The first few months were hard on all of us. Before long we were on a first name basis with our vet. Yankee had been hungry for so long, his body couldn't metabolize food correctly. He coliced three times in just two months. He was so malnutritioned it took over a year to bring him around. His hooves were severely split, requiring shoeing. He was scared of everything and everyone. Not to mention he no longer trusted man. But I was working on that part. Progress was slow. So slow, that my dad's friend was forced to leave him with us when he relocated to California. Shortly after that, Yankee was given to me. I was 10 years old then.

I fed him twice daily, gave him vitamins daily, groomed him, and stayed with him when he was ill. He began trusting me. He knew now that we - he and I - would be growing up together. He may not have been much to look at that first year, but he had a huge heart. I exercised him untill he was strong enough to ride again. Then I got the honor. We started him on trails and then cows. After watching my pony get goughed he decided he didn't want any part of "working cow horse". We spent the next few years tending to each other. He would lay his head in my lap while sitting on the fence or porch. He found his forte to be speed. He was only beaten once.. He loved to ride all weekend long. He was great on camping trips. We went somewhere new each week. He gentled down enough for kids to ride. I would take him to birthday parties, and downtown to the river. He was always a gentleman. But never would trust men (one can only wonder why). I learned alot from my horse about human nature. I can say he never was wrong about first impressions.

I finally decided to look into his background. It took years to get any real answers. I found he had been sent from Wisconsin to the Lockhart Lions Club (Texas). He was being donated to the handicapped kids. Sounds perfect, right? He obviously didn't have a good ride down. I was told they were on the road for almost four days. He was so wild when he got out of the trailer, Lockhart refused him. So, they held a raffle to cover shipping expenses. Some woman won him. She sold him when she saw him, to my dad's friend. And that's how he came to us.