Naturally Gaited Horse

Tara 's striking beauty. — *Tara ‘s striking beauty.*

I swore I would NEVER buy another mare…since her I’ve had three.

I swore I would NEVER buy a horse under 16 hands…since her I’ve had four.

I swore I would NEVER buy an Arabian…since her I’ve had two.

That was 24 years ago.

They said you can NEVER teach a trotting horse a natural, smooth gait. She taught herself.

She watched Makana, my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse move out in a natural smooth gait. I think she was smart enough to realize the fox trot was more comfortable on her back than the hard trot.

Saying Goodbye is Never Easy

By Jennifer Klitzke

Today, I said farewell dear friend, to my Spanish/Egyptian Arabian mare, a great granddaughter of the famous Morofic Egyptian Arabian stallion who was a standing sire for the Egyptian palace for many years.

I’ve been praying about this weighty decision for two months since her last vet call. Nearly 35 years old and missing many teeth made it impossible for Tara to eat hay of any kind to keep her warm. Unlimited Senior feed couldn’t keep weight on her. Then she began to wobble like a drunken sailor. Her lack of coordination was a sign of being 120-something in people years. Then came an early October winter storm that made it clear she didn’t have another winter in her.

Yet, to her very last day, Tara remained the top-of-the-pecking-order boss mare who was the first to greet me in the morning with a nicker.

Making the decision to say goodbye is never easy even though the vet encouraged the decision for a peaceful and humane ending. It was better than finding her on a bitter cold winter day fallen on the ice with no way to get back up.

Yes, that’s true. It still doesn’t make the weight of the decision any easier.

How Tara Squashed the Nevers

Back in the early 1990s, I was searching the Sunday classified ads for a kid’s horse since my 16.1H trakehner/thoroughbred Seilie (aka, Mr. Seilie Monster) was not suitable. Seeing an ad for a 10-year-old, 14.1H, registered, purebred Arabian mare caught my eye.

Why? She was small, an Arabian and a mare. The three things I swore I would never.

Yet, small was practical for kids and her affordable price overshadowed the latter.

After interviewing the man on the phone, he assured me Tara would be a great kids horse. She began as a trail horse, you know.

Arriving to his small hobby farm, I was struck by her beauty which blinded all the red flags:

He didn’t want to ride her to show me what she knew
He wouldn’t let me ride her or work with her to know what she knew
Turns out she was only trail horse at Bunker for a week because it didn’t work out. That’s when he brought her home for his wife (who didn’t ride), and there she sat for the last six years.

I hit the road with disappointment. I loved her look. She reminded me of an Andalusian, my favorite breed. And she had a white heart on her nose the kids would surely love.

A week went by and I couldn’t stop thinking about Tara. If Tara was a kid’s horse, surely he could ride her for me, right? If Tara was a kid’s horse, surely I should be able to take a test ride, right? I called the man back and asked if he would reconsider.

The man agreed as long as I signed a waiver that I wouldn’t sue him if I were injured. Red flag number four.

Well, Tara clearly had little training . On a scale of 1 (lazy) to 10 (hot), she was an 11 (firecracker). I figured I could work with her for a while and she would settle down.

I remember taking her to the outdoor arena where I boarded. Tara was so explosive that riders began to disappear, one by one. No one wanted to ride with us, because she could rein back as fast as she moved forward and our steering wasn’t very good.

A year later, when she turned 11, I took her to the Brightonwood schooling show and rode her in three Training level tests. The first judge remarked, “Hmmm, perhaps you could look into getting your mare on some hormone treatment to help her settle down.”

The last Training Level 3 test was our best. (After schooling her for three hours, she had finally calm down.)

Well, ten years later. That’s how long it took before Tara became that kid’s horse after-all. She packed many young people around: Jumping, dressage, trail riding yee-haw style. Kid’s LOVED it!

*Tara introduced many kids to riding including this 5-year-old who later returned as a teen to ride Tara.*

*One of the many kids who fell in love with Little Miss Tara.*

*Another ambition young rider with Tara.*

Tara brought smiles to many adult riders, too.

*First time on a horse for this teen and Tara took good care of her.*

*Tara even brought smiles to many grownups, too.*

A Gaited Arabian?

After I purchased Makana, my naturally, gaited Tennessee walking horse, Tara picked up a natural, smooth gait on her own. And because it was much more comfortable than her hard trot, I encouraged it. She still had her walk, trot and canter on cue, as well.

My naturally gaited Arabian. Call it a fast walk if you want: it is four beat and smooth with a head nod and her smooth natural gait is like a fox trot leaving my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse in the dust.

One of my little friends who rode Tara was interested in showing Tara. She hadn’t been to a show since in 15 years, so I took Tara to a dressage schooling show when she was 26 years old to see how she would do. The judge commented, “The free walk on a long rein is not suppose to be a running walk!”

I would normally ride my Tennessee walking horse with a couple other gaited riders on the trail. One day I brought Tara instead.

Unloading her from the trailer, one of the gaited riders asked, “You’re going to ride an Arabian?! You’ll be trotting the whole time to keep up with us, you know!”

“Do you want to bet on that?” I replied.

*Birthday ride with Tara when she was 24.*

Little Miss Tara kept up with the gaited horses without breaking into a trot or canter! She was happy to be the brave leader or to tag along behind.

In fact, when Tara and Makana, my TWH went on trail rides together, Makana could hardly keep up with Tara’s smooth, what-ya-gonna-call-it gait.

Tara’s last trail outing at 30 years old riding across bridges my late father had designed while at the MN State Department of Natural Resources.

All-around Trusted Friend

Tara was my go-to horse for decades between the kids who came to ride. I could ride her anywhere, with horses or alone. She jumped, did dressage, trails, obstacles, sorted cows and team penning. We even rode bridleless. I wish I had gotten into endurance riding earlier in her life, because Tara would have been amazing!

Tara at 26.

Tara was the only horse I've ever trusted enough to give bridleless riding a try. — *Tara was the only horse I’ve ever trusted enough to give bridleless riding a try.*

Team penning at 26 years old.

Dang, the cows were practically bigger than Tara! She had no fear.

Our first time sorting cows.

I rode Tara until she was 32 years old. Granted our rides were just hacks around the farm, but she still had spunk.

*Me and Tara with Ernie enjoying the trails at our farm.*

You are forever in my heart Miss Tara. You are the horse that turned those NEVERS into possibilities. You turned me into an Arabian lover, a mare lover and a short horse lover. You became the Arabian who learned a natural smooth gait, and you became that kid’s horse after all.

But one NEVER remains the same: Saying goodbye is NEVER easy.