Mimi, just born. She came into the world with my hand on her head, and went out of it the same way.


Just a few minutes old, with her dam Marie, May 21, 1986.


One of the ladies at our barn had a really nice camera and used a special filter to take this pic of Mimi at 2 weeks old.


Here is the sight that greeted me each morning when I arrived at the barn and called to Mimi. She would call back to me and then her darling little nose would appear- just barely visible over the top of the door. She is about a month old here.


July 1986- 6 weeks old, learning (easily!) to pose.


About 3 months old.


About 4 months old. Treats were a great training aid, but worked a little TOO well- whenever Mimi wanted a treat or thought I had one, she'd stop and park out, a funny trick she continued to the end. It always made me laugh and of course, give her a treat!


8 month old Mimi and barn cat "Rascal".


Yup, it does sometimes snow in Georgia! One of the more spectacular snowfalls (besides the Blizzard of 1993) was this one in January 1987. Here's Laura with Marie and Jim with the coming yearling Mimi. Mimi, being a typical Morgan and very much interested in food, is snacking on our snowman!


13 months old, July 1987.


In March of 1988, we were approached by the producers of 11Alive News, Atlanta's local NBC affiliate, who needed a horse for a scene with a child in a commercial for their news program. Mimi was happy to help. Here we are waiting for the film crew to finish setting up all the cameras and equipment. The producers wrote us a very nice letter afterwards and included a tape of the commercial. We got such a kick out of it every time we saw Mimi on TV for months afterwards!


Taken the same day as the commercial shoot, March 1988.


Showing at the 1989 Dixie Cup Morgan Classic. It was rare to see junior WP horses  shown in snaffles at that time.


Dressage at Dixie Cup, training level, 1989.


Working trot, training level, Falconwood 1989


Winning a Morgan hunter pleasure class at the Mid Summer Classic, 1989.


At a Morgan and Saddlebred show in Newnan, GA, late summer, 1989. This was the first time I showed her in the curb.


Winning a Morgan hunter pleasure class at the annual Mid Summer Classic Horse Show, 1990.


Mimi, lengthened trot, first level at Bar-Lyn Farm's Dressage show, 1990. Mimi was the high point first level horse at this show series (determined by the highest average score over three shows).


A nice square halt and salute, first level, 1990.


Showing first level at one of the Bar-Lyn Summer Dressage series shows, 1990.


Mimi at her first hunter show- just a little enthusiastic! 1990


Falconwood hunter show, 1990. Mimi had lovely form over fences, and particularly enjoyed schooling over big gymnastic combinations at home. She way overjumped everything here, but was clearly enjoying herself!


With some of her ribbons at a Falconwood hunter show, 1990.


Mimi schooling at home through a gymnastic grid with bigger fences, 1990. My boarder Robyn Wall Huffman is riding.


Mimi winning the Western Pleasure Championship at the Georgia State Championship Horse Show in July 1990. Photo by Sandra Hall.


Mimi at The Dixie Cup Morgan Classic, May 1990, on her way to several western pleasure blues.


Another picture taken at Dixie Cup, May 1990. Photo by Bob Moseder.


Mimi, August 2002. Hanging out in the "house" (run in shed) on a hot day. She has a most expressive face!


Although Mimi has always had a roany star skewed to right side of her face and over her eye- the same marking her dam has, just facing the opposite direction! - with age, the star is expanding and now creates a faint outline of a roaned blaze down her face. This is probably due to some aspect of the sabino complex. October 2005.


Mimi at age 20, August 2006.


This picture was taken in the barn aisle and it was a little blurry because I had the camera on the wrong setting. But I loved how she was peering through her forelock! August 2008.


Mimi is by far the most intelligent horse I have ever known. Not only super smart, but super cooperative- for example if I am trimming her feet, she seems to know what I am going to do next, and will have that foot up and ready for me. On this day, after we took some posed shots I turned Mimi loose for the action pictures. I guess it wasn't such a hot day as far as she was concerned because I had to do absolutely nothing to get her to move. Like I said, she just knows what I want. She "volunteers" ;-) She was pretty funny- you know how horses will snort when they are feeling really good? Stop, pose, snort like they are daring the world to take them on, then race around again? That was what she was doing- with absolutely no provocation whatsoever other than doing what was wanted of her. She is an extremely mellow horse at any other time. August 2008.


Good looking 22 year old mare!


December 2009- I'd always wanted to do a Christmas card with all the horses on it. So when I saw these pet antlers at the Dollar Store, I had to get them. The next step was taking a picture of each horse wearing the antlers, then creating the Christmas card you see here.


February 13, 2010- We got snow! Mimi had just rolled in it. The dirty looking gray areas over her right eye and to the inside of her left nostril are actually parts of her roany face marking, a legacy of her dam, Marie.


I wanted to get some current pictures of Mimi because you never know how long you might have with a pet, especially when they get up there in years, like Mimi is. She is 26 this year. Rosie has had her share of camera time this summer, so it's time to get new pictures of the rest of the herd. I was working alone with Mimi standing at the entrance to the barn to try and get a picture of her with a dark background like this. It was not easy trying to get her ears up AND snap the picture at the same time! Jim was busy mowing the pasture so I did not have help. These came out pretty good, considering.


May 29, 2013- Mimi's "official" 27 year old pictures. I have been having increasing problems keeping weight on her, a problem I never thought I'd have. It is a delicate balance feeding her more without possibly causing her to become laminitic, but her hooves have been doing really well.


Mimi looks like a cutting horse here!


My tribute to Mimi and her dam, Reminiscing appeared in the May 2014 issue of THE MORGAN HORSE magazine. It was a gift from the Rainbow Morgan Horse Association Board as a thank you for the many years of ad, newsletter and Directory work I have done for the club. This very kind gesture was much appreciated and is something that I will remember forever.

MANY tears were shed while doing this layout. The poem really got me. It is not readable in this reduced size jpg file, so here it is:

If you bury him in this spot,
the secret of which you must already have,
he will come to you when you call,
come to you over the far, dim pastures of death.

And though you ride other living horses through life,
they shall not shy at him,
nor resent his coming.
For he is yours, and he belongs there.

People may scoff at you,
who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall,
who hear no nicker pitched too fine for insensitive ears.
People who may never really love a horse.

Smile at them then,
for you shall know something that is hidden from them
and which is well worth the knowing
The only place to bury a horse is in the heart of his master.