Turning to the Future

It was with great reluctance that we recently decided to retire one of our beloved stars from the show string:  VP Midnitestranger+//, better known as “Wes” (or “Wesley” to his many, many friends north of the border!). 

It will be very sad not to load him up in the trailer for that next show but he’s put in many, many miles and brought home numerous National titles so we’re happy to see him enjoy just being a horse again as he ages (and ages very well, I might add!). 

So…. now we look to the future and with horses the future always seems bright.  The future brings a new crop of foals, new shows at which we can make new friends and it also brings new horses into the show string.  While I continue to work with some of my current stars like SS Ekspressev+// (“X Man”) and Montego Bay Star (“Montego”) I really enjoy working with the new stars of the future. 

I have just started a new mare for the show string and she is wonderful but that’s not what is important to this conversation.  She is different and that makes the future very interesting.  Yes, she will be trained with the same techniques that have rewarded us so well in the past but there will be a difference.  She will have her own style and her look will be different than the other horses before her.   She is a new individual and I am so excited about this. 

To get the most out of any horse, you must recognize how that horse is an individual.  How that horse is different from all the horses you’ve worked with or ridden before it.  I love to get to know each individual then work to bring out their strengths, make their weaknesses irrelevant and overall: allow them to shine and be the stars they can be. 

One must keep turning to the future even when it means sadly parting with the past.  Enjoy your leisure years Wes – you deserve them! 

Talk to you later, JD