I named my first pony Princess. She was a Welsh and Shetland cross, reddish coat, flaxen mane and tail, with one white sock and a blaze.

Princess was bred back, but died from that pregnancy. Cressie was old enough to be weaned, and I raised her. I was what you would now call a back-yard horse owner. I didn't take formal lessons, but later I joined the 4-H club. My parents got me Professor Berry's books on horsemanship. (Remember those?) I learned about horses from them.

Being a 4-H member I had the privilege of participating in the "Jackson County Fair". I had outgrown Cressie, and my mother made arrangements with my cousin to board her horse at our place. She was a sorrel, registered Quarter horse mare, and I placed 2nd in the pleasure class at my first show. She also bought me an Arabian brood mare with a foal at side. Her name was Topsy, and the colt was Lafia (La-fee-ya). I don't have any pictures of them.

It was in October of 1963 when they arrived about the same time my mother's cancer recurred and she died four months later. We now had, Cressie, Topsy with foal, and Reva who was pregnant. My dad could not support all these horses. I knew that soon Lafia would have to be gelded, another expense we couldn't take on. It was a mutual agreement that it would be in the best interest for the horses to sell them.

I dropped out of 4-H and remained horseless until recently. During my horseless years, my interest took an entirely new direction. My brother had taught me to play guitar a little and turned all my attention to music, learning folk songs of the 60's.

My long time school friend P{atti and I decided we were going to be "folk singers". My dad wanted me to "get a job" as most parents of 60's teenagers did, and I worked with him at his home based business doing typeseteting and layouts. He had his shop in the garage and a darkroom, and it was really cool! It was quite some time later when I realized that I had what all the kids were protesting for! "Creative work".  Of course I didn't recognize what I had at the time. so Patti and I did a few local talent shows sining Protest songs; But then marriage and kids came along--for each o us, and we went out separate ways. My interest in music grew, and unknowingly to me, so did hers. She started singing professionally and was part of the Dick and Patti Savoy duo. I learned about that several years later. Seeking advice from her and other sources, I joined a country band a became a member of the Kansas City Songwriter's Association. My stage name was Barbara K.

My husband and I moved to Lone Jack. Lee's Summit had become too citified! We bought a couple of acres in the hopes of owning a horse again. But many circumstances prevented that for several years to come. But finally it did. In 1999 I bought my dream horse. A Palomino mare named Jackie. It had been a long time since I had owned a horse, and a lot of exciting changes had taken place in the horse industry. I discovered the training techniques of John Lyons and Pat Parelli. With a newfound passion for horsedom, Parelli's Savvy System and a wonderful mare, I am "back in the saddle again"! My newest adventure is to share this information with others; especially kids who have that same "cowboy" dream that I had "when I was their age."