Windsofheaven :: A website dedicated to my passions; family, and horses both real and model.  Windsofheaven A website dedicated to my passions; family, and horses both real and model.  MENU Home Real Horses Breyer Model Horses WebsAlbum Miscellaneous Guestbook
General Stuff First of all, I would like to say Welcome to my website. I hope to be adding pictures and other "things" in the near future.
Now for the fun stuff; I think I have writer's block already. My name is Dawn, and I am a "stay at home mommy" of two little boys. Isaiah is in his "terrible twos" though he started before he was two, and I have a feeling it is going to last longer than his 3rd birthday.  He was born the day before 9-11...you can imagine what horrific news I awoke to in the hospital. I think I held him a little closer those days after leaving the hospital.
Austin joined our family on May 9th, 2003. I am now surrounded by boys..my only female company is Angel, my 6 month old black Pug. My horse is even a boy. Coca Cola Supreme AKA Coke is a 4 year old Saddlebred, though he is a gelding, so that is a little comfort
I met my husband David in high school, and we dated for 4 years before we were married. We have now been married for almost 4 years...wow, it doesn't seem that long David is a manager at a local beer distributor...(think Clydesdales) He also landscapes part time for a company he started working for in high school. At least he can say he is doing work he went to school for, though it is only part time. Hobbies, Interests, etc. I have loved anything "Horse" since I can remember. My mom even tells me when I was a toddler, I picked out horse stuffed animals, and horse books-before I could even read (aren't pictures great!) To this day, my home is filled with HSO- also known as Horse Shaped Objects. There isn't a room that doesn't have horses in it, but my living room tops the list. I have an entertainment stand with shelves, a bookcase, and several other "free hanging" shelves with Breyer Model horses. At my last count, I had somewhere in the vicinity of 80 traditionals (normal size) and a few classics and stablemates. Though my "want list" is much greater; somewhere around 200, and Breyer produces more each year that I want! Oh well, such is life.
I must add a "Thank You" to my dear husband David, for putting up with my horses. I think sometimes he feels like he is living in a miniature stable, minus the mess of course
Now for the real ones My very first horse was a 14.3 hand grade mare named Dolly. She was beautiful, sweet, and had the patience to teach me alot. She was a dun, complete with dorsal stripe and leg barring. She was somewhere between a red and a yellow dun, and had black points. Her color in the summertime reminded me of caramel. My stepdad bought her for me for my 13th birthday, and she was 13 also. I can now look back and see her as sort of a "peace offering." I lived with my grandmother in southern California for much of my young childhood. My mother and stepdad moved me up to South Dakota when I was 12, taking me away from everything that was comfortable, and leaving behind many people who were very dear to me, and still are. Anyway, back to Dolly. I remember the day we brought her home, a police officer friend of the family was waiting. His family had horses, and of course, experience..so he saddled her up for me and gave me a crash course-lay the reins against this side of her neck and she will turn the opposite way, and pull back to stop Well, I took her out into a muddy field, and lo and behold, we got stuck! Well, not really, but I had her so confused out there, that she didn't know which way to go. Here comes Dick, walking out into mud up to his knees, I remember his grey sweatpants vividly. He grabs the reins and leads me back to safety. And so began our adventures. We had many good rides after that...and a few mareish rides thrown in for good measure.
When I turned 17, my stepdad sold my precious Dolly; something about school, boys, part-time job, boys, etc. No I didn't ride her every day like I used to, but she wasn't neglected by any means either. About a year down the road, the guilt hit- I was still mad at him for that And we bought a registered Arab mare named Magic Rhapsody, or Ruby for short. She was bred to a pinto stud for a May baby. I kept her out at my now in-laws farm, and was called one morning to get out there, that something was waiting for me in the pasture. I drive up and see a big patch of white. Ruby (beautiful red, red bay by the way) had foaled a lovely bay and white tobiano colt. "Cherokee" was all white in the middle of his body, with white legs, and his head, shoulders, and rump were bay. It almost looked like someone had drawn lines, they were so perfect.
I had always wanted a stallion, and had high hopes for him, but it just wasn't meant to be. I wasn't ready mentally, physically, financally, etc to raise, train, and breed a stud, and my now father in law cringed at the thought of a stud on the property, and made the "snipping" motions with his fingers Cherokee was one to rear up on occasion, whether we were walking on the lead, or you were just petting him in the pasture. One day while I was leading him down the driveway, I found myself looking up at his cute little colt hooves in the air-right above my head, and proceeded to make an appointment with my vet that day Little Cherokee became a gelding, and then was traded for a broke horse.
This leads to Cowboy, a grade chestnut gelding with a blaze and high socks. Cowboy became my husband's horse-and that was fine with me. We never did hit it off, and he was the first horse who bucked me off. Granted I was riding bareback, and had gone out for a ride without ever leaving the walk, so when I let him trot in our ditch when we were almost home, he did one of those little exited bucks. I held on for the first buck, but got some good air on the second. The next thing I remember, I was on my back, and Cowboy was standing there looking at me as if to say, "what are ya doin' down there?" Cowboy became a master at crow hopping. I don't know what happened to him before I bought him, but he was never fond of women. He would act up a little bit with my husband, but not to the extent that he would try with me, or some of my "horse riding" friends. The last time I rode him we had gone for a ride in the fields. I rode out to my father in laws combine (which was running, and spitting dust, hulls, etc everywhere) and he was fine...but the whole way home was a different story-bucking, rearing, crowhopping. The whole nine yards. I didn't get off of him the whole time (nor did he get me off) but I have to admit that was the last time I rode Cowboy. I know that I should have gotten back on him the next day, but I had had enough! Cowboy was sold later on down the road, and I had my own horse to worry about.
My next purchase of a horse brought Jake, a large, muscled paint gelding. This guy was a powerhouse, and he knew it. He liked to barge through your commands, and when you made him canter he would buck. Everytime I hit his rump with a crop, you automatically expected it. They were just little ones, but it still wracked your nerves when you know you are sitting on top of a huge mass of muscle who is "letting" you ride.
There is a saying about one good horse in your lifetime. I think I found that horse, and foolishly, foolishly let him go. AJK Tanqueray was a registered Morgan gelding. He was a grandson to the great Waseeka's In Command. If Tanq would have been left a stallion (sometimes he made me wonder) I would never have owned him. I still to this day wonder why he had been gelded. He was a Beautiful black bay (what they call brown now I think) He was black in the winter with the lighter areas (almost a tan color) around his eyes, muzzle, and underneath. He looked almost like a sun-bleached black in the summer. No white markings whatsover; well unless you count the, like 3 hairs on his lower left front leg from a cut. He was about 15 hands, and had a body any horse lover would dream about...he was buff! I bought Tanq from the same lady Ruby had come from. They were both out of Minnesota. He came to me when he was about 3 1/2, and left when he was 8. Over the course of time, we had many, many good days, and more than I would like to count, bad days. We both had to start over on the "trust" thing a few times. I remember one time, getting into the saddle, and I wasn't even all the way up yet, and he took off toward the pasture. Somehow the outside of my right thigh was hitting the back of the saddle (big bruise by the way) and when we finally came to a stop, I was able to finish mounting. I proceeded to cry, curse, and call him every name in the book. Then we went for a ride, which turned out to be fine. Tanq and I went through alot together, and when I look back on our times, I can always smile. I realize now how much I actually did trust him. There isn't a day goes by that I don't think about him, and I can't count how many times I have kicked myself for letting him go.
I got the idea in my head that I wanted to do barrels; and stupid me, needed a Quarter Horse to train myself. Now, I was 21 at the time, and had only ran barrels a few times in my life. If I wanted to get into it competitively, I should have started a looong time ago. But once something is in my head, it usually doesn't go away; well until I make a fool of myself that is. Instead of working on Tanq's neck reining and turning a little more, I traded (gosh, I hate even talking about it) him for a two year old rose grey roan BS Paint filly. We were told that she was well mannered, had already been started, had groundwork, etc etc. We got her home, and anytime you walked behind her, she kicked. If you touched her anywhere on her back legs, she squealed, and then kicked! Of course, we lifted her feet fine when we were looking at her. To make a long story a little shorter, we worked on the groundwork, progressed to saddling (which was supposedly already started) rode her once in the round pen with no problems, and rode her a few days later, at which time she bucked two people off in the matter of minutes. She had the bronc form down and everything! Mischief was then sold as very green, possibly brood mare potential. Her buyers were looking for a roan for breeding anyway. I decided to stick to trail riding.
When the deal with Tanq happened, I specifically said I wanted to be notified if she was going to sell him; and I would like first dibs on him back. He was supposedly going to be her extra trail horse, for when friends came over to ride, and it sounded like he was going to be around for awhile. She nevertheless said that she would let me know if she wanted to sell him. Well, about a month after the trade happened, I spotted an ad in the local TSC with a 8 year old Black bay Morgan gelding, possible dressage prospect. Now how should I say this...Tanq had a little too much "attitude" for dressage. I had a friend call on the ad to get the info, and she stated that she had had him for about a year, (boy, time must really fly for her!) and she was asking $4000 for him. I sold him trade value for $1500. Now it is all starting to click, that I had ran into a horse trader, looking for a good chance to make some money, and hadn't even realized it. Anyway, she ended up selling him to a nice lady in Mn for, I believe $3700. His new owner contacted me with a few questions, and kept me updated on his progress, for which I was thankful for. It turns out he had a little too much "spunk" for her, and she sent him to a trainer. Now get this..Tanq was currently living in Mn, and his trainer is only about 4 miles from me, here in SD! So Tanq was close to me for quite some time, and I didn't even know it (we had lost contact at that time) When I finally did get back in touch with her, she let me know that he had already been sold to a mother/daughter in Iowa...I believe it is Fredericksburg? And that he was being shown. So I am thankful that he is finally in good hands again (referring to the horse trader) but I would absolutely love to hear from anyone who knows of Tanq's new owners, or how he is doing. I have her name, thanks to the wonderful people at the American Morgan Horse Association, but have not had the "guts" to call and see how he is.
Our next horse was Velvet, a Standardbred mare registered with the United States Trotting Association. We bought Velvet from our farrier, who races pacers. Velvet had high potential on the track, and had even won money, but she just didn't have the drive to race. Velvet was the calmest, most well broke horse I think I have ever seen. There wasn't a thing that worried her. Since she was off the track, she was versatile, she good drive, and ride. She put up with my husband and I learning how to "dress" her with the harness. She was a big girl too, right at 17 hands. I could even walk under her belly, and she wouldn't bat an eyelash. (I did have to crouch, I'm not quite that short) We just recently sold Velvet  We may be moving in the next 3 years, and I wanted to find her a good home before I would have to just sell her to anyone. I know she went to a good home though; her new owner keeps me updated. It sounds like they are working very well together, and Velvet is getting the time spent with her that she deserves. She's still in South Dakota too, though way up at the north end of the state.
Finally we come to Coca Cola Supreme, or Coke for short. Coke is a 16.2 hand (and still growing) Saddlebred gelding. He is a chestnut with high rear socks and a big blaze. He also has some roaning to his coat. I bought Coke last summer, once again out of Minnesota. He is my trail/pleasure horse, and he is a sweetie. I have never been owned by a Saddlebred before. The one word that comes to mind is "Arabian" No offense to Arabian owners out there-beautiful horses, just a little on the "springy side" Nothing bad, he is just alot more "aware" of his surroundings than, say, a dead broke 15 year old Quarter Horse. Coke is definitely a people lover, he comes to the fence regardless of me having food or not. He is also very willing to learn; you know how you can work with a horse for a week straight, and not notice a difference, I can see improvement every time I am out with Coke. He just wants to please. I can tell he has started to see me as his herd boss. If I am out grooming him, and he happens to startle (this is cutting way down too) he comes right to me, like I am going to protect him from that weed eater my husband decided to run right next to the hitching post. We went for a ride down the road the other day, right past a big excavator digging alongside the street. Coke just looked at it as we walked right past. Then he startles down the road as a duck flies up out of the ditch. One good thing...he just jerks to a stop. I don't like dealing with the horses that bolt the other way, and leave you hanging in the air!
Well, it's just Coke and I now, no other horses to work with. Now I can concentrate on him. I just pray that we can find another acreage to move too. It scares me to think of not having horses in my life. I also want my boys to grow up on a farm. I look at my husband, and see his values, and morals that were instilled on him. I want them to grow up the same way, and experience life like no one else but a "farm kid" can understand. I consider myself a "born again farm kid" though sometimes my city kid side will show up...like when it comes time to sorting pigs, ( I can handle any livestock smell, except for the pigs) or climbing up on top of a grain bin. I hope you enjoyed my stories, and I'm sure there will be more to come; it is summer after all! Keep checking back as I update, and add to my website. Thank you for visiting, and feel free to email me with any questions, comments, etc.
Dawn Hackrott  ; | | _udn="none";function utmx_section(){}function utmx(){}(function(){var k='0083307441',d=document,l=d.location,c=d.cookie;function f(n){if(c){var i=c.indexOf(n+'=');if(i>-1){var j=c.indexOf(';',i);return c.substring(i+n.length+1,j |
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