Fletcher Creek Riding Stables- first horse

The idea of having my own Riding Stables had been long in the offing.  This dream came with me from Alberta but it wasn't until 1976 that is looked like this dream could be realized. Of course first off, I had no money to bring this dream about.  Over coffee one spring day out at the Aldinger farm, Irma offered to be a silent partner in a joint venture that I would run from their farm.  She would sign for a loan for me and before I really thought too hard about it I was on my way to purchase the first horse for my "string".  I remember Diane Bersea accompanied me to Creston to look at this horse. I was happy and on a high of course and we ended up buying it.  His name was Diablo and the previous owners told me he liked to jump.Well to a wiser more knowledgeable horse person the red flags may have gone up right away but I was just looking for quiet and dependable and he did seem that. By this time I had acquired a set of slide-in racks for my Dodge truck and to fill the other side of the racks,seeings I only had one horse to transport, I stacked up bales of hay.The roads around here are pretty curvy but the horse rode well and i certainly made sure I wasn't going very fast.  It seemed to take a long time to get home again. Nerves and Worry have often taken a toll on me and I was exhausted by the time we pulled into the farm.  We unloaded Diablo and then started on the hay bales.  At one point, I remember Diane and I trying to both carry a bale and we tripped and fell and she called me a "Turkey".  That seemed so funny at the time that I laughed until my sides hurt.
   The next morning, Diablo was standing outside of his corral.  Yes he did like to jump and from then on I had to go to great pains to keep him in where he belonged.  Yup beware of a horse that "likes to jump" and is also named for the Devil!