About Sonny

Susan, like me, was born horse crazy. She worked at a local barn cleaning stalls in order to afford a horse. I only heard her tell the story once, but the horse she had was in poor health and died. The people at the barn gave her Sonny. He was from a Standard bred rescue but had never raced, he was too slow, but he sure was fast enough for us!

Sonny was the type of horse with a work ethic. Point him in the right direction, ask him to move and off he went. Susan used a copper roller bit with shanks on him to keep him in check, he loved to suck on the copper and responded to the slightest touch of the bit. She also taught him just a light pressure to his sides meant “GO” and go he did! I asked her once, isn’t that dangerous and her reply, “well, no one is ever gonna own him but me!”.

I use to love to ride Sonny. I had to work my way up to it; he was not for a beginner rider. We would get on the fireroads and get into his standard bred pacing. Instead of trotting where the diagonal feet take turns, each side goes in tandem. The effect is a gentle sway side to side. Some people cannot stand it, I loved it and so did Sue.


Susan had another game with Sonny. He was a little girthy and sensitive when tightening up the saddle. He would turn his head and snap in the air, something you really don’t want a horse to do. She would bite him on the neck. It was another one of those habits you don’t want to pass on to another owner….


Sonny had no sentimentality. He was definitely not an arab and wanted to just do his job, do it well and go back to his friends in pasture. He taught me how fun it is to just “GO” on a well trained, safe horse and enhanced my equine desires. Everyone should have a horse like Sonny in their lives at some point…