Hands down creating a name of the blog has been the most challenging thing so far in this adventure. Friends remind me of my creativity and yet, no name. The inability to come up with a name has plagued me for months. The more I worried the less creative I was and then one day half-way out the door for a morning walk, I thought of one. A quick domain name search verified that my idea was available and here we are. It is truly impossible to say that only two bay horses taught me everything I know about riding, teaching, training and the philosophies of life as there are countless horses and humans that can all be thanked for their past and continued education. Mackie and BH are the two bay horses that have been an inspiration for me over the years and when I think of my system of riding and training I believe that they are at the heart of it all. Mackie arrived in my life during my freshman year in high school. Like every other horse-crazy girl I had longed for the day to have my own horse. Every Christmas I wished for a pony or horse wrapped in a ribbon just like Vivi did in my favorite book A Very Young Rider. My dream was to compete in the Medal, Maclay and USET Finals. I thought we had found the perfect partner until the dreaded failed vet check occurred. Heartbroken I was completely disinterested in trying the next horse, a 5-year-old plain bay 15.3 hand AQHA gelding. Before I knew it, he was mine. The fact that I now owned my very first horse washed away most of the disappointment of a lost dream and I went about learning how to ride a young, athletic and still green horse. He over-jumped everything by two to three feet, but he always jumped. His trot was really hard to sit, but often prompted many compliments at the rising trot and when we lengthened. Most importantly, Mackie was kind. I learned to trust him implicitly and he taught me that faith in your partner allows you to accomplish your goals. While we competed locally in the equitation classes, Mackie and I excelled in the hunter divisions where eventually he stopped over-jumping as the jumps themselves started to get higher. Out of the ring, countless hours were spent grooming him and telling him everything about my life that I often wouldn’t tell anyone else. The ribbons and prizes that we won together are now distant memories, but the lessons that he taught me are a part of my everyday work with horses and in life. In 1996 I finally received a horse for Christmas. There wasn’t a big bow or snow on the ground, but there in a stall stood another plain bay gelding with a small white star. Exclusive Lineage was purchased for me because he looked just like Mackie. I named him BH as an ode to my college coach’s former fox hunt horse. Originally BH was short for Bay Horse, although over time he has been referred to as Beautiful Horse, Baby Horse and on the very rare occasion as Bad Horse. BH is a 16.3 hand Appendix and had a brief stint as a racehorse on the Quarter Horse circuit prior to stepping into the hunt seat world with me. I was blessed with another athletic horse and spent time practicing flat work while surviving another round of over-jumping. He would have loved the Derby classes if they were available when he was younger. Life at work and as a single parent got in the way and BH and I rarely competed. He had a long career as an intercollegiate draw and loved his ANRC Intercollegiate experiences. As I look back over the 19 years that he and I have been together, he has been a constant through my happiest and saddest moments, successes and failures and everything that life has thrown my way. He is a part of my family. He has reminded me that kindness exists and that consistency allows for greatness. BH holds my deepest wishes and secrets and only asks for cookies and a good grooming in return.
2 Comments
2/18/2020 08:45:30 pm
Horses are always being used by us, humans, and I hate it. I know that they have helped us evolve, but they need to be free. They work for us non-stop, and I think that it is just animal cruelty. For people like, I think that we need to go and think about how we are going to address the things that we have today. I hope that we can free the horses from manual labor, that is my wish.
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10/7/2022 06:57:19 am
Then herself offer mean social. Nice beat alone business worry. Include pressure everybody idea.
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Megan Taylor
Horses were my first true love and two bay horses stand out as having a significant impact on my life. As a student, rider, owner, trainer and coach I have had the opportunity to experience horses from every side. These experiences have shaped my training system for riders and horses that creates a positive working relationship between both. Archives
August 2018
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