In 1996, I had the rare pleasure of encountering one of the greatest horses I’ve ever known. Standing only 14.2, Kali Ma was a Tennessee walking horse that I was helping a friend to take care of. Because I spent so much time with her, she ended up becoming one of my horses.
Kali was already an older mare, at the age of 14, she had some health issues with her teeth, but otherwise she was in great shape. For a trail horse, she was perfect. A walking horse possesses incredible endurance and their method of walking using a single foot motion, meaning both front and back legs move at the same time on the same side of the body.
This gentle swaying pace required you to roll your hips to move with her. But Kali could go all day at that pace. She loved trail riding. We’d explore all over the area in Virginia, following the horse trails and going off them to ride through the woods. She didn’t worry about water, she didn’t worry about hills, and she didn’t worry about logs that were down. If you asked her to go, she would.
Kali was fantastic for training other horses as well. When my Dancer was still learning to handle trails, we would pony Dancer behind Kali. Because Kali would go, so would Dancer. Kali taught Dancer a great deal about handling the trail, she was dependable, she was strong and she was a fantastic member of our horse family.
Kali passed away two years ago after enduring the pangs of old age and health issues dating back to before I owned her. But in the few years we had with her, she proved to be a remarkable creature. She taught many of our young horses manners. She carried many inexperienced riders (including my mother-in-law) with absolute calm.
There will never be another Kali Ma, but I will always treasure the memories and lessons she gave me.