# The road to the APHA Worlds... And other junk



## TinRoses (Jul 11, 2010)

I think I'll start by announcing who I am and why I am.

Who am I? Well... I'm not going to use real names on an internet site which could compromise not only my security but the security of my horses. Some people will know who I am by looking at photos of the horses and photos of me: Not a problem. Those are people who have SEEN me and SEEN my horses and probably have heard the names of all associated hollered over show PA systems in placing announcements. For all intensive purposes we'll say my name is "T" which isn't entirely a lie. It's a first initial.

I'm a 22 (23 in September) year old die hard that's been a member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society since 2001. That's right. I'm a member of Neptune's Navy and **** proud of it. We're out to stop ocean pollution, over-fishing, and the killing of this world's protected and unprotected wildlife such as whales, dolphins, sharks, and seals. But we won't stop there. Even if plankton, a microscopic organism, was in danger of extinction... We'd be there to fight for it. Why? Because it's simple. If the oceans die, we die. All life stems from the ocean and that's a fact. Everything in life is there for a reason and is there to balance out something else. Kill one organism and you're forcing the extinction of another and other organism that benefits off them and so on and so forth. The logic is simple. Unfortunately a lot of people can't seem to understand that. I'm here to change their minds.

Not only do I rally for support to save the whales, my tree-hugging extends to horses and all animals from all walks of life great and small. But my passion is horses. I love them. Always have loved them from the first time I laid my grubby little infant hands on a My Little Pony and progressed to Fashion Star Fillies and then to Breyers and then to collectible resin horses. Horses were a sickness and I was infected at birth it seems. No one else in my family is horse crazy but they can all remember me snorting, galloping, and tossing my head as a kid. It was also way cool to be able to jump hurdles and run fast. Track was my game all through school LOL!

I think my first real horse love was an OTTB broodmare named "Dreamgirl" who I was lucky enough to be able to sit on while she was being hand grazed during her pregnancies. She was the sweetest thing on the planet and gentle as a lamb.

My first horse was a retired polo pony (Welsh x QH x TB) that was a silver dapple and only had one eye after an accident with a polo mallet that ended his career and subsequently he landed in my lap since we'd already had an extremely tight bond due to his owners (also the owners of Dreamgirl) being close friends with my parents. His name was Snoopy and he diligently packed me around bareback and bridle-less being told where to go by me pointing and looking. I swear he was push button and incredibly gentle. Sadly Snoopy was lost in a barn fire. I was crushed.

My love of horses didn't stop there.

It wasn't long before I got into the art of showing horses. I actually started at Thomas' School of Horsemanship on Long Island, NY on a white horse named Snafu. Snafu and I were quick buddies and despite her name, she was incredibly patient. 

Flash forward to when my second horse came into the picture: a horse we foolishly bought from someone who brokered horses in and out of New Holland. Cid was an extremely sooty buckskin Mustang/Appaloosa gelding that was originally used as a commercial trail horse at a barn in Forrest Hills, NY (or at least he wound up there after New Holland). We purchased him and I began showing him in HUS classes out on the Island and hauled him all the way down to Palm Beach County, Florida.

Cid was lost to colic... And a year later I was riding a very young Appendix mare in hopes for doing WP and HUS. That didn't work out and under the urging of trainers my mother made the decision for me to swap her out for a mare that would change my life.

Ms Daydreamin was a then three time National Champion Appaloosa mare. She taught me WP like no other and showed like a charm. Unfortunately money made my mother sell her out from under me to her original breeders... 

It would be several years dabbling with different horses from an abused PercheronxAndalusian to a high spirited TWH before I settled back in my WP/HUS niche with Paints... The loves of my life.

Now I proudly own two and work with several others. One's a 5 year old who's been wasted for most of her formative years on 4-H kids and reining patterns that have never really been used. She's incredible with a monumental pedigree and beau coup talent. She's becoming a fantastic WP/HUS horse in spite of her 14.2 HH stature. She's a wild colored splash/sabino/frame Overo, sorrel and blue eyed. Oh how I love Sedona.

The second? A yearling filly who's packing a pedigree that blows my mind and a trainable mindset that's simply incredible. She's GORGEOUS and as a HUS/WP prospect? I couldn't have chosen better. Her breeder's a lovely person and I'm honored to be given the chance to own her. Fathom... Is wow.


Both horses are gearing up for show season down here. Fathom is being worked on the ground until this autumn when we'll start backing her and working her lightly under saddle in prep for the 2 year old futurities and the World Show.

Big dreams? You betcha.

Oh... Did I mention the Canadian fiance and back and forth living between Palm Beach County, Florida and Edmonton, Canada? More craziness. I'm starting to think I should write a book instead of a blog or contact Bravo for a reality TV show!


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