A “Heart” Horse Influences Melinda Curtis’s Writing

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Hello, I’m Melinda Curtis and I write lighthearted sweet romance and romcoms. Today, I’m talking about my “heart” horse (a horse you love more than you might need) and how she influenced how I include horses in my western romances.

When I was a teenager, I owned a seven-year-old, red roan, appaloosa mare. Misty was gentle as a kitten when I was in the stall with her, in the pasture with her, grooming her, washing her, or saddling her up. But something happened when I got in the saddle. Misty wanted to run. And once Misty started to run, she didn’t want to stop.

The cowboys in the neighborhood told me I had soft hands and good legs—which meant I had a light touch on the reins and knew how to control a horse with my heels. They very politely never said anything about my seat—which refers to how much air goes between your booty and the western saddle when horses go faster than a walk. My seat wasn’t good (I got a lot of air).

So Misty and I tried compromise. I worked on my “seat” and exercised her more. We galloped up hills and in circles around the corral. I got a little better, but she never lost her need to run. Then one day, after she should have been winded from racing up a vineyard hill, she took the bit in her mouth and tossed her head. Her neck hit my nose. Blood spattered everywhere. She shook her head once and realized as I did (in horror!) that she’d broken the chin strap. The chin strap is what holds the bit in place. No chin strap means no bit pressure which means Misty could ignore the reins.

She whinnied. It was a happy sound. A carefree sound. If you were a horse, that is. To me, it sounded more like brouhahahaha! Misty spun and headed back downhill between the shiny green grapevines at a full gallop. I knew she was headed back home. But I also knew there was a barbed wire fence at the bottom of the hill and we’d have to make a hard left.

Now, my teenage brain was calculating the odds of me falling on that rusted barbed wire fence. They weren’t good odds. I’m not a daredevil. I don’t bungee jump. I don’t even cannonball into swimming pools. But that day, I leapt out of my saddle and tumbled about twenty feet in clay soil to the bottom of the hill. Took me a couple of minutes to catch my breath, wipe my bloody nose and my tears, and get to my feet.

And Misty? She was waiting for me back at the door to her stall, ears perked up and ready to be brushed and loved and cooed over by her adoring girl. Do goldfishes really have the shortest memories? That day, it seemed like horses did.

Have you ever had an animal that taught you a lot about life and/or yourself? I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment to let me know. One lucky commenter will win a digital copy of the first book in the series — A Cowgirl Never Forgets. The drawing from the commenters will be Sunday.

Fast forward to me writing cowboy romances/romcoms. I love drawing on my experiences with Misty when creating the perfect foil for my hero or heroine. My characters’ lives aren’t perfect and neither are their mounts. But they learn to deal with it and laugh along the way to their happily ever after.

Here’s a little about A Cowgirl Never Forgets:

Rodeo cowgirl Maggie Blackwell doesn’t need her estranged family. She’s got Clem Coogan—her best friend, rodeo buddy and absolute rock. But when a rodeo accident leaves Clem with a terrible concussion, he’s convinced they’re a romantic item…and proposes to her. Now until his memory comes back, Maggie’s playing along. But can she keep this headache from turning into heartache for both of them?

 

You can meet my latest western couple—Griff and Bess—in The Rodeo Star’s Reunion. In this second chance romance, Bess had a sweet spot for reckless cowboy Griff—until he ghosted her on prom night. No explanation was ever given, and Bess was too proud to ask for one. Now, years later, he’s suddenly offering to help with her ranch and with the high school rodeo team that she coaches, which rekindles a spark from long ago. But will their resurfacing feelings survive when Bess discovers the real secret that Griff’s been holding on to for all these years?

The Rodeo Star’s Reunion is Book 5 in the Cowboy Academy series. Each book features a hero that spent time as a foster child at the Done Roamin’ Ranch, a rodeo stock distributor and teen foster home. The books are all connected but all stand alone. You can grab your copy of The Rodeo Star’s Reunion on Harlequin HERE or Amazon HERE.

 

BIO:

USA Today Bestselling Author Melinda Curtis writes lighthearted sweet romances and romcoms, both independently and for Harlequin. Half her titles every year are western/cowboy romances. You can learn more about Melinda’s books, shop for deals and autographed print editions, or listen to her audio books for free at the following sites:

Website  /  Direct Store  / YouTube Channel

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31 thoughts on “A “Heart” Horse Influences Melinda Curtis’s Writing”

  2. I was blessed to grow up with two special horses, a big (16-17 hands) sorrel and an equally large palomino. Red was a true kids’ horse in that we could “waller” him and he never fussed. My dad even used him to pull us back up the hill on our sleds a few times. However, Monty holds my heart even more. He loved music – my dad bought him to square dance on and as I grew older, I would ride him sidesaddle in the local parade on the 4th. I made sure I was close to a band because he would dance and prance to the music. I could ride him and he would spook at the least little thing, but if I had a child with me or on him by their self, you could set off a gun and he wouldn’t flinch. Miss the old boy.

  4. Welcome Melinda! We had a few dogs on the farm. Frisky was our dog. And he was always coming home all cut up. Like in fights. Dad would always doctor him up. We often wondered what he got into! LOL But, as I grew older and had my own family, we didn’t have animals. My mother-in-law would pick up strays and feed them. One cat we called Itty(like in little bit). That cat followed me everywhere. The only cat I ever petted or talked to. My mother-in-law said she feeds him, but he loves me! LOL He liked to sit by me as I worked in the yard and was content to just listen to me talk to him. My kids would come and pet him and he let them, but he always returned to me. I have no idea why. My husband and I have talked about gettin an animal off and on, but always talk each other out of it. But, I think of that Itty often. He seemed more than a cat to me.

    • I wonder if Frisky got into fights with wild animals. We have raccoons and possums in the greenbelt around us, and our neighbors wonder how our cat doesn’t get eaten or killed by them. I bet if Frisky was inquisitive, he got a swat or two.
      My grandmother had a cat like your Itty. Tucker had little patience with the rest of us but he loved her and would curl up wherever she was in the house.
      Thanks for sharing your stories! Hugs!

  5. I got my heart horse in 1972 he was 6! We did everything together in the pasture or I would just sit and read under the shade tree with him – I rode all over the farm bareback and NO bridle!

  6. My Cocker Spaniels taught me a lot about loyalty and being a friend. I even had one (thief that she was) who brought me little “gifts” all the time. Where she got things like necklaces and fabric dye, I’ll never know, but she retrieved them from somewhere and laid them at my feet.

  11. My horse experience was with my neighbor’s horse. I can’t remember the name but every time I rode behind their barn I would get bucked at the same exact spot. I learned not to go behind the barn. Then there were Spot and Speed and they both loved to run, terrified me, a not so great rider. But I do love to ride nice calm horses.

  12. I’ve always had dogs and each one has taught me something. However, My white deaf boxer will always hold an extra special spot in my heart. Since she was deaf, I thought it was going to be more challenging but, we just bonded and she sensed my feelings and acted from them. And somehow she had a bit of healing powers too. I have migraines and she’d lick my forehead. When she did, it would relieve the pain for a little while(and I know it sounds crazy). My mom thought I was crazy until I made her do it because she also gets migraines. She was the dog I had the closet bond with, maybe because she was deaf.

  13. Each pet I have had has shown me how big a heart can be… each one has been a big part of my life… the ups and downs.

    • I feel the same way, Colleen. One of our current dogs is part ShiTzu. If anyone goes outside, including our kids, she has to go outside and keep them in her sights, barking to alert them if anything is amiss. Every animal seems to bring something.
      Thanks for the share. Hugs!

  14. I’ve had two similar experiences. My horse broke her chin strap just as we were entering the arena at a rodeo. Needless to say, she did not perform well that day, Another time I was breaking a horse, and even though this was not the first time I had ridden her, for some reason she went crazy as soon as my behind hit the saddle. She was going full speed ahead towards the barbed-wire fence. At the last minute, I decided to bail off. As I swung my leg up and over, she made a sharp turn and the cuff of my jeans caught on the barbed-wire which resulted in me being jerked back over the horse into the fence. It was not my finest hour.

  15. I had a cat I adopted as a kitten who started life as feral. It took awhile, but she came to me and we developed a lasting and loving relationship. She taught me staying power. Wait and she will come.

  16. The cat I have now started out from a feral mother that had them in front of our house. I would go by and talk to the kittens every day. The one we ended up keeping to this day follows me all over the house and has always recognized my voice.

  17. We have had many dogs and they have all showed what true affection and loyalty are. They have all adored my husband. They liked me, but they loved him.
    The dog that taught me how intuitive and caring they can be wasn’t even one of ours. Not long after we were married, my husband was shipped back to the Vietnam war. I was pregnant but developed problems after a hard fall. I happened to be dog sitting for a neighbor at the time. She was a sweet dog, Sunny, that I really hadn’t had much to do with until that week. I had had her about 3 days when things took a turn. I was lying on the sofa, cramping and trying to decide who to call (we had only lived there a few months). Sunny came over and gently lay her head on my stomach and just sat there. It was an act of understanding and caring, much like a friend sitting with me and holding my hand. I finally called the base hospital and they sent the security police to pick me up. They were so nervous I would have the baby in the car. I spent the time calming them down explaining I was only a little over 3 months along. (a good distraction for me) Luckily a neighbor and friend came over and got the dog when she saw the police car. A good example of just how much they can and do understand.

  18. I was 12 and China was almost 3 when my dad bought her for me. We grew up together, trail riding, team penning, and riding in parades and rodeo grand entries. She was scared of flags and nearly unseated me a time or two (and did unseat me once in the middle of a gravel road!) but I loved her dearly and I know she loved me. She could tell if I was having a bad day and would be extra good for me. She had so many funny little quirks, like bucking in the pasture (she would have made a world champion rodeo bronc for sure!). I retired her at age 18 due to arthritis from an old shoulder injury, and she didn’t carry anything heavier than my tiny daughter. At age 28, we had to make the decision to end her suffering. I was with her until the end, and she is buried in the corner of the pasture in front of my house, with her own headstone. A beautiful tree grew up in her burial plot and sometimes when the wind is blowing, it looks almost the same color as her Palomino coat. I have a painting of her hanging in my living room that my friend made for me, showing how I think she must look in Heaven, with green grass, a stream, and a rainbow in the background. I miss her so much, but I know I will see her again someday, and I’ll hear her nicker for me to take a nice long ride.

  19. I never had a horse, but did ride a bit. The horse was named Smokey. Smoky always tried to step on my feet. Then he would look over qith an oopsie look.

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