Cutalot (aka Cloud)

New owner, Liz Wolodkiewicz, writes:

It seems like forever since I pretended that my bike was a gray thoroughbred racehorse, but I can still remember dreaming up my perfect horse and riding around the neighborhood with my friends for hours. Back then I could only dream about the day I would have my very own horse. I took lessons and leased a horse every summer at my old track coach’s barn.

Then, in November of 2001, a very crazy horse walked into my life. Cutalot, or Cloud as everyone knows him, came to Amber’s barn as a foster horse for CANTER. I came to the barn that day with a bag of carrots, and saw my perfect dream horse going crazy in his stall. No one was around to tell me where the crazy gray came from, but I returned that night at feeding time after spending quite a while watching him in his stall.

I rode him that night, more terrified of a horse then I had ever been in my life. Before Cloud, the toughest horse that I ever rode was still a lesson horse. But I rode him, and I wanted him. In the spring, I gained permission to ride Cloud by Amber, because no one was riding him, and until CANTER put him up for sale, he might as well get some exercise. I rode him through the spring, and even taught him to jump.

Throughout the summer I pretended he was mine, but towards the fall I faced a harsh reality when Cloudy was going to be put on the CANTER site for sale. After begging, crying, pleading, etc., with my parents, I received a letter from them on the day of my regional cross country meet that if I qualified for sectionals I could have him. I finished as the last qualifier, and when I heard my name be announced, all I could think about was I was going to have my perfect dream horse.

I bought Cloud a week after Sectionals, on November 3, 2003. My very own horse, my first horse, and most importantly, everything I ever wanted in a horse. There have been ups and downs, but even though he’s not always the perfect lesson horse to ride, I love that his personality shines in everything that he does.

A long, long time ago, Amber told me that Cloud loved me, before I owned him. He and I loved each other like crazy and you can see it in the way he looks at me, follows me, and runs to the gate when I get to the barn. He’s my perfect dream horse, and he’s even more than I could dream of.

Right now, he’s living in Charleston, Illinois with me, while I attend Eastern Illinois University. All of my friends think it’s so cool that I have my horse at college. He’ll come home with me for the summer, and we’ll return to school together next fall.

Currently we are playing with Parelli Natural Horsemanship, and loving every minute we spend together. I can’t thank CANTER enough for what they did for me and Cloud. Denise Fillo made Cloud’s price an unbelievably low because Amber told her that Cloud loved me and would have a good home with me. I think that Cloud has the best home for him, and I love him more than life itself.

Watch for pics of Cloud coming soon...