Hi! I’m new too! Some of you might know me from the EquiSearch boards. My name is Jenn, I’m 14 (but I will be 15 in about two weeks), and I live in Pennsylvania. I don’t have a horse, but I take lessons twice a week, and in the summer I will be leasing a horse. I will lease and show either the large pony I am riding in lessons now, or one of my trainer’s horses. I have been riding for 3 1/2 years, and I ride hunter/jumpers.
Jenn
Hi everyone!
Great thread!! I’m probably one of the few to admit to being a dressage type on this board ( NOT a DQ though). I’m new to this board since the demise of the old USDF board to a y2k bug. I find this board to be as interesing and relevant to my life as the other one anyway.
I run a 40 horse lesson barn. I acutally teach mostly western beginners and novice english kids. But rode hunters myself as a kid. I always had a love for dressage, and when I stopped bouncing so well gave up jumping for it.
I never did decide what to do with myself when I grew up and now get paid for playing with horses all day. Like any job,it does have its moments but on the whole I really enjoy what I do.
My facility is unique in that it’s owned by a Park District in Illinois. We do lessons and some trails. But ours aren’t typical trail hacks, they are very well cared for and only work as long as they enjoy their jobs. A large part of what I do is buying, selling and finding adoptive homes for our horses.
I teach most of the lessons, english and western. Most of our students are relatively new to riding, so when I can get beyond ‘up-down-up-down’ it is a real treat!!!
I have a wonderful OTTb who is 11. We do first level dressage and trail ride a lot. I also just bought a 3 year old quarter horse to start this year. He will be a wonderful project.
Unfortunately both are having a vacation this winter because I can’t afford to board the two of them at an indoor. The TB is for sale but I found my new partner before I got him sold.
I also have two bog dogs that go to work with me every day. Winston is a 7 year old Flatcoat Retriever and Dalton is a wild year old chocolate lab. I also teach an agility dog class at a local kennel.
That’s about it for my little family. In my spare time, when I get any, I also do a lot of photography. I also spend a lot time addicted to these BB’s!!! I really enjoy reading about everyone’s ideas.
Hey all! I just joined and thought I’d say hello.
my Real name is Sarah and I’m 16. I’ve ridden forever but only seriously for about 2 years now. I own a thoroughbred named OF REGAL MEANS who I show in 2’6 hunters. We’re from NJ…southern NJ…anyone else here from that area?
OK, guys! Guess it’s my turn now!
My name is Suz & I live in coastal SC. I’m 26 years old & have been riding since I was 5. Got my first pony when I was 7 & still have her. Her name is Miz Scarlett (how delightfully Southern!) & she is 36 yrs old now. She still does 3 lessons a week with my students & a few shows a year. I run a small hunter barn called Upper Mill, located on my family’s 1828 plantation. I train, show, give lessons, & also put on a few shows at the barn each year. I currently have 11 horses in the barn, 7 are boarders, 4 are mine. I have a 5th, she is leased out to a hunter barn near Camden. My favorite horse (besides Miz Scarlett) is Raleigh~ he’s a 16.3 Appendix QH, 5 yr old, solid blood bay. We’re working on getting over our fear of ground poles right now & making pretty good progess! I hope to be able to show him in some Pre-Green stuff by this summer. He’s a fabulous mover & has a great attitude, he’s just a bit of a chicken! 
I also have 5 cats: “Ho”, “Dot”, “Fro”, “Peeps” & “Hillary”. Also one Jack Russell “terror” named Tyler. Hmmm, let’s see, other stuff about me: I was a rider & performer for Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction from '93-'99. It’s a pretty fun place to work, hey, you get to wear lots of costumes & makeup, ride lots of horses & get paid for it! Can’t beat that! But, you can only do that for so long before the old body says, “Enough!” Sooooo, I “retired” from showbizness, & went to flight school. I now have my private pilot license & am working on my instrument rating. I plan to eventually get my ATP & fly commercially, but first I have to build my hours, which means I’ll have to instruct. I’m fixing to get back into “showbizness”, the Vice President of the flight school wants me to be in a commercial for the school! I’m very excited about it! Other hobbies include: pigging out on SUSHI!, deer hunting (hey, it’s a Southern thing! lol), & playing on this goshdarned computer! I have a wonderful boyfriend, who is 6 years my junior (hey, get 'em young & train em RIGHT!) He’s very supportive of my horses & my flying and treats me like a princess! Here’s the kicker~ I originally met him back in '97 when one of my students was dating him & she brought him out to the barn. 
We “remet” last March & have been together since! Anyways, enough of my ramblings. Now you know who I am! 
SUZ
What a wonderfully diverse group we’ve become! I love reading your insights and opinions, even (especially) the ones that challenge my own.
I’m Julie, 30 years old, and live in Tempe, Arizona (Hi Erin!). I work at Arizona State University and am also a doctoral student here (what was I thinking?). I’ve ridden and shown hunters/jumpers/eq since the age of nine, mostly in the West. I narrowly avoided a career in the western saddle – Thank goodness for my mother (a non-horsey, but practical person) who pointed out that, at nine, I’d never be able to lift that western saddle.
My current “horse connection” is as a part-time therapeutic riding instructor. I love it! I do miss showing and riding myself (ohhhh how I miss it…), but grad student salaries don’t quite cover the expense. So, to compensate, I teach, coach at therapeutic riding shows with students, and live vicariously through all of you.
Think I’ll leave it at that for now-- But I’m looking forward to meeting some of you in person in Vegas at the World Cup!
Hi there! I’m 32 years old and live in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Moved here 2 years ago from Middleburg, Virginia because of work - am still adjusting!) I have 4 horses, 3 dogs, a cat and a goat.
Horse 1: 6 yr old QH that is a saint for my husband to ride (beginner) western
Horse 2: 2 yr old paint. Have had him since he was a weanling - is adorable but spoiled - incredible mover.
Horse 3: 4 yr old 17h TB G - investment pre-green horse - trying to sell - too many horses!
Horse 4: 14yr old TB G - has done it all and is very fancy - spend a fortune keeping him sound but he’s a perfect boy
Dogs: Whiteny (grt. pyrnees); Henry (st. Bernard); and Echo (cocker spaniel)
Goat: Felix. Generic Pygmy - adorable - 8wks old
Husband: Animal lover (thank you!!) and sweet as they come
Utah is not exactly hunter/jumper land. It is not unusual for me to be riding at the equestrian park across the street from my house and to have western riding kids ask me what kind of saddle I have. I often get strange looks! This board is great to read because I feel like I can somehow stay connected!
Welcome!
Hi everyone - great idea! I just learned about this forum over Christmas also - and LOVE it!!! I am definitely addicted! My name is Nicole Piccone, I am 27 and have been riding since I was 8 - primarily dong the hunters. I show in the AA division - I LOVE horses and have started my own business with a friend - hoping it takes off!!! As of now - I work for a managed behavioral health company - BORING!!! Horses are my life and passion!
I will not tell you how old I am.
I live in MD, married, one adorable 2 y.o. son who makes me laugh all day. Did a little showing (hunters) on the very local level as a teen, then got into racing for the next 12 years (whoops, giving away my age). Got my present horse, 9 y.o. TB off the track when i hung up my exercise saddle for the last time (to date). I do the Adult Amateurs with him, and am a TRUE amateur in that I only ride about 4 times a week and work full time as a PI. I have been all over the Eastern US and Kentucky working with some of the most wonderfully generous race horses in the country. Glad to have gotten out of Saratoga without a visit to the jail or emergency room.
I suppose it’s about time that I post to this thread. I’ve been lurking around this board since the beginning. I post occasionaly, but have more fun reading what everyone else has to say.
Anyway… I’m 19 and a college sophomore from Indiana. I don’t have a horse of my own anymore, due to the whole school thing. I hope to get back into riding when I graduate, but that’s still a while down the road.
I’ve been riding for 11 years, and have had three wonderful horses of my own in the past 6 years. My first boy was a bay QH, Sonney, who tought me how to show and how to take care of a horse. He’s now one of the horses on the Purdue U Equestrian team. My second boy was a grey TB children’s hunter, Merritt. He is now, as far as I know, living in South Carolina. My last boy was a large paint pony named Wink. I had him for over 3 years and took him from a greeny runaway to an awesome 2’6" pony. We showed everywhere and had a blast doing it. I miss the little guy a bunch, but now he has his own little kid to teach.
I think that’s about it for me. If you want to know more, you can check out my page: http://mdphillips.tripod.com/horses.html
I’ve been horse-obsessed since the age of 5. I’m an anomoly in my family in that I’m the only one who has ever been a horse person. One of my first riding lessons was with Sally Swift, in Vermont while my family was there on a vacation. She told me I had “great potential” and was a “natural” so that encouraged me to keep riding. Today I do the A/A jumpers in the NE, and work as a marketing executive in a computer advisory firm. When I’m not at the barn with my horse, I’m at home with my non-horsey but becoming very horse knowledgable boyfriend who is totally supportive of my horse habit, my two cats. I used to be a musician (flutist) and avid skiier and tennis player, but all my discretionary time and money is now sunk into horses horses horses, oh did I mention horses?
Hey all. My name is Jenise and I’m from New Jersey. I do the large ponies on Chesapeake, mainly in New Jersey, but hopefully we’ll go to some shows in VA and MD too. I used to do the children’s ponies on my old pony French Vanilla, but she was recently sold to get “Spice”. I also have a cat named Basia, and I really want a dog, but mom says no! Um…I’m 14 years old and a Freshman in high school. I want to go to UVA or Duke for college (high expectations, huh?) and eventually work in journalism or photography. Well, nice to meet you all!
Hi! My name is Ann. I live in Lexington, KY. (I am originally from Ohio.) I am attending the University of Kentucky. I’m majoring in Animal Science. I’ve been reading this forum for a couple of months now, but this is the first time that I’ve posted. I just turned 28 in November and have been divorced for about two years. That’s why I’m so “old” trying to finish school! I had to sell my AA jumper 
due to the divorce and the fact that I wanted to finish my education. So, for the fist time in 19 years plan to start riding again as soon as I I don’t have a horse to ride. However, I finish school.
I started out just riding for fun on borrowed ponies at age nine. Then I got my own horse (after my parents realized this wasn’t a passing fancy). I was involved in 4-H for nine years and also showed on the AHSA. I took lessons in Cleveland (Chagrin Falls) and Columbus. I’ve done both hunters and jumpers and love them both! I’ve also worked as a groom in Florida during HITS Ocala for a friend of mine.
I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s posts! To everyone that’s showing this year, I wish you all the best of luck!
Ponykid,
Every one of your posts is so impressive. Good for you mom (about the state you live in) and good for you for respecting her.
Gry
Hi. I have been reading this board for several months now and love it. Figured it was time to stop lurking and this is the perfect opportunity. My name is Carol, and I recently celebrated my 39th birthday for the second time. Currently have two horses, both TBs, one retired. Married, with a basically tolerant husband (who I met during the only non-horse period in my life, thus leaving me open to the claim that I married him under false pretenses) and one sweet almost 5 year-old boy. Past History: Have been totally in love with horses, and especially TBs probably since birth although coming from a totally non-horsey family. Grew up in suburbia (south shore of Long Island)but found some horses not too far away at a “hack” stable in Babylon, NY. Rode once or twice a week (all I could afford) from age 7 to about 14 on anything that had four legs. Today I still struggle with the “bad” habits I picked up during that time, although I learned alot about staying on horses that didn’t particularly want to be ridden. Didn’t know anything about the hunter/jumper world except for the National Horse Show, which I went to every year, hoping against hope to win that Courvoisier Arabian they gave away (Does anybody else remember that?). At 14, moved on to a nice barn, the Thomas School of Horsemanship, and actually learned how to ride a little. At 16, ran off the race track and got a job walking hots. Almost didn’t go to college, since I wanted to ride race horses, but my parents said they’d kill me. Stopped riding pretty much altogether when I went to college and then law school. Got a job after law school at a big Manhattan law firm, and now had the money, but not the time for horses. Then I found a barn going up not too far from where I lived with an indoor ring, and could no longer resist. Took lessons once or twice a week for a year, then share-boarded a horse for a year, and then finally got my own – a slightly crazy, basically crippled three year old TB (of course) just off the race track. Had him for several years, and loved him to death, but never could keep him sound for more than a month at a time or so. Finally, after much angst, gave him away. In the meantime, quit the law firm job and went to work in-house for a large NY TB breeding farm as general counsel (this was late eighties – the farm raised most of its money thru tax shelter syndications). Looked like a dream job in many ways and it was for awhile (we went fox hunting on Wednesdays and Saturdays, they had a Lear jet that we flew to KY in for the yearling sales) until they basically went belly-up, so it was back to NYC law firm life again for awhile, until I finally bailed out for a more sane (but unfortunately much less lucrative) lifestyle. On the horse front, I shareboarded and/or leased for several more years, and then finally found the horse of my dreams – the most wonderful little TB mare with a heart ten times larger than her body. We did the A/A jumpers for several years and she always took care of me. I retired her this year and although its financially extremely difficult for me (where I live, there are no inexpensive options for keeping horses), I am committed to taking care of her. I owe her that much. In the meantime, I am leasing (and hopefully buying at some point in the not too distant future)another wonderful TB mare. We also show in the A/A jumpers and had a great summer this year showing in the NY, VT, CT, NJ area. Looking forward to participating on this board.
This is a great idea!! I have been browsing for a while, and decided to join your ranks, if it is OK with you guys. I’m 40, (physically, mentally I’m 16, and still horse crazy!!), and a photographer at a 50,000 circ. daily paper in ILL. Started riding hunters at age 12 in the 'burbs of Chicago. Showed “B” circuit and instate “A”. Showed with and knew some of the horse people that have been in the news lately.( It took a while, but they got what they deserved!!) Had a pretty neat grey TB gelding, “Ask Me Nicely”,“Aspy” for short, for 21 years. Had to put him down 5 years ago, but he is buried at a friend’s farm nearby. She honored Aspy by naming her newborn filly after him!! Since then I have been raising 2 daughters, 12 and 5, which put owning another horse on hold monyewise(hopefully it is only temporary!) but have been reading the HJ boards with interest. I don’t know a lot of the people you talk about, but the issues remain pretty much the same as twenty(gulp) years ago! Thanks again, this is fun!!
TO: Va
I read your post and noticed that you live in Charlottesville. I work at UVa as well and thought it would be fun to exchange e-mails. I ride hunters and own my own farm “over the mountain”. E-mail me if you like!
FairView Farm your stallion looks cool from the pic. May I ask what does he show in?
Hi! I’m Jody. I am finishing law school this May. I’m 23 and have my BSBA in Buisness Management from the University of Florida. I’m single, but dating a tremedous guy, who supports my obsession. In addition to my horsey habbit, I ice skate, play piano, and help run a children’s choir at my church. I usually ride in the open jumpers and own and work with a few horses. I also enjoy dressage. I do teach some lessons, but am so busy right now one of my working students is running the show. I live in Florida. I’ll always remeber at the last WEF running around and teaching on crutches after an ice skating accident landed me with a broken ankle. Great idea about this post… I know names, but don’t know much about the people behind them! =)
[This message has been edited by Jody (edited 01-15-2000).]
HI! My name is Shaye, and I have loved horse for as long as I can remember! I am 26 yo, and I own a young gelding who will turn three this April 9th. My horse’s name is Pacific Solo…hence my username! Solo is truly a unique individual…he had a traumatic birth, nearlly dying of suffocation, he cam out and slid right into my lap! What a HUGE COLT! weighed approx. 130lbs! Anyway, Solo has really been a special part of my life 
I plan on showing him hunter, but when it’s time, he’ll “tell” me what he is good at and wants to do.
I am currently working on my MA in Christian Counseling at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. I will graduate this December (hopefully!) and work on obtaining my LPC (Liscensed Prof. Counselor) and my MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist). I
really have enjoyed reading this board! It is so neat to finally get to know who I interact with outside of horses and issues!
Thanks, PONYKID!
To Cashmere, Portia and JrLeagueGoddess,
I have heard of a few other poeple who are paralized and ride but I have not met anyone else yet. It is weird because every injury is different but I am lucky because I have really good balance. I am very grateful that I didn’t break my neck, at least I can still do what I love. Someone was watching over me that day Also my horse was what pulled me through the whole thing. He was there for me and I had to get well for him. He didn’t even care about the wheelchair, in fact we have an even stronger bond now than before!
