First Things First. The Names.

Hello again to my fellow not-so-cowfolk!
     I believe in putting first things first, so I solved the biggest (or at least the most annoying) mystery first: horse names. You've heard my rant about how weird they are. Now I know why, and if you keep reading, you will soon know, too.

     Shakespeare once asked, "What's in a name?" Well, apparently, there's a lot more than you would think. In the horse world, a name is much more than what you call someone. It shows the horse's history and his bloodline. Horse names incorporate the names of the horses parents, especially their daddy. One of the horses at my barn, Generator's Got Color (we call him Ben) is a prime example. His mother's name is not really involved in his name at all, but you can tell that his great-great-granddad's name impacted his great-granddad's name, which impacted his grandpa's name, and I think you get the point. If not, refer to the chart. If a horse has a parent that is a big deal, then you want that to be known. If a horse has great genetics, then they are likely to become something great as well.
     This makes sense to me, but horse names are still weird. I just want a horse to be named Fido. It is a pet name.
     Another thing I learned this morning about horse names is that you can't register a name more than once. This also contributes to why horse names are so strange. Once Generator's Got Color dies, there will never be another Generator's Got Color. The Walking Horse Celebration has been going on for 75 years. Over those years, all the normal pet names (like Fido and Spot) have probably been taken. If you want to register a horse named Jasmine, you can't, because its been used. You have to get a little creative. Lots Of Jasmine becomes the alternative.
William S., now you know what's in a name.

The Bit that Started it All...

I just thought I'd share with you guys that horse bit that Strolling Jim used when he became the first ever Grand World Champion in 1939, so here it is. I had Christy send a picture of it for me to show you guys. Here you go!

Why walking horses? Why now?

Hey guys,
     I've never done a blog before, so I don't really know where to begin. I guess I'll tell you who I am, and why I'm starting this blog. My name is Holly Hagan, and I'm on a mission to become a cowgirl.
     It all starting when I was doing a friend a favor and helping her clean out some storage space at her horse barn. (check it out. http://newhorizonstable.com/ For all your breeding needs!) I stumbled upon this old, beat up display case with a horse bit in it. It looked like at one point in time it was important, but now it doesn't look like much. I wasn't sure if I should organize with all the other bits (that were hanging on the wall, not in display cases) or what, so I asked. My friend, Christy, said that her dad inherited it years ago, and that even though she and her husband hadn't treated it like so, it is actually kind of a big deal. Apparently, it was used in the first ever Walking Horse Celebration by the first ever World Grand Champion, Strolling Jim. (She also told me to keep the bit, but trash the display case, because it was already pretty much trashed, but that's neither here nor there.)
     I didn't think much of it at the time, but now, three days later, when I'm wide awake and I can't sleep, it's occurred to me that I don't know anything about walking horses or the Celebration. This probably isn't a big deal to most people. But I am not most people. New Horizon Stables is like my own personal sanctuary. Christy and her husband, Mike, lead my small group at my church, and they are like my extra set of parents. Whenever I need something therapeutic, I go to the barn, complain about whatever my problem is, until someone puts me on a horse. Then, I ride in circles, until I'm relaxed and have to get off, because I'm about to fall asleep. After that, the world is a better place for me.
     I feel like if the best way for me to get peace when I need, it involves walking horses, then I should know something about walking horses. I know that they're big, furry, and have four legs, but that's about it. I mean, why are they such a big deal? What makes this breed different from other breeds? Why are they "celebrated"? Why do they have such weird names? (Really, that one bothers me. Haynes Peacock is a horrible pet name. I just Googled "Grand World Champion names" and that horse was the GWC of 1940 and 1941. His owner's last name was Haynes. Why would you name a pet after yourself? Fido is a good pet name. Not Strolling Jim. What kind of pet strolls?) What exactly do Mike and Christy do? I could go on with questions, but I'll spare you with just those.
     I really just don't know anything about something I spend so much time around. So I've decided to cowgirl up and learn about what I'm dealing with when I go to the barn. The point of this blog is for me to track my progress and what I've learned, and to share it all with you readers (assuming that there will be readers).
     Hopefully, by the end of this, I'll be a full blown cowgirl.