[farmgirl88]

So I just had to share this with everyone:

I grew up riding and showing ponies for breeders and pony trainers. I am almost 22 now. One of my favorite ponies to ride of all time was a medium dapple grey gelding who was the cutest little thing. he was an adorable mover and jumper and he would do anything you asked. he was always so happy to be out trotting around.

i showed him for probably 4 years, all over the place including the welsh shows. He was always for sale but no one ever advertised him so he just stayed in the barn. I changed barns suddenly due to circumstances and this little gray was left with my old trainer. He was sold a short time later and i then lost track of him.

Well needless to say i recieved my BACK IN THE SADDLE christmas edition over the weekend and there was this adorable headshot of a cute little grey (almost white)pony wearing a santa hat. I stared at it for a moment and thought to myself...this face and that look just looks waaaayyy to familiar. I showed it my parents and said hey....dont you think this is Towhee???They didnt really agree,

Anyways; i was on the front cover of a magazine with this pony back in the day and we have it framed in our house. I took it off the wall and looked at it and sure enough both ponies had the same dark grey spot on the tip of their nose. I was pretty confident now that this was the pony.

I immediately emailed Back In the Saddle and the owner just got back to me yesterday. She wasn't sure who it was but it was a pony that was at the barn she boarded at. Sure enough, the next email confirmed that iwas right, it indeed was Farnley Towhee. I am beyond exstatic. How wonderful to see him doing so well.

She told me all about him and how the barn kids now affectionately call him "Sparkles". he is aged a bit now and now longer jumps but he does up-down lessons to the local kids at this show barn. How absolutely thrilling. I now have an open invitation to go and visit anytime!

What a nice ending to the day.,

[KathyR]

What a great story. Hope you can go see him soon.

[spotnnotfarm]

I have had a terrible day and that story just lightened my heart! Thank you so much for sharing. I hope you can visit him sometime.

[LovelyBay]

I just got my copy last night! How Amazing!
It's a small world....

That's great! I love the irony and I'm so happy you found him!

[farmgirl88]

Just wanted to update everyone:

i recieved another email from Back in the Saddle. They want to feature our story in one of their upcoming issues. This pony has already been a cover star twice (once with me and once on back in the saddle). Looks like hes turning into a little superstar of the horse magazine world.

Very excited. me and the boyfriend are currently figuring out what weekend to go up and visit him.

[TBMaggie]

What a great story! I'm looking at the adorable Farnley Towhee as I type...and I can't wait to see the follow-up story in Back in the Saddle

And are those just the cutest ears you've ever seen, or what??

[farmgirl88]

those adorable little ears are one of his adorable factors that stood out in the photograph and made me think " i think i know this pony..."

[Mamy]

What a great story! Thanks for sharing it!

[Heart's Journey]

Your post brought back some memories for me - hope you don't mind me sharing

Growing up back in the '60's my second horse was a Palomino Arab/QH gelding that to this day is my all time favorite horse. Diablo would do anything - I competed in games (barrels, poles, etc) then got into western pleasure, then hunt seat and jumping. We'd go on all day trail rides, (bareback), swam in lakes, parades, campouts, he was very brave - never shied at anything, etc After 8 years I had to sell him when I went off to college though I managed to stay in touch with several of his owners.

They let me jump on for a ride and he always felt the same and it seemed like he remembered me. The years went by and I lost touch with him and then one day 8 years since I'd seen him, I was home for Christmas and out trail riding with friends. I wrote a story about him which I part of is below:

from Shared Secrets and Golden Dreams

....We rode past a farm and since I was always on the lookout for Palominos my eyes searched the fields until I saw an older Paly. I called his name and he lifted his head, showing a familiar crooked blaze. I cantered back to the gate and trotted up to him, got off my horse and buried my face in his mane. The years hadn't been kind, his back was sunken, coat dull, his ribs showed, and his eyes were a faded brown, making me wonder how well he could see. But as I hugged him, the years melted away and I envisioned him young and strong, galloping along the surf, diving off his back into the water, or racing past a barrel. I cried for all the lost years, the feeling that I'd abandoned him to a cruel fate, he who had served me so nobly. He just stood there accepting the affection and tears as was his right.

A month later, friends told me he was moved down the street from them so she gave me weekly reports. His breathing was bad, but his heart strong for a 30 year old horse. Whenever I was in Vero, I'd stop and visit him and bring him carrots. I don't know if he remembered me, but he was such a vital connection to my childhood that I simply couldn't imagine a world without him in it. But horses don't live forever, and Susan called me one day to say that he had passed.

A year later, I bought another Palomino Quarter Horse named "Duster". He's my daily companion and reminds me a lot of Diablo in many ways. He also listens to my singing without complaint, he shares my secrets, and he is my golden dream.

[farmgirl88]

what a great story! Thats funny, my friend has a little barrel horse who's name is "Duster"

[Heart's Journey]

Duster has since crossed the Rainbow bridge and my current mount who is a keeper, is Rico a dark bay Spotted Saddle Horse (gaited) and is as close to my heart as Diablo was.

[Zu Zu]

Great story ! Thanks for sharing ~ enjoyed it after a long, cold ~ very trying day! Jingles for your re-connect !

[Noctis]

What a wonderful story! You've just made my day!