I'm 28. And ive been riding from the age of 7. I grew up taking lessons in dressage and western showing both my own horse and anything else in the barn that was sane enough to get on. I did the trials for Olds placed on the top 10 wait list, and decided to go to the local Agricultural college. I have a diploma in agricultural business.
I worked during the summers at a Fjord farm where I learned how to drive, and I taught and trained all summer. I also got a chance to learn from great teachers who came to the farm for a "vacation". The next summer I worked for former Olympian Hugh Graham, who I groomed for at shows, and at home. I also helped manage the barn, dealt with vets for breeding procedures (Kingridge was one of the first farms to do embryo transplants on a large scale, and my dad was one of the first non vets trained to do embryo transplants on cattle, therefor I knew a lot and learned a lot more...) I learned a lot about managing staff, and stallions here. I also kept the fox hunters fit and sound.
I then made a big mistake, but it ended up ok...instead of going back to Ont I ended up working for somone local, but that didnt work out. Thats all im going to say about that! I ended up in Milton Ont. Groming for a former member of the German Young riders team. I managed/ rode/ groomed all of his horses inculding 7 GP level jumpers. Learned alot about how flat work leads into jumping and how BROKE your horses should be! After about a year the boss decided he was going to stop showing untill his kids were older, and an oppertunity came up in NB so I moved back to the maritimes.
I worked for a maritime QH farm. While there I taught/trained/and managed the farm when the owners were on the road. Students that I started and coached won the AQHA rookie in both amature and youth for NB. I worked both with the WP/allaround horses and the halter horses, having horses that I fitted qualify for worlds several times,
I left that farm thinking I was burnt out and needed some time off, wrong! Turned out I had Rheumatoid Arthritis and I took the next two years to get my life back together. During that time I judged shows, did clinics and passed my EC Judges test.As much as I hate the fact that I will never be able to be a "trainer" again I taught a few kids who have gone on to do really well within the show ring and out of it.
I showed an Appaloosa Halter horse for 2 years while dealing with a lump growing on my Thyroid. Thankfully it was not cancerous but it still does occasional cause me some health issues. After thinking I was done riding, in 2009 I puchased a 2001 HUS gelding. I showed him in 2010 in the local QH curcit and some fun shows. We ended up Open High Point Preformance Halter Geldings, and in the top 10 for the HUS classes. For someone who was told she would never be able to ride at any level ever again, it was a sweet victory.
Even better was the kids and parents, and barn crew who took lessons from me before I got sick, who stood up and cheered every time I won a ribbon even if it was last place :)
After 2 years of fun, showing, riding, and loving Lucas, in 2011 I decided that he needed to find a new home with some one who would enjoy and use him much more than I would again. My joints were at the point that his rough english gaits were too much for me, and my weight and general unbalance were causing him issues. So in the summer of 2012 we found Lucas a new home with his own little girl to love him.
