Previous Rides: Stretch

This is my little Stretch. He also goes by Stewch and Stitch.

So tolerant

I got Stretch when I was in a pretty awful place in my riding. I had a lot of fear and I had just retired my thoroughbred, Quest, who bucked me off all the time. I was afraid to jump above 2'/2'3, but I had dreams of competing on the A circuit and eventing and earning my pony club ratings. So we set out to find me a confidence builder.

Along came Stretch! He was a 1991 paint horse gelding who was sitting over the winter because his owner, who had evented him through Training level, had bought a new horse. She didn't want to sell him, so she put him out to pasture over the winter. I casually mentioned I was looking for a horse while shopping in a tack store and that's when I heard about Stretch.

I started leasing him in early 2002. His owner ended up wanting to sell him later that year, so we bought him. He didn't quite pass the vet check, but I was riding him at a lower level than he had ever gone (he was a Junior Hunter for years and then evented through Training with his old owner), so he was fine. Except that he promptly went lame at the very last show of 2002, so I only really got one show season on him, but it only took one year to give me the confidence boost I needed.

Stretch was a dream to ride and he was great (at a low level) at everything. He has the smoothest gaits I've ever sat, which is what made him an excellent equitation horse for a kid with very little core. He was a steady-eddy over fences which made him a pretty nice little hunter (he was a JR Hunter before I bought him). He was very handy, which made him a fun jumper. He was the easiest horse to put on the bit, so he did well in dressage. And he'd jump anything without hesitation, which made him fun on cross country. He was the perfect all around horse! He had no bolt, no rear, and had some pretty silly crowhops for bucks. I was not afraid on him ever.

We started out playing at some B circuit shows and eventually an A circuit one. We dabbled in all three rings and here are some pictures!

At our first show in the maiden ring

2'9 or 3' jumpers just a couple months later

2'9 jumpers I believe

More jumpers, we didn't get many pictures from the other rings

Equitation at Almaden farms

Jumpers!

I then started schooling him out on cross country and earned my C1 pony club rating on him.

One of our last cross country schools

Such a good boy

The same day

schooling at the horse park

He loved cross country

We also competed in numerous little combined tests

The easiest dressage horse

I was seriously twisted in the tack for a long time

Such a cutie

So adorable

After he was rehabbed from his injury in and it was determined that he'd never jump above 3' again, I leased him out to a few of my students who took pony club ratings and showed at schooling shows on him. I had moved on to a higher level event horse in 2003, who I turned into a dressage horse in 2004, and then Rico came along in 2005. But Stretch always held a special place in my heart.

So special that my mom ended up wanting to keep him for herself! He became her trail horse and still lives at my parents' ranch today, occasionally being trail ridden down the road or at the local parks with my dad and his TWH, Riot. And occasionally being tortured in the arena by yours truly or being made to give beginner lessons to various members of my family.

He still remains one of the most fun and easiest horses I've ever ridden. I'm so happy that I found him all those years ago. He was probably the horse who gave me the most confidence in my riding and I'm ever grateful for that.

Stretch is really not amused about being made to walk next to
Riot for this picture! He really is sweet, I swear!