Clyde Wyrosdick

Clyde is my Tennessee Walking Horse and he is really special to me. Clyde joined the family two years ago and he will never leave us. When we first got Clyde I was already scared of horses because of the previous ponies we had bought. The ponies bucked everybody off, they had bucked me off so many times that I had gotten to the point to where I wouldn’t even ride a horse anymore. Clyde came to us scared of everything; he wouldn’t let anybody touch him.

I thought that Clyde was so pretty, the way he pranced around the yard. I started taking him feed and he got to where he trusted me. After a few weeks he let me put the halter on him; after a few times of me practicing leading him around the yard, I started brushing him. He loved to be brushed and I would brush him everyday.

One day I got up enough courage to sit on him bareback, I tied him and pulled up a chair. He turned and looked, and I smiled and petted him, reassuring him it was o.k. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and slid on his back. He was fine. I thought it was such a relief. I laid on his back and grasped his long black mane in my hands. I stayed on him for about 5 minutes and got off.

The next day I put his bridle on and got on his back. I rode around the yard for an hour and got off. For the next week I was riding him in the yard bareback. One weekend I told myself I’m going to put a saddle on Clyde. I tied him up once again and threw the saddle on his back, and he turned and sniffed it and then turned back around. I stuck my foot in the stirrup and climbed on. He didn’t seem to care so I untied him and rode him around the yard, and then I thought what heck, I opened up the gate and rode up the dirt road. Today I’m riding Clyde everywhere; I’m even showing him in flat-shod and gaited classes. I even taught him how to barrel race even though he’s a Tennessee walker. That’s all I've got to say about my baby.