St. Nicholas - My Tennessee Walker

In 1970 my parents bought a home with nine acres on the Wabash River with the intent of fencing the property so that I could have a horse.  Oh, my, were we novices! I had read a lot of books about horse care and training plus taken riding lessons, and that's all the knowledge base that we had. I was only twelve, but my parents deferred to me when it came to the horses, making me responsible for all aspects of their care.

And you know what? It turned out okay.

Me with my beloved Amy, my sister Leslie with Irish Flame, a Morgan, and my little sister, Jenny, with St. Nicholas, or Nick as we called him in 1970.

Nick was a Tennessee Walker that my father bought for me as a two year old stallion in 1970.

He was an old soul - a mild mannered, gentle boy who was just halter broken when I got him. Naively, I didn't worry about that and told my father that I knew how to train a horse. After all, I had read a ton of books about the topic!

Named "St. Nicholas" because his birthday was December 23, he had a beautiful white coat. Using my vast knowledge of horses, I looked at his blue eyes, pink skin, and white coat and declared him to be an albino. Now as an adult, I think he really was a cremello. When he was wet, you could see a very faint blaze.

Even as a twelve year old I knew Nick's conformation was not the best. But he had the gentlest disposition of any horse I ever had. You literally could do anything with him, and he would follow you around like a puppy. He didn't spook, he didn't shy, he never bit or kicked, was not pushy, he just liked being out with you.

(He did break my finger once, but it was an accident. I was cleaning his hooves and he lost his balance, putting his foot down squarely on mine. I jerked, lost my own balance, and fell, catching myself with my hands on the ground. Nick shifted and stepped on my hand, breaking my finger.)

 Amy, Flame, and Nick waiting for me to bring their breakfast before school on a cold winter morning in 1973.

As I said, we bought him as a stallion, so right after he arrived we had the vet come out to geld him. I will never forget watching the process with my youngest sister, Jenny, who was six at the time. With a puzzled look on her face, she turned to our dad and asked, "Dad? Are YOU a gelding?" Oh, my, I can still hear his laughter - he absolutely roared.

I did actually train Nick to ride. One memorable day I asked him to change gaits and he surprised me by going into a running walk. I'd never ridden that gait before, and it was exhilarating! But I didn't ride him much (I had Amy and Cee to ride, too) so mostly he just hung out with the his pasture mates or socialized with us.

When I went off to college in August of 1975, my parents sold Nick and Flame. I do not know where they went and have often wished that I did. I've thought of them many times over the years, hoping that they went to good homes.

 If any horse deserved a good home, it was Nick.