The first was Reno Hancock, a registered quarter horse mare. I grew up with Reno. We were as one & she filled my every thought. There wasn't a day that we weren't together. She was there through my teen years & it was she who kept me from being another teenaged statistic. I literally lived for Reno. I married & moved to Texas with my husband & Reno. It was Reno who came home to CA with me. Actually, she was there for me through two divorces. Ever strong with her shoulder to cry on, Reno was my rock through 9 1/2 difficult years. When I lost her to colic my entire world collapsed. I was inconsolable & not sure how I'd go on without her. I knew there'd never be another horse who filled my heart so completely so I sold most of my tack & swore off horses. Since I do love horses, I actually ended up bringing home a new horse within a couple of weeks. But life just wasn't the same without Reno. 
In the 3 1/2 years following Reno's death I had a number of really nice horses. I loved them all but none captured my heart. Then one day I saw a bay gelding who made me pause. I knew as I looked at him that he'd one day be mine. He wasn't for sale but I kept an eye on him. A few months later he was headed to auction as crazy & unridable. I never hesitated as I wrote that check. Farwraff was mine. For 16 years we were partners. I was in love with Wraff. He made my heart smile. We shared a lot of fun times, as well as those love & hate times that come along with being in any love affair. Throughout our years together there was no other horse who could come close to Wraff., and I rode a lot of really nice horses. Wraff filled my heart with warmth & joy. I loved everything about him, even his crazy & sometimes dangerous antics. He was my life. Whenever I hear the song lyrics "I will always love you", Wraff is there in my mind & heart. Even 12 years after losing him, he continues to hold a very special place in my heart.
Seven years ago a colt was born. He was everything I'd hoped for when I bred his parents. After a very rough start, including bottle feedings & surgeries on his underdeveloped legs, DreamCatcher Rabulaun began inching his way into my heart. While I loved him, he was a very difficult colt to handle & he was always a challenge. He was very time consuming because he had to be handled daily or he was unmanageable. Very intelligent & self-confident, Launi was always finding ways to "push my buttons". Finally I decided he was too much work as a stallion so I had him gelded. Two years later we're going down the trail as partners. Launi is becoming a great trail horse who both challenges me & occasionally gives me a good ride. To say that I love Launi today is an understatement. I'm totally & completely IN love with Launi. He's becoming the horse of my dreams. He's the horse light of my life. There are times when he makes my heart swell like the Grinch's heart. I love just spending time with him, breathing in his breath as he exhales, laying my head on his shoulder. No matter how bad the day is, it just gets better when I'm with Launi. He's The Wind Beneath My Wings.
For those who've never had a love affair with a horse, I can only explain the feeling as that of a full heart; a heart that's bursting with joy; a heart that's filled with the love of a very special horse. I am truly lucky to have had 3 heart filling horses share my life.
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