My Horse Was Named Star

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When I was a kid we moved from the city to the country. Mom and Dad bought seven acres in the middle of a farm. The farmer was a nice man with sheep and a horse. The Horse was named Star and I had permission to visit him on a regular basis. Star was a retired rodeo horse that was given to the farmer so the horse would have a pleasant place to live until he died. He and I became friends. Star would wait for the school bus with his head hanging over the fence every day. I was nine years old and not very brave so the farmer put a halter on Star and gave me reigns that would attach to the halter so I could walk him around like a puppy. Eventually I would get on his back and every time I did that he would take me to the barn. Having the reigns to hang on to helped me stay on his back and not fall off. Soon the farmer came up with a bridle with the bit for the horse’s mouth. Mr. Peck, the farmer showed me how to guide the horse where I wanted to go. I soon was riding him in the pasture bareback and felt confident doing that. My most memorable ride happened was on a bright summer day when I took Star up a dirt road next to a farm fields. I think it was the first and last time I ever took him out of his pasture. The ride up was joyful for me. The old horse just plodded along enjoying the view. However, when I turned him around to go home he took off at a gallop for the barn and I was no horsewoman so halfway down the hill I fell off. I remember thinking Star was going to kill me with his feet or leave me in the field… But, when he felt me fall off he stopped on a dime and waited for me to get up off the ground. I was shaken but not hurt and we walked the rest of the way to the barn and pasture. I mentioned he was a rodeo horse – he would roll over on command and he was a one-person horse. I was his one person. If anyone else tried to get on him he sat down like a donkey. He was great fun for me as a kid. A few years later, the farmer rented the pasture to another horse owner who had young racehorses that needed space to run. Star loved the company and ran around with them. Unfortunately he broke his leg while playing and had to be put down. That was the saddest day in my early life. We had been together for about 4 years. I really missed him and will never forget him. Eventually my parents bought me a horse. We also had a dog and a few cats plus chickens geese and ducks. The occasional lamb too. What kind of animals did you hang out with when you were a child?