Horse Spotlight: Confetti

Confetti is that once in a lifetime horse who was meant just for Lani. The kind of horse you could never have planned for because you did not even know you needed her yet. God had her ready to go long before we ever thought about what Lani would need in a horse.

In early February of 2020, when Lani was only 9 months old, I received a call from a Facebook friend I had never met in person. She had seen our barn and riders on our page and felt like she needed to ask us for help. She had been standing in line behind an older couple at Tractor Supply when they asked the cashier if she knew anyone who could help them with their three horses.

Their health had declined to the point that they could no longer feed or care for the horses regularly. They had once been very successful Appaloosa breeders and had loved these horses dearly. Over the years, they had slowly sold off their horses to make things more manageable. These three were the last ones left from some of their favorite lines. They knew they could no longer care for them, and they did not want them to end up in even worse shape.

When God calls, the answer is yes. So we packed up the trailer and drove to Prosperity to get the herd.

When we arrived, we were greeted by quite the trio. There was Nevada, a recently retired breeding stallion who had only recently been gelded and had a bit of a hitch. Then there was Cookie, a skinny and scraggly leopard Appaloosa with pancake feet. And finally there was a palomino who was not halter broken and did not particularly appreciate being touched.

Nevada was easy. He loved people and seemed to know we were there for something good. Cookie was opinionated, but she decided treats made the halter worth tolerating.

Then there was the little palomino.

At only two years old, she had experienced very little human interaction. Having been taught by my mustang how to be a horse trainer, this was a pretty typical day for me. Sky was shocked when she found herself calmly cornered and haltered. She was even more surprised when she realized she was following me toward the trailer.

As Mommaru quietly talked to Cookie in the trailer, Sky was too confused to put up much of a fight. She followed her family into the box and Big Daddy shut the door.

“Wow, she’s never even been on a trailer,” the owner exclaimed.

As we pulled away, I knew she would get on that trailer. We could not leave them behind, and I already had a special plan for that dull coated leopard.

On the way home, we started tossing around new names. Nevada became Navajo. He eventually went on to become a couple’s riding horse for several years before coming back home to live in luxury with our retired Barbie and his adoring fans.

Sky became Bootsy and went on to run barrels with a young girl of her very own.

Then Mommaru suggested, “How about Confetti? She’s spotted just right. Then she can be Cue the Confetti.”

And a star was born.

At first glance, Confetti was not exactly the picture of a future superstar. Her coat was dull, her mane was long and full of fairy braids, and she was skinny. Her feet were even worse. They pancaked out and had large extra pieces where she did not wear them correctly. It took years of work to make them even resemble normal feet, and to this day she will pancake in a hot minute.

Fortunately, good nutrition, veterinary care, and a pair of scissors can accomplish a lot.

The original owners told us they thought Confetti was six and broke. A week after we brought them home, they called to say they had found her paperwork.

She was actually four.

She and Navajo had the same dad, and she and Bootsy had the same mom. They also let us know that she had only been lightly started. She was not actually broke.

That was fine. She was sweet on the ground, and we figured starting her under saddle would not be too difficult.

That turned out to be the understatement of the century.

Confetti was a breeze.

Her first real session involved a little stubbornness and fussiness, but once she was happy, fat, and healthy, she went right into lessons like she had been born for the arena. She did not care about noodles, hula hoops, smoke, cars, tarps, fly spray, screaming children, guns, dogs, or any of the other things we regularly throw at our lesson ponies.

New goats, however, were a different story.

Give her a few days, but a new goat may be considered a terrorist.

Cows were an immediate and permanent hard no.

Picking up her feet for the farrier was also not on her list of favorite activities.

Every now and then a random barrel or truck might catch her off guard, but Appaloosas are not exactly known for having excellent eyesight.

As Confetti gained weight and started feeling better, we noticed she made a funny sound at the trot. Since she also seemed foot sore, we called the vet. Dr. Rachel watched her move, listened to her trot, and agreed that she did need shoes and hoof supplements.

But that was not the reason for the funny sound.

It turns out the noise was her new fat thighs slapping together.

More hill work for you, chunky.

Confetti continued to blossom. She traveled to shows, went around the arena like the star she was, and earned ribbons wherever she went. She went through mounted patrol training and passed her test, earning her place to go out on calls.

And all the while, there was a little blond girl growing up beside her.

Lani started her show career as a leadliner in 2021, with a team of fantastic role models walking her around the sandbox. But even then, she wanted to spend every possible moment with her spotted best friend.

By 2023, Lani was ready for her first solo class.

From there, the two of them were off.

What started as a little girl spending every waking moment on her spotted pony quickly became something much bigger. Confetti and Lani became an inseparable force to be reckoned with.

Confetti gives Lani everything she has and will try almost anything at least once. She has become the horse God sent specifically to teach Lani that she can be safe while still being challenged, that goals are worth working for, and that there is something pretty incredible waiting on the other side of hard work.

Together they have entered and placed in their first canter class. They have learned to work a gate, tackle hard patterns, stand up at the trot, be the example in the ring, and most importantly, learn patience and grace.

They are learning that sometimes you have to work at something before you can be good at it. They are learning that progress does not always happen all at once. They are learning how to communicate with a partner who cannot speak their language and how to find a way to meet in the middle.

That is what horses teach us.

You have to listen. You have to adjust. You have to try again. You have to learn how to negotiate with your partner. And eventually, if you are lucky, that horse becomes an extension of you.

That is when the magic happens.

The ribbons, buckles, trophies, and titles these two have earned in the three short years they have been competing solo are certainly something to be proud of. But what means even more is the name they have made for themselves in the ring.

Kind.

Supportive.

Dependable.

The steady Eddie.

Confetti is the perfect combination of spunk and cool confidence that our little blondie needed. She will push Lani’s buttons, make her work, and occasionally remind her that cows are absolutely not negotiable. But when Lani needs her, Confetti is there.

She has taught Lani how to work hard, how to be patient, how to trust, how to communicate, and how to keep going when something is difficult. She has shown her what it feels like to accomplish something she once could not do.

And perhaps most importantly, when Lani is on Confetti, she knows she is going to be taken care of.

There is a peace that comes with knowing that the horse underneath you is going to do everything she can to get you where you need to go.

That is something you cannot put a price on.

If we ever went under and everyone had to go, Confetti would just have to come live with us on the streets. She has earned her spot many times over.

She is worth her weight in gold.

And remember, she is so fat her thighs slap.

We would not trade her for anything.

Looking back, it is almost unbelievable to think that in February of 2020 we loaded a dull, skinny spotted horse onto a trailer without knowing how special she would become.

You could’t see the horse who would one day become a show horse, a mounted patrol horse, a lesson horse, a partner, a teacher, and the absolute perfect horse for a little girl who was not even old enough to know she needed her yet.

But God knew.

He knew exactly what Lani would need before she ever needed it.

And somehow, He put Confetti in the right place at exactly the right time.

Cue the Confetti.