Introduce Yourself! (First Stop For Newbies)

[mes]

Hi Christine! Welcome. I live in Central PA, too. Central as in smack dab in the center of the state. LOL
Was that last shot with your gray taken in Centre Hall? The fence and stands look familiar.

There are quite a few PA members and more is good.

[sweetexception]

Yep, that picture was taken in Centre Hall, Im in Mifflin County

[laughalittle1]

Hey Christine!!! Nice to see you here.

[jo]

May 5, 2003 13:07:04 GMT -5 Moo said:

Hee hee, I'm half Belgian, born, but bred in France. But my mom is Greek. Confusing, I know.

[kaeleer]

Oops, I already introduced myself on the top board. Sorry!

[canterhavenfarm]

I am slow to introduce self, started out on another thread first!
I am Kathy, 40 yrs, live in Utah. I have been around horses my entire life. Pretty much raised by horses. I grew up with gaited horses, even did 4-h on my gaited pony. It was not until I went to college and I got a job at a barn, than I learned about Dressage and Jumping. After college, my next horse was gaited, out of my dads TWH stallion, he needed a barn buddy so my parents gave me one of their mares who was a TWH, super hot and very pacey. But the mare could jump! Hard to ride due but did teach me to find my own balance.
While taking jumping lessons with my twh, I met my first OTTB. He was advertised for sale at the local equestrian park and I figured I needed a more 'traditional' horse for jumping. The owner gave me his stall number and told me if I wanted to see him out of the stall to call her. She only had him for a few months, got him off the track. I went to stall #505 and found a very tall, very,very skinny horse trying to reach through the bars to grab his neighbors hay that was strewn about the stall. I would say his body score was maybe 2. I called my instructor at the time telling her how horrified I was that an equestrian center would let a horse get this bad without bugging the owner ( it was a self care facility). My instructor asked " is that stall 505?", yes. Come to find out my instructor complained 2 weeks earlier to the center management. They called animal control and now the owner was being forced to feed the horse. Did not seem that it was going to well in my opinion. So I called the 'owner',she came out, was terrified of her horse. I had to get him out of the stall while she stood behind her car. She asked if I wanted to ride him. I told her that I would not get on horse that was this thin. But if she gets to the point where she wants to give him a good home, call me. She called 2 weeks later.
A year later, I started riding Solo. He was doing well. Another year later, I moved to a new home where I had more property, found a new jumping instructor. Solo and I started showing that year in hunters. He was always in the ribbons. I did feel that he was starting to be a bit sore the next day after a show but it was always brief. The last show of the season, I felt he was a bit off. I had the vet out and we found that solo has matching bone spurs in both front hooves. Thus Solo is now the pasture buddy.

Working with Solo was amazing and I fell in love with the thoroughbred. Thus my search for another OTTB and I found Mace. He is a grandson of Storm Cat and was race horse broke only. The lady I bought him from wanted him to be a barrel racer but decided that he needed an experienced rider since he would run away with riders. Sounded like a horse made for me! I went to see him and he was a bit shorter than what I wanted at 16hh, Solo is 17hh so as I was thinking about if I should buy him, he came over to me and planted his head in my chest. So He came home with me that day. Our first year was an experience. Mace really knew very little but I learned that I can work well with OTTBs and I do not react but rather help them out their 'tantrum' and then continue on. I took Mace to several clinics and each day the clinician would tell me that what we did in a day, takes other riders months to do. I started showing mace in low hunters and I think we terrified the local hunter riders but we would still place. ( I did learn that you can have speed in hunters, just needs to be a consistent speed! ) By the end of last year, we ended up being reserve champion in the Long stirrup division. This year, we are showing jumpers since that is more where his talent is. We are still in the low 2'6 division since I do not mind taking things slow but we have started jumping 3' to 3'3" at home and in lessons. I adore Mace. Not only did he figure out I was on his side and gives his all when we ride, he is a big puppy. I think he would follow me into the house if I let him. He is the friendliest horse, not pushy, not lippy, just wants to be next to me.
So I am now hooked on OTTBs. They are absolutely amazing. I still have my 2 gaited horses and a draft cross but I would take another OTTB any day. Riding and teaching them a new career is a wonderful journey.
I am very glad I found this forum. My hubby's eyes start to glaze over due to my constant horse chatter. Now I can chatter here!