My love of horses started when I was young. I got to be around them as a reward for helping my grandfather with chores. I longed to ride one. That dream was not realized until much later in life. A very big thank you to my loving husband for that. I gave riding a try and loved it. I also for some reason did quite well with it. As a gift my husband wanted me to start looking for a horse of my own.

I had always loved drafts for their loving, quiet, gentle giant temperaments. So I thought maybe I should get a Clydesdale. My husband said no way are we going to feed a horse that size! I had also loved paints for their flashy colors. But where it was my first horse I really wanted a quiet horse so I decided to look at other draft breeds. That is when I fell across the Gypsy horse. And as you can imagine I was instantly in love. I showed my husband and he laughed and said ok we can get a Clydesdale after he looked at the price tag on these horses.

I kept to my dream and saved up. When I had enough money I went on my gypsy horse search. I learned as much about the breed as I could. Where they came from, what they were used for, what their conformation should be, what made a good gypsy horse, etc. I looked at over 100 different gypsy horses that were for sale at the time before deciding on my boy. When I found Aodhan it was love at first sight. I called his breeders Night Sky Gypsies and we had a wonderful conversation. This horse sounded like exactly what I wanted and needed as a first time horse owner.

So off I went to very northern Idaho to see and touch this horse to make sure it was exactly what I wanted. When we arrived at the barn and I walked in and saw him, I was in love. He was a stallion, it was May, horses in heat all around him, and he was a gentleman. Did everything I asked of him. You could tell this horse loved people and was confident. We spent a couple of hours with him and I talked to their vet, farrier, trainer, and decided this was the horse for me. Granted he was an unbroke, 2 year old stallion but we clicked.

Now most green riders should never own a green horse. Usually this combination is headed for disaster. And man did I learn a lot! We brought him home and let him get adjusted to his new living area at my barn, Coyote Creek Equestrian. My husband and I spent months doing ground work, getting used to saddle, bit, etc. And were riding him shortly after he healed from being gelded. He did amazing! These horses will make you think breaking a horse is a simple feat. They are calm but smart. A great combination for training and moving training along quickly.

My husband and I decided to put him into some part time training with a trainer. But I was there every day helping the trainer every step of the way. We worked with him that whole winter and come spring when he just was turning 3 we decided to start showing him. So we went to every all breed show we could find that was local. We won many championships and firsts place against horses that were much more seasoned and had much more training. I am extremely proud of this horse!

The past year and a half we have been transitioning his training to dressage. We are hoping to show him in at least one show this year. I’m hoping a few more than that.

Aodhan is my heart horse. He will come to me when I call him. Is gentle with the kids and people who don’t know how to ride. He is a great babysitter. Almost bomb proof at 5 years old! I love this horse. He is a great representation of the breed, their temperament, and why I love them so much. Beauty, brains, great movement, and a gentle soul. Who could ask for more!