#EquestrianProbz

As most of you know (unless you are lucky enough to live in California or show in Florida), the winter season is upon us and in full force. If you are one on the lucky ones with an indoor arena, you're just dealing with the cold. 

I can deal with the cold and snow and wind (Thank You Upstate NY), but cannot deal with the attitude and temperament changes in my thoroughbred mare. I've tried everything from lunging her before I ride, giving her calming supplements in each of her meals and even letting her just run around in the ring for a few hours. But even with all these tactics/measures, Christy (my mare) is still a bundle of uncontrollable, unreliable energy, 

I still manage to ride her (with a few changes in routine and program), but wanted to ask any OTTB owners or fellow riders what they would suggest? 

Below is a picture of Christy and I bareback in the snow :) Believe me I was as astonished as most people are! 

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If you spray my face, I will drink the water :)

As a barn rat and working-student, I am at the barn during rain, snow, sleet, hail, thunderstorms and any other annoying weather conditions you can think of. 

Recently the northeast has been blasted with both snow and rain, making for some very soppy, extremely muddy outdoor conditions. And of course, 4 ponies and 2 large horses (including my own) all decided to roll, cover their blankets in mud and run around in the swamps I like to call pastures. 

But the barn life is a dirty one!

LOL My horse and her pony pal after rolling (in the Spring)!

After two weeks off....

Today in the mail I finally received the calming supplement I had ordered for my mare a week ago. I purchased a product from Dover Saddlery (an already costly equine retailer) and received it 7 days later after paying $12.00 for shipping. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but why does horse apparel, gear, equipment, etc seem to cost more than a nice-sized sedan or pair of Jimmy Choo's? 

Ever since I can remember I have loved the brand Tailored Sportsman but could never understand why a pair of stretchy tan fabric pants, that pilled and ripped at the slightest amount of friction, cost more than $100? 

Owning a horse is already expensive with the costs of vet bills, dental bills, and farrier bills wracking up into the thousands- so why do we allow equestrian brands and retailers to charge us absurd amounts of money for fabrics and leathers WE KNOW don't cost that much?

Ace's Crystal, aka "Christy," is my beautiful, 14 year old thoroughbred mare. I bought her about a year and a half ago from a woman who no longer wanted to ride or own her and was lucky enough to snatch her up! My original intention that summer was to lease a horse over summer break and return him/her in the fall before I headed back to school. But when September rolled around, Christy became the first horse I had ever bought. 

When I first met Christy, she was at a small dressage farm located about 30 minutes from my house. It was a hot summer day, with blazing sun high up in the sky and I had dragged my dad to come see her with me. At arrival, I saw Christy's owner waiting for me with a smile on her face. Christy was all groomed and tacked up as we headed up to the ring and her owner proceeded to tell me a little more about her. 

"She was a racehorse, with only four starts when I bought her".....

"We trained her in dressage and then leased her to a hunter/jumper rider about your age"......

"She's a bit spooky in the ring"

As I took in all the information, I grabbed the reins and got on. I was a little nervous at first, but as soon as we started trotting we just clicked. I never really had an experience like this with a horse, but I knew in that moment I wanted to lease her. 

A couple months go by of intensive training, hard-work and lots of baths and just like that the summer season was over. But just a few weeks before school was about to start I had gotten a call from Christy's owner asking if I would like to buy her. Unfortunately I knew I couldn't afford to buy a horse at that moment, so I declined. A couple days later I received a second call saying that she would give me Christy for one dollar. After many negotiations with my parents and trainer, Christy became a permanent resident at our farm. 

Currently, Christy is in training to do the lower-level jumpers. After many months of working with her in the hunter discipline, we realized she had a true love of jumping and decided her temperament and personality would be more suited for jumpers. Look for show pics to come!

Below is a picture of Christy and I jumping a brush box in the first month I was leasing her! 

About 11 years ago I asked my mom to take me to a horseback riding lesson at a small farm in Chester County, PA. At 10 years old, I had called the farm's trainer, scheduled a lesson and readied any article of clothing I had resembling riding gear. 

Soon enough the day had come for my first riding lesson and I was more excited than a kid on Christmas or a horse about to eat a carrot. I don't really remember what happened in my first lesson, but ever since then I have become an avid horseback rider in the hunter/jumper discipline and gained a lifelong passion for horses and horsemanship. 

Since then, I have been with two trainers, leased 9 horses, fallen off 3 of them and bought my own OTTB challenge ride (for $1 I might add). And with these 11 years of horse experience, I have shown in local shows, groomed at A rated shows, been apart of two collegiate equestrian teams and am still a working-student for my current trainer and best friend. 

I love the horse-world, even with its politics and bureaucrats, because I love the athletics, compassion, intelligence, kindness and personality a horse gives to its rider. 

In this blog I will be chronicling the adventures, the pains and gains, and the stories of an avid equestrian with limited show experience, current equestrian collegiate team member, working-student and OTTB owner and rider. I hope you enjoy!