Discussion: Your dream horse - then and now!

Oooh, I just thought of this and I've been meaning to ask you guys!

How has your concept of your "dream horse" changed from when you were a horsecrazy child until now? Has it changed or has it stayed the same?

When I was a kid, I looooved Arabs. I got the AHJ and my walls were plastered with pictures of Arabs. I mean, I was obsessed. When I was 12, I could have talked about bloodlines and strains and the characteristics of each and what was a good cross on what like a pro. I desperately wanted a little Egyptian mare with a really pretty head. Something like this.

Then, I gotta tell you, seven years into my riding career I went to another barn to take lessons and one of their horses was an Arab. A bird got into the arena and spooked it and it bolted and I ended up going ass-over-teakettle into a wall and pretty much ruining my lower back for life at age 15.

Thus ended my love affair with the Arabian horse! Yeah, I've met a couple since then that are nice enough to ride but it's just not a breed that I'd ever, say, buy for myself. On top of the spookiness (yeah, I know, some aren't, but a lot are), the way they move just doesn't do much for me. I don't find it as comfortable as, say a typical TB.

Now, my ideal is a Thoroughbred or Quarter Horse that is light sided (that's a big one for me, I just hate horses you have to push push push), easy to deal with and has a love of human beings and attention. And I admit I always wanted a buckskin, my whole life, so owning this gorgeous metallic-coated buckskin is a thrill in of itself. (But hey, I really could have looked past it if he'd been shaped like a yak. I promise, I could.)

So tell me about your dream horses - now and then!