2018 Miniature Horse World Magazine WINTER 2018 Volume 34, Number 8 | Page 32

miniature tales
Growing Up with Minis
By Bridget Yates
T
he secret was out! My
mom attempted hiding
horses from me, but it
was all revealed whenever my
grandpa bought me my first
plastic horse from Walmart
when I was three years old.
This plastic horse was just
the beginning of my horse
fascination.
After, begging and pleading
to see more. My mom sought
out a local horse show to ease
my burning desire. Miniature
horses were everywhere, all of
which were standing square.
What a perfect match for a little
girl who wanted a taste at what
the equine industry was like.
My dreams then went from
little plastic horses to real-life
little horses. A lucky girl I am!
The following week, we
discovered that there was a
Miniature horse farm down the
street. The nice lady invited us to
come visit her farm. Being four
years old, I gladly picked up a
rake and presumed to do horse
chores while memorizing the
names of each horse. She then
invited me to participate in my
first Miniature horse show, and
there has not been a last since.
It is 2002, a small young
girl with an even younger
small horse were hitting the
horse show circuit together.
Chance is the name of my first
Miniature horse, together we
had many adventures, trials
and errors, and above all
lots of lessons learned. Some
endeavors include being a
runaway ballerina in costume
class, biting me in halter class,
and the occasional rare ups in
showmanship.
These many tears and many
fears brought the attention
of Al and Susan Bulgawicz,
who had the perfect solution.
Alpha and Omega’s Stormy’s
Hero, or Hogan became
my next chance to shine
in the arena. Together we
would learn and trust each
other to become a successful
team. Under the guidance
of Sally Smith, Hogan and I
both learned what all went
into showing and training
Miniatures. We learned how to
drive, showmanship, and many
more events. In 2005, we
landed our very first AMHA
World Championship in Youth
Showmanship 7 and Under.
Hogan and I continued to
compete until I aged out of
the Youth Division, grabbing
a few more World Champions
in Obstacle Driving, Halter
Obstacle, and Showmanship.
Growing and learning
together, Hogan symbolizes
many lessons learned, the
importance of trust, and how
hard work pays off.
30 Miniature Horse World
WINTER 2018