazing animal. I was also aware of how the horse was feeling. He was happy to take me for
my first ride. For the next 4 years I would collect model horses, go on every pony ride possible, look at
every pony/horse book available to me, and remind my parents on an almost daily basis that I
needed a horse of my own. My parents were not ready to let me take the plunge but they did agree to
riding lessons. I rode every Saturday for the next three years. I lived for Saturdays, I lived for the horse
shows and the trail rides. It was great fun, but I really wanted a horse of me own. Finally at age 11
my parents gave in, there was no way around it; we bought Smiley, a 10-year-old sorrel pony gelding
with a flaxen mane and tail. He was the real beginning of my obsession.
Over the next 10 years I had many horses, all ages, all breeds, mares and geldings. Any neighbor
horse that was no longer wanted or project horse that was too unruly, found its way to me. I spent
almost all of my spare time with my horses.
In my twenties my priorities started to change, getting married and having a family seemed to be the
thing to do. So I sold my horses one by one until’ I watched the last one leave. It was a pretty sad day.
Horses never left my mind. I always went out of my way to see them, touch them, smell them; it was a
lot like when I was 4 years old. I always knew I would get another horse, I just thought it would be
sooner rather than later.
It wasn’t until my mid 30’s that I would buy my first horse as an adult. Things were very different than I
remembered. FEAR. As a child, teenager, and young adult I can’t say I remember ever being afraid
of a horse for any reason. As a new horse owner in my 30’s I was afraid of everything. Irrationally
afraid. It made no sense to me. I still understood horses, loved them, knew how to care for them and
how to ride, but things still seemed very different. I felt alone and somewhat embarrassed about
what I was feeling. I spent the first few months struggling and not enjoying my horse to the degree I
had expected. I knew if I didn’t get some assistance I would give up. So I started looking on the
Internet, reading books, talking to other horse owners around my age. To my amazement people had
stories similar to mine. They grew up with horses, took a medium to long break from horses, and
then got back into them; only to find that they now had an irrational fear of the animal they once
interacted with so naturally.
I decided the best way for me to get back on track would be to start from the beginning again. I couldn’
t just pick up where I left off some 15 years earlier. I had to re learn how to be around horses in a way
that suited me now. I surrounded my self with other adults in similar situations, I found a supportive
barn to keep my horse at and I found a good trainer to help me and I began to rebuild my confidence
step by step. I explored new ways and methods of working with horses. I embraced the fact that I was
older now and a different person than the teenager who once rode with no fear. I rebuilt and am still
rebuilding everything I know about horses and how I interact with them.One of the biggest lessons
this journey has taught me is that Isolation is my enemy. Had I stayed in isolation and not reached
out for help I would have given up on my dreams of living with horses again. I discovered during this
journey that most adults reentering the Horsey world after an extended vacation are to proud or to
embarrassed to admit they are struggling.
Sometime into my rediscovery I had the opportunity to purchase a Quarter Horse named Lotta. I was
in awe of her from the moment I saw her, 15.2 hands and about 1300 lbs she was a very stout girl.
Her previous owner told me that she had foundered once a few years ago. It didn’t bother me at all, it
probably should have, but it was love at first sight, not much could have changed my mind about her.
Just to dot my I’s and cross my t’s I scheduled a vet check. I wouldn’t say she passed it with flying
colors but she mostly passed it. The vet said she was slightly lame in her left hind leg on hard
ground, sometimes. That was the most she could tell me with out x-rays, nerve blocks, etc.The
sellers let me have her on trial for one week. Lotta turned out to be as wonderful a horse as I had
imagined. She had an awesome personality. She was sound that whole week except for one
morning towards the end. It didn’t matter I was hooked; there was no going back. I paid the seller,
signed the papers and we became family. Little did I know at the time that she would teach me more
about horses than I ever thought possible.
Lotta would be a little sore some days and not at all others. I was looking forward to doing some trail
riding and her hooves were looking a bit long so I called the farrier to come and put on a new set of
shoes. Shoes were something I had always done with all my horses. The “old horse person” in me
said, horses need shoes, box stalls, blankets, alfalfa twice a day, and a myriad of supplements for
coat, hooves, and bone. Lotta had the best of everything and I felt good, unfortunately she didn’t.
Lotta was sound for a while but her mood was different. She was cranky, she didn’t want to play, and
she was dropping a little weight. I had the vet check her out and he said she was fine, nothing
wrong. Lotta didn’t agree, her body condition continued to change, her mood continued to plummet. I
had a sinking feeling her changes had more to do with her hooves than anything. It was a gut
feeling, a very strong one. The next time I had the farrier out I had him pull the shoes and leave them
off. I noticed right away that her hooves seemed awfully hot. I knew instantly that gut feeling had been
right, it was her hooves and she seemed laminitic. The next day the vet confirmed my fears and
recommended the usual, lots of bute, stall rest, shoes, pads, and Tape. I gave her the bute that night
but decided to wait just one day so I could think and do a little research on the Internet.
None of the founder/laminitis triggers I new about had occurred. She wasn’t overweight, she didn’t
get into the grain bin, she hadn’t had any medication, she wasn’t out to pasture eating tons of green
grass, etc. I quickly found out that there are many opinions and many ways to deal with laminitis,
differing views on how it happens and why.
The information that resounded deepest for me and for Lotta was found on web pages containing
information on “Natural Hoof Trimming”. I won’t go into great detail on this page but suffice it to say,
Lotta is totally sound today. She is barefoot all the time, from the softest dirt to the hardest gravel.
She lives out in a pasture with her horse family, not in a stall. During the summer she has a shinny
healthy coat and during the winter she has a fluffy healthy coat and gone are the days of alfalfa, grain
and supplements.
My journey with horses culminated in the creation of “Harvest Moon Ranch”. A small private boarding
facility catering to each horse and each human’s individual needs.
A place where there will be no judgment, no preconceived notions or set schedules about when
horse or rider should be ready to take their next steps. A place where it is OK for the rider to take
there time, feel what they are feeling, and ask for help if they need it.
A place where each horse is listened to and cared for in a manner that enhances their lives as well
as ours.
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This is me on my Arab gelding
Gran Dru Borr. I think he was 5 at
the time this picture was taken. I
was 14 or 15. I spent many years
on Dru's back. During the Summer
and all school holidays, we would
ride from sun up to sun down, and
on occasion we would ride until
late into the night. He was a
spectacular horse. There wasn't
anything he wouldn't do.
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This is my mare Lotta. She has a
great personality and a wonderful
work ethic. She is 20 years old
now (2009) and shes still healthy
and happy. She has some insulin
issues so we have to be very
careful about her feed and hoof
care, but as long as I am on top of
it, she does well. Everyone should
be so lucky to know a horse like
her.
Click here for page 2
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