Let's Meet!

[AAJumper]

Hi…I’m Michelle and I’m 30, and I’ve been riding since I was a sophomore at UCLA. I was born in Los Angeles, and I currently live just outside the city limits.

I wanted a horse as long as I can remember (it was always #1 on the list to Santa), but wasn’t able to get one until I had a car to drive myself to the barn and money to support a horse. I started out grooming in exchange for lessons, and when I was given a very old school horse, I cleaned a few stalls to pay board (it was a clean-your-own stall place, so I cleaned stalls for those who didn’t want to).

Fast forward…I am now a civil engineer and I feel very fortunate to have found a trainer two years ago that I just think is so great! I do the A/A jumpers on my TB named Tulie. He is quite a character, and I have known him since I started riding, as he was owned by my first trainer. I have owned him for almost 2 years, and it has been quite a learning experience, but fun as well. We are looking forward to our second year at Indio. We’re leaving in less than 2 weeks and I’m very excited.

My husband thinks I’m sort of nuts, being so obsessed with the horses (and now with the horse message boards). But I have to have a strong hobby since he works 24 hour shifts approximately 14 days out of the month as an firefighter.

Check out my webpage at http://members.aol.com/dilberta99/tulie.html

[shiloh]

Michelle - Love Rammstein - “Du, Du Hast Mech,” that song is sooo wierd I have to laugh when I hear it. All my friends listen to country (yawn!) and I’m the only one into metal. Welcome, fellow metal head…=)

[snickers]

I’ll give is a shot. Just passed the quarter century mark, I know, didn’t bother me until someone put it that way.

Grew up on a farm. Mom rode 3-day before me, and meet my dad at the World Champs when they were in DE in the 60’s?? She was fifth I just found out!!!

Rode many ponies, wish I could have stayed a junior just for that. I can still fit a medium and not look too bad.

Quit riding when my parents divorced during sixth garde. Got the bug back in high school and convinced Dad that I HAD to have a junior hunter. He relented and I had fun. Moderate success, but learned a lot.

Went to college at West Chester University, rode on the team. Had a blast, it was one of the best experiences! Worked as a groom during the summers. Learned a lot, from various trainers.

Graduated in 1995 with a degree in Elementary Education. Took a few months off to groom in Indio. Gotta love the weather.

Currently, have had my fill of substitute teaching. Four years was enough!! Working in a horse related field. They don’t give me strange looks when I ask off for a show!

Love country music, avid reader, keep the points for the local organization, date many men that refuse to go near a horse!! Oh well!

And as the song goes, “that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

[system]

I really enjoyed reading your profiles!
I am 33 and grew up in Westchester County only 45 minutes from NYC. Although I lived in horse country my parents were fearful of “paying for a broken neck” so I only managed a casual weekend ride. My BA is from Simmons in Boston and after school I moved back to NYC. I joined Morgan Stanley on the bond desk in Toronto 5 yrs ago. I am still homesick for the States and can’t wait to go back but taking up riding last summer changed my life.

My major riding highlight was a cross country trip to England last summer. I try to ride/lesson 2/3 times a week and still can’t believe the feeling I have when I “get it” and my instructor says “yes girl, now you’re riding”.

Although I love my boyfriend and my 2yr old Golden Retriever Reilly, nothing quite makes me smile like I do when I ride.

[Pat]

It is very hard to keep horses healthy and happy in NYC. The Chelsea horses get more turn out than the Claremont ones I suspect. Atleast Chelsea has an outdoor that can double as turnout during the slow part of the day. The major mistake made at CEC waaaay back in the begginning was that they bought an awful lot of inappropriate horses. Many care in with serious soundness issues, not just little things. Then later down the road when anyone else would have cut those horses loose, they still had them. The owner, CEO or whatever, had it in his head that he could get what the horse could make in a month if he sold it. So he hung $5000 price tags on horses that were worth maybe $800 to $1200. Some even less, like we’d be lucky to find a free home. So, instead of going on to retirement or another loving home (with turnout) they stand in 8x10 stalls. Nice, huh? With 46 horses and only one turnout, how do you balance the needs of the ones in work with the ones out of work. The whole mess was quite depressing at times.

In general,it’s a pretty crummy place to work. Tons of weird interpersonal crap going on all the time. People quit and get fired all the time, and then get hired back only to be gone again. I honestly believe that the phones and possibly the office I shared with Lee are tapped. I think there are only 3 or 4 people who have been there since the beginning left. They only stay for the money, and honestly, none of them are good horse people.

As a matter of fact, I was hesitant to work for Montclair because one of the owners of CEC also owns MRA. He is NOT my favorite person in the world. Beggars can’t be choosy, so I take the work where I find it.

[ponykid]

Thank you Olmos! I am flattered.

[jch]

I am also new to the whole world of bulletin boards. I found this while reading a Chronicle article and think this is a wonderful way to exchange information. Unlike all of you, I am a stroll around the ring on a baby sitter rider - even though I will be 45 this year! I am extrememly lucky because although I grew up outside of New York City and my husband grew up outside of Detroit, we now live on a small farm in Texas. My unbelievably patient husband has grown a beautiful field of Coastal Bermuda hay to help feed the horses. We even sell some! I have two fabulous children, one is a swimmer and the other is the rider. If anyone had told me twenty years ago that this would be my life, I would never have believed them - it’s amazing!

[Dolce_Vita]

Ok, I’ll do this even though this is kinda an old thread!

My name is Chelsea and I’m 13 years old. I just got my pony Kudos almost 3 months ago! I’ve been riding for 6 years and I live in Virginia. Banks sent me the link here Thanks Alex Um, what else… I live in Virginia and I just started to show. I’m showing in Pony Pleasure and Madien!

[wadino]

Hey Everyone. I only post alittle here and there. I am 12 (13 on March 20th). I have only been riding for 3 years. I ride with Betsy Morret at Hollyhurst Farm in Pennsylvania. I ride my trainer’s pony, Rags To Riches aka Rags, in lessons and I’m going to lease/show him soon. I love attending shows that my barn go to and I have alrady went to 3 with them and might be going to one today! Oh by the way, my name is Ryan.

[ponykid]

Hi, I am new on the board (although I am an avid Chronicle junior reader) and I was wondering if everyone would take a minute to introduce themselves- their horses, hobbies (well, I guess it would be horses!), what they ride in, et cetera. I know that many of you already know each other (Portia, Lucien, Barb, Ben & Me…) but I would love to get to know you! I’ll start. I am fourteen and I live in the south, I have a children’s hunter and a large pony hunter, I love science, I want to be an ambassador to the UN when I grow up, and I love horses! I might be getting an adorable corgi soon (my yellow lab Jasper had to be put to sleep recently), I have a rabbit named Matilda, and a cat named Annabelle.

[Black_Market_Radio]

Ok, I guess I can let on about myself too… I am 22 years old, single by choice (Well, sick of psychos anyway!) and live in California, close to SF. I have a 9 year old TB mare, 15’3hh, but she looks and moves like a WB. I am currently looking at stallions to breed to, even though I won’t have the money to do it for about a year! Anyway, I go to Santa Cruz, Ca at least once a month because I LOVE the beach, and in fact one of the stallions I am looking at is down there! Anyway, after a stint in the Marine Corps (hence the name devildog) I went to work at a H/J barn which I can’t stand those people anymore, but anyway, I now have a job as a real estate appraiser, and I love it! Unfortunatly I totally killed my knee yesterday, re-injuring an old military problem. I will probably never be able to run again and will be on joint supplements for the rest of my life as I have VERY little cartiledge between my kneecap and the other bones and a “popping” tendon in the back of my knee, which sucks horribly as I was planning on getting a BS in Anthropology and going back in the Corps as an officer! So now I guess I will put my whole entire energy into my horse goals!

[This message has been edited by devildog20 (edited 02-14-2000).]

[Tap2Tango]

Hi My name is Stephanie. I’m 14 but I’ll be 15 in less than two weeks
I have been riding since I was 5 and half. I have a 15 year old TB Childrens hunter who is sadly laid up till summer.(a breif update for all you, he seems to be getting worse and not better ) I also have a Large pony who is semi retired. I also do vaulting. I play locrosse and I cheerlead. I’m not sure what I want to do when I grow up. Maybe an FBI agent or a photographer. I guess that’s about it!

[JrLeagueGoddess]

Ok I guess it is my turn…

I am 33 and live down here in Sunny Florida (ha! sunny, and cold!)

I have been riding since I was a kid…and love it, live for it…eat breath and sleep it!
I am married (for 4 years) to a great guy who I STILL adore…(more everyday!) We met and I married him 5 weeks later!

He plays Rugby…and has started riding…and recently bought me a new horse…I sold my last one expecting to start a family…however we found out that that would not be possible. So I got a Bigger baby…he is a Palmino QH who is just perfect for me…we searched for him for almost 2 years.
I also had a riding accident where I broke my back,and spent almost a year not walking. I do not have full use of my right leg…however…who cares…I am alive!
I believe that my love for horses really helped me through the hard times…and really gave me incentive to work harder.

Mac… you are awesome! And I would love to talk to you…email me. I am also in Florida.
You are an inspiration to all…just want to say good for you!

I also have 4 cats ( 2 tabbies 2 torties) and an Irish Setter who we rescued!
Thats all…Have a great day!

[Weatherford]

OK - SoEasy put me up to it (we do go back a ways, as she said, & I think I should add that she did not mention she won Prelim 3-day at Essex many years ago. So in addition to being a very, very nice person and very supportive of me during more than one difficult time, she is very modest about her riding).

I am 45 (eeek), grew up with horses (and dairy cows) in NJ - foxhunted (with my family, including my great Aunt who continued to hunt til she was in her late 70’s early 80’s - blue hair, side-saddle & all!)… First horse show on first birthday - although, I will admit, I do not remember it ;-)… PC’d - was lucky to have two incredible ponies - a small and later a large - who could do anything! Did the Jr/Amy jumpers - then went to college (Sarah Lawrence), then grad school (UofVA - MBA) (during which times my riding was relegated to pleasure & hunting when I could), then did the A/O jumpers again…then long story, but back to pleasure riding & then grad school again (MA in Music) and then another attempt at getting to A/O’s (on the same pleasure horse/foxhunter that I had had for a while). Retired him, now making yet another attempt to get to the A/O’s on another project…

Had a thriving out-of-print horse book business - til I decided I’d rather buy than sell books (hence the over 25,000 in my house and barn). Since leaving the business world, I have been working as a writer - primarily technical articles and online help for large corporations. Have just officially retired to return full time to my first love (tied with horses) of writing music.

Am going to WPB for the first time in a couple of days - will be doing all my own work and attempting to at least get around the A/A jumpers…If anyone from here is there, email me - I will have my laptop!

Oh, forgot to mention my wonderful lurcher puppy - blue merle, short coat, and getting taller daily…

[This message has been edited by Weatherford (edited 01-15-2000).]

[PepTalk]

Hey, I guess I’ll throw my two cents in! Hi! My name is Kelly and I have been riding since I was 11 ( I am a late bloomer ). I started riding Saddle Seat Eq. and did that for three plus years on and off. Then I quit for a year and a half for personal reasons. I started back in the spring of '98 with my current trainer Kris, who is the GREATEST!She is the one that made me take a 2’9" jump last week without me knowing about it!I had only been jumping 2’6" prior to that. Then she had the nerve to tell me that my horse ( whom I also lease)can jump 4’3". Thanks Kris, like I needed to hear that! But, she’s an EXCELLENT trainer and she is the one that is getting me ready for my VERY FIRST “A” show this coming summer. I cann’t wait!!! Oh, I compete in the Pre-Child/Adult Hunters (2’6") and the Mini-Medal( which is also 2’6")It’s like a regular medal class but the jumps are only 2’6", so some of the kids who haven’t showed at 2’6" before can get a feel for what a medal class is. My horse’s name is PepTalk (duh) and he can jump! He’s a 15.2H chestnut QH gelding that is about 10 yrs old.Also, I am a junior in high school and I am 17.Thanks for reading this!!! Happy Jumping!!!

[BostonBanker]

Well, I’ve been hanging around on this forum for weeks now without saying a word, so I’ll take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Betsy - I’m 20 and live in Vermont. I’m an animal science student looking ahead to grad school. I’ve ridden for about 8 years, mostly hunters. I’ve started riding dressage, and (finally!) got my own horse three months ago, a wonderful 3 yr old Hanoverian named Tristan, who I plan to show hunters and dressage. My username is in honor of the love of my life, the old TB I rode for years (Anyone out there from Ox Ridge? Last I heard he was there…). I work in the barn and teach lessons to pay for my horse, so that’s about the only “interest” I have time for!

[system]

<<Originally posted by shiloh:
Michelle - Love Rammstein - “Du, Du Hast Mech,” that song is sooo wierd I have to laugh when I hear it. All my friends listen to country (yawn!) and I’m the only one into metal. Welcome, fellow metal head…=)>>

Thanks Shiloh! If I have a really bad day I love to shut the door to my room and turn the volume up as loud as it will go. It totally calms me :0) My parents on the other hand don’t seem to share my point of view :0) I understand about the country music. My mom is totally into it, too tame for my liking. My dad on the other hand favors classical/opera music. Now THAT gives me a headache!!! (no offense to people who like classical/opera music.)

[Kim]

Hi everyone!

What a great idea! Here goes:

My name is Kim. I’m 31 years old and live in a suburb of Boston, MA, where I grew up. I’m a sports writer/equine journalist, which is a lot of fun. I often cover horse shows for the Chronicle (which I love!) and have a wonderful new horse book coming out later this year from Half Halt Press. (By the way, we are looking for some “feel good” horse stories, so feel free to contact me if you have an idea!)

I began riding at the age of 13, which is fairly late compared to the other kids
that I showed with! I had to work very hard to catch up!! I was fortunate enough to get my own pony - a large Connemara gelding who was a cutie but a rogue! - only 8 months after I started riding. He taught me how to stay on, as he tried every trick in the book with me and then some!! Bucking, rearing, bolting, stopping, you name it! LOL We did small shows and 4-H for a couple of years and had a lot of fun.

After that, I wanted to do bigger shows (I have a very competitive drive! In fact, my pony once dumped me on a picket fence in a class, and even though I was bleeding and needed 10 stitches, I determinedly rode, bleeding and all, in the rest of my classes in my division! LOL) My mom supported me wholeheartedly (she’s the best!) and drove me back and forth an hour each way so that I could pursue my goals. When it was determined that I needed a horse, we sold my pony to a little girl and got a beautiful 8 year old, 15.3 bay TB mare who has been my best friend for nearly 15 years! (She’s now 22 ) She was always a very tough ride (very sensitive and “hot”) but a wonderful mover and jumper. Boy, has she taught me to ride! We did “A” and “A2” shows off and on for years and rode with a couple of excellent but BRUTAL trainers. LOL My mare developed allergies a few years ago, so we took a break from the show world. I tried to breed her, but she was unable to carry to full-term.

We now have switched to dressage, which I hated at first (my position had to be totally reworked from hunters/eq!). I also recently purchased a second horse, a 4 year old TB filly that I rescued off the track (she was headed for slaughter). She is going to be an absolute star. I love both of my “girls” and, even though I work 3 jobs, I spend 99% of my free time at the barn - riding, grooming, mucking stalls, feeding, etc.

Anyway, enough of my rambling!

Kim
Kimber8768@aol.com

[Evan]

Hi, I am relatively new to the BB. Here it goes. I am 21/f getting ready to graduate from college with a Equine Studies degree. I also took classes that are required for veterinary school. I have ridden seriously for about 10 years but only started showing when I came to college. I ride mainly jumpers but have tried dressage and eventing.
I’ve never owned my own horse so everything that I have learned came from school horses. If you’d like to chat further, e-mail me.

[ponykid]

Wow guys, this is great! I never imagined such a huge response and it has been so much fun to read about everyone’s backgrounds and their current horses or ponies. So many of you older ones out there (and no, you are not elderly and have no reason to be bashful) have so much experience and wealth of knowledge it is amazing. You are like the old schoolmaster horses that pack their rides around- you know everything! I love reading all of this. To HorseLuv- my mom (who posts on the board sometimes but I wont tell her sn!) wont let me tell you what state I am from (over protective, huh?) but I can say I am from the South!