Barbara and Dial the Music

It was one of those typical cold rainy Oregon days that I had my first meeting with Dial the Music. If ever as a child you imagined Black Beauty this was he only with 4 white socks and a white star. He was in a barn with stalls that opened into separate pasture area. As I walked into the barn he came running in to greet me, how elegant he was as a young horse. He hung his head over the stall and seemed eager for a pat and human companionship. I was surprised by the actions of Dick the owner as he went through another stall to slide the door of Music’s shut to keep him inside. I later found out why. As I opened the stall door to step in you could immediately see the fear in Music’s eyes. As I stepped in he ran to the corner of the stall, and as I got closer tried to climb the wall to escape the what would have been his fate in the previous owners hands.

Dick was a man that had developed the reputation of one that fixed problem horses. He had purchased Music cheap from the track as a horse the jockeys refused to mount. He had gotten over the worst with Music and said that he was a smart horse, had been through a lot for a 2 year old and that with some patience would make someone a good horse. And so the love affair between man and beast began.

We went slowly at first and I will have to admit I was just afraid of Music and he of me, but with time and with the help of two very competent trainers, Music and I began to trust each other. I had rode horses for as long as I can remember, but the show ring was an all-new experience for me. As I think back now to the beginning dressage lessons with Jackie Browning I have to laugh. We spent many hours singing Up, Up and Away in my beautiful balloon as we slowing climb on Music. And later when I was asked to canter how I would have to get up the courage to ask for it not sure where we would end up. And how many of you have heard those words BREATH, BREATH.

When I decided I wanted to show Music western Jackie encouraged me to call on Sunny Lyons and those years turn into very rewarding years for Music and me. I have the love and trust that you develop with your trainer but also as a dear and close friend. I was told that you can’t make a English horse Western or a Western horse English, but I was determined to have 1 horse and he was going to do it all. Dial the Music has done it all for me. During the 6 years that we were in the show ring Music stacked up the blues and Championship's in Halter, Showmanship, Bridle Path Hack, English, Western, Trail, Dressage and Champion Performance Horse in Oregon and Nevada. I cherish the years and memories that he has brought. Through Music I have meet people that are now my friends that I would not have if it weren’t for him. Into a horse club that is fun and rewarding to be in. Encouraging each other and understanding of their mounts. And some wonderful times with my granddaughter as she won big in Nevada as Dial The Music took care of her in the show ring. Now in our older years we are stacking up the hours on these beautiful desert trail

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