Introductions

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my equestrian blog which will be documenting all things associated with the training, riding and showing of my own two horses, as well as my competitive equitation season as a part of the Lake Erie College equestrian team. A little background of my own riding is that I starting taking lessons at age ten with a woman named "K" who I still call "my trainer," despite the fact that I only ride with her once every 6 months or so. I started being trained as an eventer, but after a few scary stadium jumping trips, I decided that my OTTB mare and I were no longer having fun fighting each other around a show jumping coarse. After a year of doing dressage and flat work, I came back to jumping as a hunter rider and my mare and I excelled. Unfortunatly, a bad fall through a 3'3" oxer ended my mares career as a three-foot horse, and severely shook my confidence for the second time. I rode a steady school horse for a summer to re-gain some of what I had lost, and then packed up my mare and myself and headed to college. At school, I compete in the Intermediate Division of our Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team. I entered college in the Novice divison under the guidence of my new trainer and coach "M." My first year was fabulous and I excelled, being crowned champion at our Regional Qualifiyer, Reserve Champion at Zone 6 Finals and finally riding to 5th place at the National Championships in Nashville, Tennessee. Summer brought about a whole slew of new horses to play with, and after my mare damaged her tendon sheath playing in the pasture, I focused my attention on a new gelding; an off the track Standardbred named Johnny. You can follow his training and my riding here in this blog! Look below to read each horses bio!

In Vogue "Emmy"

"Emmy" is my 22 year old Thoroughbred mare. I got her for my thirteenth birthday when Emmy was already 16 years old. She had little training, and a long history of abuse and negelct behind her. We've spent 7 fabulous years together and have just about been through everything together. She finally retired from jumping this summer (09) after tearing her tendon sheath playing in the pasture. Until then, she was jumping 2'3" at C rated hunter shows still! This picture was taken just this spring...she looks good for 22 huh? She's my baby and my sanity during the tough times. I still ride her on the flat and do some dressage with her.

Walk The Line "Johnny"

"Johnny" is my new project this summer! He is a 16 year old Standardbred gelding who had a very successful racing career as a trotter. An injury to his front legs ended his career on the track, and when I met Johnny last spring, he had been sitting in a pasture for five years. He was unbroke and lame, but had the sweetest puppy dog eyes and a personailty to match. We took care of his feet, got him fit and manage his old injury daily with liniments. Today, he is fit, healthy and sound...not to mention happy! He canters and LOVES to jump. At his first undersaddle horse show, he won a first and two seconds, and has continued to keep amazing me everyday.

Tantrum Force "Tantrum"

This is one of K's sale ponies. She is a 6 year old Sport Pony with a medium measurement card. I've been riding her a bit for K and am currently in the process of producing a sale video for her. She's a fabulous little hunter pony, and she's for sale if anyone is interested :)

Keep checking back to follow the story of these horses and our adventures in the schooling and show rings!