My name is Savannah, I am one of the instructors at Crooked Creek Farm. This evening I am going to share the story of Apatchy with all of you. Many of you knew Apatchy and enjoyed hearing her origin tale at Christmas parties, but tonight I am going to go into more detail about what happened once she arrived on the farm.  

Tammie, my mom, and I loaded up in the green honda to go look at a pony for me. Sandy, my weekly riding instructor, had found this pony and believed she would be a good fit for me. As a rider with two years of weekly riding lessons, I knew it all and was ready for my first horse. Looking back, I was NOT ready for my first horse and, as a 11 year old, did NOT know what I was getting into. 

We arrived at the farm to visit Apatchy and her foal, Butterscotch. Apatchy was already tacked up when we arrived and I was literally led around the paddock – never once riding her by myself. When we climbed back into the car, Mom and I talked excitedly about our new ponies. We were sold. After our one and only visit with Apatchy, Tammie had dreams of taking Buddy and I on trail rides and our cousins on pony rides with Apatchy and Butterscotch. I had dreams of cantering bareback over the field, like a character from a book. 

That was not to be. 

Several months later, after my dad had finished fencing in the seven acre pasture and building a small barn with a tack room, hayroom, two stalls and an overhang, we were ready for the ponies. 

Apatchy and Butterscotch arrived at the farm one rainy October day. Apatchy unloaded the trailer, eyes rolling and shaking. Very afraid of what was going on around her. Tammie walked her and Butterscotch around before letting them go in the pasture. 

I could not WAIT to groom and ride my pony! Who needed tack? I could ride bareback just fine, after all, I rode without stirrups in lessons, I was fine!. 

The next day Mom and I ventured to the barn. The weather was better and I was very anxious and excited to get on and live my dream. We arrived at the barn and realized quickly, the dream may have to wait. 

We could not catch Apatchy. We would get close and she would gallop at full speed to the far section of the pasture with Butterscotch in tow. We tried carrots and apples …only Butterscotch would come. Finally, we caught Butterscotch and convinced Apatchy to be caught as well. 

With no fence and no crossties, Tammie let Butterscotch go and held Apatchy as I groomed. Apatchy would not stand still. Prancing, jumping up and down, lifting her head and trying to break free, Tammie held her against the barn, right under the tack room window. Blind with joy that this pony was mine, I continued, cautiously, to groom her. We could not pick her feet, because she would not stand still, but I could not wait any longer to ride her and Tammie wanted to live her dream of seeing me ride. 

So I tried to climb on bareback. This was different than without stirrups on lesson ponies. Apatchy was fidgety and moving around quite a bit. There was nothing to hold on to and I was scared. Tammie led me around in a small circle and then I quickly hopped off and we finished our horse work for the day. 

That first day was the start of many days like it. We would spend an hour catching Apatchy only to spend 10 minutes grooming and being led around. Tammie kept saying I believe she can be a great pony. 

For Christmas, Tammie and I went to Lewis’s Tack in Gastonia. We picked out a small, no brand, saddle that came with a saddle pad, cloth girth and horse bridle. There was no way the horse bridle would fit Apatchy, so we got the smallest western nylon bridle and their smallest bit. Upon bringing the tack home, I was very excited. Finally, I would be able to take lessons on my pony and accomplish my dream of cantering bareback over the field. 

Both the girth and bridle were too big. I had to sew the girth to make it fit Apatchy and we had to use a nail to punch a hole in the nylon bridle to make it fit. 

Over Christmas break, my dad, neighbor Mike and me and buddy built the old riding arena. I had my first lesson with Sandy. Sandy was my riding instructor at the lesson barn and all the horses behaved perfectly when she was around. I imagined that she would come in and Apatchy would magically transform into a lesson pony…that did not happen. 

Though my ride time during my weekly lessons lengthened and improved, I was still very frightened of Apatchy and each time we seemed to make an improvement, she would lay down and roll with the saddle on, spook at a rabbit on the trail, spook at nothing in the arena, refuse to walk, refuse to stop walking, buck or showcase a multitude of other skills. 

Sandy continued to be encouraging and Tammie continued to say she believed she could be great. 

After a half a year or possibly a full year, I was finally starting to trot by myself some and even ask for the canter every now and then. This was a big deal. At the lesson barn, I had been walking, trotting, cantering and jumping the ponies. Now on Apatchy it was an accomplishment to walk once around the whole arena without having an incident or stopping. 

Apatchy and I were walking down the side of the arena and she spooked at something. We went for a tour of the arena at a canter or gallop before I eventually slid off. Right after I fell, Apatchy slammed on brakes and waited for me to get up and climb back on. No horse had ever done that for me before and it was a turning point for me and Apatchy. 

From that moment forward, I was no longer scared of Apatchy and things began to improve increasingly faster. I became more confident, Apatchy started listening and we did accomplish the dream of cantering through the field bareback. We also ended up not only taking my cousins on pony rides, but at least half of the riders here today had their first ride on Apatchy, the sweet lesson pony that Tammie believed she could be.  

Now. Let’s rewind and think how Tammie must have felt. Having these dreams of leading kids through the forest on a sweet and gentle pony and then unloading a wild and frightened rodeo pony from the trailer. Watching her child be drug around and frightened by this animal. What was she thinking? 

I like to think she kept telling herself to believe that Apatchy would become the pony in the dream. Believe that I would be persistent and patient enough to wait it out. Believe that one day Apatchy would be calm and gentle. 

And it turns out, Tammie was right, all because she believed that Apatchy would adjust, change and grow with time. 

The definition of ‘believe’ is to accept something as true and feel sure of the truth. Mark 11:14 states: ‘Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’

If you don’t believe it can happen, how can you put your full effort forward? 

We had to believe that Apatchy would become a sweeter, easier to catch pony. We had to believe that she would become rideable and care about her rider. We had to believe that we had the patience and persistence to follow through and make sure we were committed. 

What are you working towards? Is it becoming a better rider? Graduating? Reading a chapter book? Applying for a job? A specific dressage score? 

I challenge you to believe in what you are doing, whether that be heading towards a jump in the arena or working on a project for school. Because, even though it takes hard work to accomplish your goals, every goal or dream starts with believing that you can do it.