Yeah that western stuff drives me nuts. I don't want a slow poke horse! My sisters horse fits that bill perfectly, but showing wasn't bred in her enough to make her lope all funky. I totally agree with the show politics, it's ridiculous! Even the 4-H shows you have to have a 2k dollar saddle if you expect to get anything better than 4th place I've done some shows just for fun, but my favorite is after the show when they do the rodeo competition stuff! I would love to barrels some day. That's what the filly was supposed to be for, but I think she's going to be too pokey, lol. Her father is a halter champ and her mom is my sister's lazy bones mare, not too great of planning there She's an awesome filly though.

Your mare has some great muscle tone, she's just gorgeous! I wish my mare was young again, she's 22 now Your mare is still in her prime!!! Horses can live forever if you give them something to live for. A friend of ours had one make it to 45 and another to 42. I still ride my mare, but not has hard as I did a year ago. She's finally starting to feel her age, although I did take her out a couple weeks ago and just let her go. She's all spirit, sort of like a wound up rubber band!