It’s 5:31 AM as I write this column from the luxurious accommodations of Gate F78 at Tampa International Airport. While waiting on my flight to DFW with a connection to Oklahoma City on my way to a show, I am thinking about the number of major horse shows held from the months of August to November. August begins with the Youth World, the next week is the NSBA World Championship, the next week (3 weeks, actually) is the Reichert Celebration, with the AQHA Select World overlapping. Whew!
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Marilyn Masterson and her five year-old mare, Suddenly Its Time, aka “Suzie,” are busily wrapping up an impressive show season. Recently, the pair was named the Reserve NSBA World Champions in Amateur 50 and Over Western Pleasure and fourth place in Western Pleasure at the AQHA Select World Show.
Continue reading …Flexing Mental Muscle in the Show Arena
May 20, 2014 Comments Off on Flexing Mental Muscle in the Show Arena
You’ve practiced your spins and gait changes daily. You’ve cleaned your show clothes and polished your silver. Your horse is perfectly banded and shimmering from nose to tail. You’re ready for the show pen.
Continue reading …Not My Day Job: The Other Life of Clothing Designer Lindsey James
May 20, 2014 Comments Off on Not My Day Job: The Other Life of Clothing Designer Lindsey James
Lindsey James is a busy and focused entrepreneur who owns a custom show apparel business, a horse boarding facility, a new purse collection, and a new wine company. This ambitious and highly accomplished equestrian thrives on challenge, creativity, and unlimited sparkle.
Continue reading …Making the Switch – Changing Trainers
May 16, 2014 Comments Off on Making the Switch – Changing Trainers
For any competitive equestrian, having the right trainer is just as important as having the right horse. But in the journey from the practice arena to first place, there may come time for a change.
Continue reading …Boarding Stable Liability for Injuries to Horses
May 16, 2014 Comments Off on Boarding Stable Liability for Injuries to Horses
Tricia boards a mare at a stable. One day the stable called with bad news. The night before, a new employee accidentally placed her mare in a stall next to a stallion. The stallion had a history, unknown to the new employee, of being fierce when stabled next to mares.
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How Balance, Condition, and Performance Can Start With the Teeth. There are typical signs that indicate there could be a problem with your horse’s teeth: loss of feed while eating, difficulty chewing, and getting plenty of groceries yet losing body condition.
Continue reading …Horseman’s Best Friend: Dogs and their Equine Counterparts
May 15, 2014 Comments Off on Horseman’s Best Friend: Dogs and their Equine Counterparts
Equine and canine — they go together like peanut butter and jelly… peas and carrots… you get where we’re going with this. Walk around at a horse show, anywhere across the country, and you’ll find dogs of all sizes, breeds, and personalities escorting their four-hooved counterparts.
Continue reading …What’s the Secret to Long-Term Client/Trainer Relationships
May 14, 2014 Comments Off on What’s the Secret to Long-Term Client/Trainer Relationships
It’s refreshing to see how a single shared passion for the horse can shape the lives of so many individuals. Several highly successful competitors and trainers in the industry have developed long-term business relationships into family-like relationships that all started with a horse.
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In the late 1970s, I took some time off from college to work in a well-respected barn while contemplating a major in Equine Science. It meant 65 hour work weeks for a mere $100 paycheck, but I was so excited just to be in the small orbit of an internationally famous trainer with rock star status.
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