Indholdsfortegnelse for H&R Monthly February 2022 i Horse & Rider

When Kelly was just 8 years old, her mom paid for “Saddie” by trading off babysitting for her $350 purchase price. The yearling was skittish and unsure of her new life with Kelly, but the two quickly formed a bond that continues to grow even 27 years later. Since professional training wasn’t an option for Kelly, she trained Saddie mostly on her own with the help of occasional lessons, which she paid for by cleaning stalls. The pair started showing 4-H together and worked their way up to their first Pinto World Show in 2007. Kelly and her mom weren’t expecting this much success since they were often told the 14.3 mare was too small to compete at a high level, but they proved everyone wrong when they won their…

“Cruzer is the best horse I’ve ever had,” my client explains. “He’s sound, reliable, and still winning at every show. He’ll be 18 next year, though, so it’s time for retirement. Sure gonna miss him….” Wait, I’m thinking, what? Just because he’s getting older doesn’t mean it’s time to quit. In fact, in recent years we’ve seen 21-year-old horses compete successfully in World Cup jumping. Besides, why not consider letting the horse step down to a less demanding job rather than retiring him completely? Then there’s the other type of owner. “There’s something wrong with my horse,” she’ll say. “He’s only 24, and he’s having a hard time keeping up with my friends’ horses on trail rides. I don’t understand it. Is there anything we can give him to up…