Monday, November 20, 2006

In Her Own Words - Cobra's Comeback
by Pamela Doolittle

Building a Dream

This story begins in 2004. My husband, Dan, and I had worked and saved for years to afford our own 60 acres of paradise nestled in the Baraboo Hills north of Madison, Wisconsin. It was a dream we shared since before we were married. That January, we broke ground on a stable and riding arena. It was a financial stretch for us to build, even after the years of planning and saving. This was on top of the normal financial pressures of owning a horse. We had considered most of these components in our plan for unfolding our dream: We had budgeted to afford all the basics– a truck and trailer, tack, boarding, lessons. Between our full-time jobs, and with the help of our children, we could see our vision for the future take shape in front of our eyes.

January of 2004 is when I moved Coby to a nearby stable to begin his training. Our plan was to bring him home the middle of April, once the indoor riding arena was completed. April 14, 2004, was a sunny and warm spring day. Sunny and warm in April is quite a gift of weather in Wisconsin! I had made many friends the four months we had spent at the stable. Coby had already earned a fan club who admired his floating gaits and more than charming character. He loved the audience, which usually gathered when we worked. A group of us met for a farewell trail ride before I would bring him home in my new trailer. As we hacked out, I remember it was the first time I felt Coby’s passage under saddle. He playfully shook his head and bounced around while we all cantered. I came back to the stable sorry to leave our friends, but happy to have had the chance to meet them.