A Horse for Christmas

The first time I saw her was just a few weeks after I'd euthanized Phoenix. I was driving my truck up to the shoeing area near Beth's shed. As I drove toward the corrals, this little dark grey filly was pacing along the front of her pen. She got to the corner, paused and looked my way. It was like looking at Phoenix the day I bought him. I felt my heart lurch. In that moment, I knew two things: she was meant to be mine, and I couldn't have her.

There were a number of reasons I knew I couldn't have her. She was practically wild at that time, and I certainly couldn't afford to pay Beth to train her at that time. My plan had been to get Hoss to and through Tevis, then find a broke, 4 year old to bring up behind him. 2013 is going to be the year I am utterly focused on Hoss; having another horse to care for and break in at the same time will be too challenging. It just wasn't the right time.

I spent the following eleven months or so denying I wanted this little horse. I told myself all sorts of things. She'll be too small. It's too soon since putting Phoenix down. She looks too much like Phoenix.

Phoenix in 2007

As time went on since I first laid eyes on her, I learned dribs and drabs of information. I deliberately avoided her, but of course it's impossible to completely avoid a horse living with my trainer. I recall one day in particular she was running at mach speed around the round pen. I thought, that there is a top ten prospect if I ever saw one. She was tearing around the round pen without a bit of encouragement. Beth was sitting outside the pen watching her.

I learned her name is DC, which is short for Demon Child. It doesn't sound like the most promising name, but she was named after her sire.

Beth bought and owned for a time a young, black, Malabar bred Arabian stallion. He is the calmest, coolest fellow. If someone is told he is a stallion, they feel the need to check. So Beth chose to name him Demon as a joke.

At the same time she acquired Demon, Beth had a very nice little black mare by the name of Esprit. Beth always planned to breed the two, and I had visions of owning a Demon baby. We tried to get Esprit in foal to Demon without success, and Beth was forced to euthanize Esprit when she suffered a serious injury, permanently laming her.

During the time Beth owned Demon, she bred him several times. One of the breedings was to a 20 year old maiden Arabian mare by the name of Merrylegs. Merrylegs belonged to a young lady who was horse-crazy at the time. The young lady and her family moved shortly after the breeding (she was covered once) and before Merrylegs could be confirmed in foal.

DC and mom Merrylegs

A vet did a pregnancy check on Merrylegs, and pronounced her open. No baby. From what I understand it was something of a relief, as the young lady had lost interest in horses. So you can imagine their surprise when they found a dark dapple grey three-day-old filly with Merrylegs the April after her breeding!

For reasons unknown to me, DC ended up with Liz Masters as a rescue. She was sent to Beth for training. Of course, while in training, DC was also offered for sale/adoption. Beth, disliking someone who was looking at the little filly, decided since she had owned Demon at the time of the breeding, she was responsible for DC and took her herself.

It was only months after she took DC Beth learned Liz would be sending Eclipse back down for sale. Beth had briefly owned Eclipse, but had sold him back to Liz because she wasn't in a position to keep two horses, and chose to keep Esprit.

DC with Mac in the background, who could not be convinced to stay out of the picture

So now Beth was in a pickle. She couldn't afford two horses, and desperately wanted to buy Eclipse back. The only way this could happen was to, at the very least, reduce her expenses. Still unaware I was completely in love with DC, she asked if I'd take the filly home and care for her there, thus reducing expenses enough for her to buy Eclipse. So, on Friday, December 2, 2011, DC came home with me and Hoss. The plan was for her to stay with me, for me to care for her and just do stuff with her until she's old enough to break in, then she'd go back.

Having her home sure didn't make me want DC less. It was like she had been created for me. She's a Demon baby, something I always wanted since meeting Demon. She looks a lot like Phoenix, which really adds to the desire to have her rather than detracts from it. Phoenix had always been a great horse in my eyes, despite his flaws. She will mature to a good size for me. At 2 ½ she is only an inch or two shorter than Hoss despite looking far smaller when seen next to him. She's got the potential to be a top-ten horse. I've never had the opportunity to compete at that level. Phoenix had the heart but not the body. Hoss is just too slow. DC could be that top ten horse I've always privately hoped I'd own some day.

I think we'll make a pretty good match

My daughter is pretty intuitive. She pretty readily saw through me. She knew I wanted that little filly. She approached my husband, her step-father, and proceeded to talk him in to buying her for me. I am told part of convincing him was singing, to the tune of "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth," "All she wants for Christmas is the horse DC!" It worked. He called Beth and worked out a deal. By the end of the weekend she was mine.