Magnum is my embodiment of the perfect horse. He is courageous, spirited and brave, yet gentle, kind
and affectionate. He isn't a push button, easy ride but if you ask him properly he will perform like a
dream. He makes you work, but he is fair and safe. For this reason he is an excellent teacher. He has
made me a better rider, and a better horse person.
Magnum came to be my dream horse in 1994. I was just learning to ride and he was barely four years
old. We were both green. Most horse people will tell you this is a bad combination - green horse, green
rider. I was very fortunate that it worked out for me.
I started riding when I was 11 years old. My first horse was an old veteran named Spook. He was a
sour, mean spirited beast who liked to throw his head back and hit you in the face so you would fall off.
He taught me a lot about perseverance and I'm sure I am a better rider from his early lessons of staying
on. After riding him for a year my parents decided to sell Spook and find a more biddable mount.
We started our search for the perfect kids horse. Many horse people know that these gems are few and
far between, often being passed down from generation to generation within a horse-loving family. It isn't
too often that people part with these wonderful creatures. I had joined Pony Club on a borrowed horse.
After the first few weeks one of the instructors, Suzanne Spierenburg, told us she had just the horse for
us. His name was Magnum and she'd bring him for me to try out next week.
The moment Magnum stepped off the trailer it was love at first sight. He was a beautiful copper red with
long mane and tail. His Arabian ancestry gave him expressive dark eyes and a sensitive spirit while his
Quarter Horse bloodlines gave him a mellow and willing nature.
It had just rained and I climbed aboard for my first ride. The arena was freshly harrowed and the earth
was soft. Magnum ambled along for a few steps, then eased himself down to the ground for a roll in the
fluffy soil with me on board! It was quite the first impression!
Despite the rough first impression Magnum had found his way into our hearts and our pasture. I can
quite honestly claim that I spent the majority of my childhood and teens on his back. He was always up
for an adventure and we'd venture off on our own for hours at a time, stopping briefly to share an apple
or watch deer browsing in the woods.
I remember one spring day I was home sick from school. To cheer myself up I went to the pasture to
visit Magnum. I climbed on his back, turned around and laid my sore head on his rump while he grazed.
The rhythmic chomp-chomp-chomp soon lulled me to sleep. A few hours later I woke up on the other
side of the pasture, still aboard Magnum who had carefully kept me on. In hindsight I can't believe I
actually did such carefree, foolish things. Thank goodness Mag is so quiet or I may not have made it
past 14 years of age.
Magnum and I were actively involved in both Pony Club and 4-H throughout the years. We competed in
almost every event, from show jumping, to barrel racing, dressage and Prince Phillip Games. Magnum
had a passion for cross country so we competed in Eventing to Pre-Training Level. I loved the thrill of
racing through the woods, over hills, soaring over jumps and plunging into water. It was the ride of a
lifetime every single time. I continued to test in Pony Club eventually attaining my C2 riding and B
written.
Shortly before my Pony Club B riding test I was in a car accident that resulted in a broken pelvis. I was
unable to ride and took quite a bit of time off. We found a girl interested in leasing Magnum during my
rehabilitation. Magnum went away for a few months but his absence was very hard on me. I needed
Magnum with me to help me through the tough times. He came back and I felt immediately better to
have my best friend back with me. It was comforting to be able to groom him and visit with him, even if
I couldn't ride the way I used to. I started to volunteer to teach Pony Club as a way to keep involved.
Magnum was often the gentle school horse for the tiny kids as I instructed the lesson.
In 1999 I packed up my belongings and headed to Saskatoon to go to university...but not without
Magnum! My Dad hauled Magnum the 7 hours to Saskatoon so I could have my friend nearby. Although
I was too busy studying to train and compete it was wonderful to escape to the barn to go for a relaxing
ride and visit with dear Mag. He was a great stress reliever and probably one of the reasons I made it
through university in one piece!
Magnum has been a constant companion and good friend throughout my teens and into adulthood. I
have truly been blessed to have his constant presence in my life through all these years. He is truly the
best horse I have ever met and I hope he has a long and wonderful life.
Magnum is now back living in the same pasture he grazed years and years ago at the Ravenwood Ranch.
I love that he is just a few minutes walk from my front door. Magnum is now being used as a lesson
horse and is being loved by another generation of little girls. I am still taking lessons on him myself and
look forward to doing my coaching certification with him. He is truly a once-in-a-lifetime horse.
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