My Little Isabella

Bella is a three year old bay Thoroughbred registered "My Little Isabella". She is owned by Christy Loshaw of Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada and resides at Maple Lane Farms Equestrian Centre. She also has the same sire as previous 'Horses of the Week' – Pi Coeur and Elle a Coeur.

Christy tells us of Bella:

"I purchased Bella in May of 2005 when she was only two weeks old. She was owned by a farm around the corner from my home and I fell in love with her when a friend of mine took me there to see his own horses. I had wanted a horse my entire life and decided that I was more interested in raising and training a filly of my own than trying to buy one that was already broke. Bella was exactly what I was looking for. Mind you, I had no idea what I was getting myself into! I had never owned a horse before nor did I know how to look after one, but for Bella’s sake I devoted all of my time to learning how.

For the first year of Bella’s life I visited her every night, rain or shine, and even now I can’t go longer than a couple of days without seeing her. There is just something about our time together that takes me away from everything else that is going on in the world.

I have heard the old adage "green on green makes black and blue" many times and since I have only been riding a little less than two years (yes, I bought a horse before I even knew how to ride!) I was very hesitant about getting on Bella, but just could not wrap my mind around sending her away for training. Finally, after three years of steady groundwork I got the courage this past June to ride her for the first time. It was such an exciting moment for us both, and was well worth the wait. Bella took everything in stride and acted as if she had done it a million times before.

Being able to ride Bella for the very first time was well worth the wait and I would not have traded it for the world! She is my little girl, and I love that I am the one that gets to share her firsts with her. Her first ride, her first hack, her first show... the list can go on forever.

I trust Bella completely and I know that she trusts me as well. Even now, I am just as confident riding her as I was with the old horse I used to take my lessons on.

I could not have asked for anything more in a horse and I love her to pieces!"

Congratulations to Bella for being our October 20^th, 2008 Horse of the Week.