My Friend Ben was my first horse. I was thirteen years old. Ben was 15.2 hands. He was the sweetest gentlest horse you ever met. He was very handsome too! His name was Ben and I wanted more of a show name for him. I rode with four other girls at the time and we all showed together and had a ball! One of my friends told me I should call him Gentle Ben. I said yes, he was very gentle and kind but he was my best friend. She said I should call him My Friend Ben and that became his name.

Ben was the ideal child’s mount. A friend of my mother’s found him for us. She was right. He was the perfect horse. My mother enjoyed riding him too. Those were wonderful times for my mother. She would ride on the same trails I rode Ben and she said he would literally walk, trot and canter in the same exact places I did. She never had to ask him for a thing. She would come home and tell me my whole ride!

I rode Ben in every show I could get my parents to take me to. We had a friend who trailered me around. I would go to 4-H shows and we won several 25 mile competitive trail rides. I would ride up to Pipestave Hill where the old Cardinal Cushing Academy was. The horseman’s Paddock Association ran a show there with year end awards. We tied the year end champion with one of my friends in 1974. I won numerous year end division championships with him that year.

One of my greatest memories is being trailered to the Myopia Hunt Show Grounds. I felt like I had finally made it. I was so excited about showing there that day. I won some really good ribbons and I was very proud of them. I loved jumping the outside course. I think I was 15 years old at the time. I vowed I would grow up and make it back there some day. I wanted to ride with the Myopia Hunt. I had no idea what colors were at the time. I just knew that when Myopia came to town it was the best day of the year for me. They showed up in fancy vans and unloaded stunning horses. The riders were always well dressed and so talented. I enjoyed watching the hounds work. Some day I was going to have a horse I could ride with them. I promised myself I would make that happen some day.

I had Cocoa at the same time for a while. I grew up with a girl up the street who still remains my best friend. We had a ball with those two animals a couple of summers! We trail rode everywhere and took them swimming. We even showed them at Pipestave Hill together. They were wonderful in that they never cared about each other so they never hollered if one was in the show ring or out on the hunt course. They made life so easy for us. Little did I know then how much I would appreciate how perfectly wonderful they were as I bought and sold horses as an adult. Julie and I even followed the Myopia hunt together and got yelled at by a lady from town!

I was able to take Ben to a nice summer camp one year. This is where I met the trainer we sold Jason to. I remember she told my mother that I was a pretty package on a horse but I needed to learn how to really ride. She told my mother she was able to teach me how to ride and train a horse. My mother faithfully took me every single Saturday for lessons. My mother would work on the books for that trainer’s mother while I took my lessons. I did learn a lot. I really looked forward to my lessons and my time at that farm. She had a beautiful outdoor hunt course and I loved riding it. It also gave me the opportunity to ride different horses again like I did at Orcland Farm.

Eventually we trailered to a farm in Boxford called Whipporwill Farm. Eddie Carbon was the trainer and Mrs. Tye was the owner. Mrs. Tye called her first farm Wrynklestone because of the way the stones on the farm had wrinkles in them. Eddie would put me up on anything. I was really quite proud of that. He had a large group of girls and we all rode in a round dirt area jumping fences and working on our equitation. He also had a fabulous outside course. I loved galloping around that field and jumping those fences! At the time I did not realize it but Eddie had quite a thing going with us girls. He would go to an auction every week and have us ride the horses. He would then sell them based on how they acted with us riding them.

I remember one day he asked me to tack up this new horse he just got in. I was so excited to ride this big strapping bay! I took him out into the paddock and rode him around at the walk and trot. He was quite comfortable and well behaved. Until I asked him to canter. He let out a huge buck and I remember landing directly in front of the saddle on his withers! I sat up and paid attention much better after that. I complained to Eddie and he said how else was I supposed to learn how to catch ride! Now let’s go out into the field with the others and jump! I was a bit nervous. I learned that Eddie was right. I was spreading my wings and learning how to feel out horses on my own.

I finally learned how to ride in a saddle with Ben. I remember my parents bought an Argentine hunt seat saddle. I did not like it and proceeded to take it apart! I never used a saddle pad and I took the knee rolls out of it. I wanted to be close to my horse. Later on when I was working at one of my friends stables I was able to work off the purchase of a close contact saddle made in England. I was so proud of that saddle. It was pencil thin all over and it did not have knee rolls. I still have it today some 30 years later!

Eventually I outgrew Ben’s talent. We sold him to a lady in West Newbury. She only had him for a couple of years. He had an aneurism while she was riding him on the trails one day. He is buried up on a hill where he fell to his death. I was very sad when she called me. I had grown as a person and I thanked her for the great care she had given him. We were both equally sad. She was wonderful to him and I was grateful to her for the love and care she gave him. She is a wonderful person to this day.

I was older when Ben was purchased for me. I was beginning my teenage years and headed towards adulthood. I learned how to ride and not just be a passenger on a horse. Ben taught me how to be a refined rider. He taught me a lot about competition, how to win, how to graciously loose. Ben gave all his ability could give to me. I wanted a horse that could really jump and gallop on. He taught me how to share because my mother and my best friend rode him. He was so versatile. I rode him English and Western. I did not drive him. He taught me how difficult it was to give up something you loved so much in order to grow. It was a very painful decision to sell Ben. I remember my mother and I holding each other and crying as we made that decision. He is also forever in my heart. He took care very good care of me. I wish I had him today. I only hope that I have a horse as gentle and kind as he was in my older years to hack and to love.