his racing record he didn’t like that very much, before
Snippy had his birthday a couple of weeks ago; he
long he found himself sold at a sale and then on the
is forty years old and still rules the pasture he lives in.
truck that took so many horses to the end of their lives.
Constantly reminding his companion, a thoroughbred
Slim Hart, a horse dealer, was looking for quality horses
mare named Caro, that he is in charge, and can still
to sell. This great little horse caught his eye and Snippy
control the place, he spends his days grazing and sleeping
was rescued. Over the years, Slim saved hundreds and
in random order.
hundreds of horses from the killer buyers and resold
Snip’s show name is Love
them into the hunter jumper
Letters and he belonged to Lisa
industry, long before any of us
Thorpe many years ago. She
even knew what a ‘Warmblood’
showed him in the Amateur
was. Snip was one of the lucky
Divisions and later he became
ones and received the famous little
the first show horse for Jessica
heart brand on his left shoulder to
Janes in Costa Mesa, California.
mark his travels, hence the show
When Jessica’s abilities outgrew
name Love Letters.
this wonderful bay gelding,
His worst vice now is falling
he found a permanent home
asleep, and almost falling over,
with Kathy Hobstetter at Fox
under one of the big oak trees that
Pointe.
dot the field he is in. Sometimes
“His heart is so big and his
he forgets he is standing up and
manners made even the smallest
beings to wobble a little, startles
rider confident,” said Kathy.
himself awake and then terrorizes
“He came to me because Lisa
Caro to make sure she doesn’t
wanted to be sure he had good
forget he is in charge.
care as he got older. He served
“Come to think of it, that sounds
so many of the little kids in my
a bit like my grandfather! I guess
barn that when it was time for
we do have a lot in common with
Jessica to move up, I bought
these critters we love so much.
him myself with the promise
After all the confidence he gave
he would want for nothing the
to young riders, and the years he
rest of his life. At the time, we thought he was in his late
served us, he deserves to be taken care of kindly until
teens or early twenties, and he became THE horse all
the end, and as his owner, I take that extremely seriously.
the little ones requested.”
I am fortunate to have Sid and Lalli as personal friends
“At some point, even though he was still sound and
that love the horses as much as I do. They baked him
feisty as ever, I felt like he deserved a chance to ‘retire’
a carrot cake, stuffed with apples, for his birthday and
from the show ring. He went to Sid and Lalli Shneider’s
had a party. For sure he knew it was all about him as he
place to live in a field with Caro, in Silverado Canyon.
pushed his way to the cake and into the group gathered.
Sid is a whiz at computers so one day he decided to see
He may be old but he’s far from done with his opinion.
just how old Snippy was. Taking a laser photo of the
And THAT is what we love about Snippy.”
almost unreadable tattoo, Sid put it on the computer
and added florescent colors to the photos to bring the
ink to the surface. Up popped his racing number and a
way to track his pedigree”
Snip’s real name is Spring Bell and he was born into
the racing world on March 1, 1968. From the looks of
Opposite Page, Top:
Lalli Shneider, Snip (Love Letters) and Sid Shneider
Opposite Page, Left to Right:
Love Letters and Jessica Janes in 2000; Love Letters and
Lisa Thorpe
This Page, Left to Right:
121
Sid and Snip; Sid, Caro, Lalli and Snip;
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