Racing to Ride: TRM Blog Hop: 25 Questions

Thanks to Cathryn at That Red Mare for a fun blog hop!

1. Mares or Geldings? Why?

I think that the training process typically goes smoother with geldings, but that mares are really amazing if/when they start working for instead of against you. As a long term ownership and/or project, I'd go with mares.

2. Green-broke or Fully Broke?

Green. It's easier to fix your own mistakes than someone else's. I've ridden a lot of "broke" horses that still weren't fundamentally correct.

Because this is obviously so much more fun.

3. Would you own a "hotter" breed (ie. Arabian, Trakhener, etc).

Give me a hot horse over a dull one any day.

4. What was your "dream horse" growing up?

Anything that looked like Betamax from the movie Sylvester, hunter bump and all. ;)

I still love a big, good looking bay. Though I prefer them without the hunter bump these days.

5. What kind of bit(s) do you use and why?

Both the dressage horses and the horses at the track go in some form of a Stubben or Sprenger snaffle. Winn goes in the Sprenger KK Ultra Loose Ring and I recently switched Indy from that into a Stubben Eggbutt. All of the racehorses go in Sprengers right now, though we will sometimes use the Stubben Wing Bit LR on them. I guess I use them because the horses all seem to like them and I like simple good quality. Gunner, the pony-horse, is the only one that goes in anything more severe than a snaffle and that's only when he's being ridden on the track.

Nelson in a Sprenger.

6. Helmets or no helmets?

I used to not be 100% strict about helmets. When my friend died from a head injury, I vowed never to get on a horse without one again and haven't. I'm not sure how that will go over the next time I go to move cows or brand with my dad, but I'll still wear it anyway.

Insert me wearing my helmet into this picture of my dad and his friends and you can understand how awkward I would look. Maybe I'll just stick with being ground crew....

7. Favorite horse color?

Black. There is nothing prettier to me than a horse that is a true black.

8. Least favorite horse color?

I'm not that picky about color.

9. Dressage or Jumping?

I'm a huge fan of jumping, but dressage is where my heart is.

Riding a horse that makes me look a lot better than I actually am.

10. How many years have you been riding?

About 30 years.

It was bad enough that they made me wear a pink hat, they could have at least got me one that fit.

11. Spurs/whip or no spurs/whip?

It just depends on the horse. I don't like carrying a whip or wearing spurs, but I'd rather have them on me and not need them instead of the other way around.

12. Your first fall?

I was 4 and it was either the time my barn-sour pony ran of with me and swiped me off on the barn door or the time he started getting attacked by ground hornets and bucked me off.

Bad pony!

13. When was the last time you rode and what did you do?

I rode Indy last Sunday in a dressage show. I normally would have ridden on Tuesday, but I have a flu that won't go away and I'm trying to rest so that I can get rid of it once and for all.

14. Most expensive piece of tack you own?

Custom Saddlery dressage saddle.

My precious horse and saddle.

15. How old were you when you started riding?

My mom would sit me in front of her in the saddle when I was an infant. I've been riding ever since.

My first english saddle.

16. Leather or Nylon halters?

I typically use nylon, but love to have good leather hatters around too.

17. Leather or Synthetic saddles?

Leather. Always leather.

18. What "grip" of reins do you like?
Web with grips.

19. English or Western?

English, but I've ridden western a lot throughout my life.

Back when I figured that I'd follow the family tradition of being a rodeo queen. Or Jr. Queen in this case, I was 13. This horse was out of the mare in the pink hat picture and he was awesome. I showed him western/english pleasure, jumped him, queened on him, barrel raced, did reining, he was broke to pull a cart, and had been roped off of.

20. How many horses do you currently own/lease?

I own two dressage horses along with one racehorse. I'm half owner on another one too.

21. Do you board your horse? Self-care/full board? Home board?

I board.

22. Have you ever had to put down a horse that you loved?

Yes, my OTTB, Beefheart. I'm still heartbroken over it.