Introducing Emily

If you haven't guessed already, my name is Emily and I have lived in Ohio my whole life. My mom took me to my first riding lessons when I was just 3 years old. I remember being led around on an old horse named Spirit, and thinking it was the greatest day ever when I got to hold the reins by myself!

Spirit and me at a fun show; egg and spoon!

When I was 6 years old, we rescued my very first horse, Velvet, from The Last Chance Corral. He was only a few months old; we had to feed him milk 3 times a day at first! We kept him until he was 3 years old. He was the most handsome horse; tall and black with a gorgeous blaze. On top of that, he was extremely gentle. We had grown up together and were inseparable. Before he was even broke he would let me ride around on him bareback in just a halter. When we took him to be trained, they told me he was a Tennessee Walker (which I hadn't even heard of!) and that he would never be able to do anything I wanted. So we made the hard decision to sell him to a great home. He was such an amazing horse; I am so thankful to have that experience and wish I could have him all over again.

Velvet when he was still so little! (I guess I was, too)

After selling Velvet I started leasing the cutest old palomino quarter horse mare from a local lesson barn. Her name was Sassy and she lived up to it. We attended my very first horse show at the beginning of the year, the Hairy Horse Show. Our first class was Hunter Under Saddle and we won! How awesome! Going into my first class ever I did not expect that outcome, but couldn't have been more excited.

Winning the Ground Poles class at the Fair!

After leasing Sassy for a year, I decided I wanted to jump. I switched barns and started leasing Chauncey, an old ex racehorse who had a really rough past. Thinking back, he was definitely an LBI. He was so pushy and so funny. Everyone that met him just adored him. I leased him for a total of 3 years: our first year we did english pleasure and some hunter hack stuff, the second year we switched to eventing, and the third year we did just dressage. By the third year, he was getting pretty old (late 20s) and I was in love with dressage and wanted to do so much more.

Showing Chauncey at a mini horse trial.

That is when I found LaBelle, the love of my life. She was big, bay, and beautiful. Belle was the sweetest thing in the world, with the most elegant face and huge kind eyes. I also had her for 3 years. We had the most amazing connection; I swore she knew what I was thinking. She was so intelligent and we worked amazingly together. In the 3 years that I had shown her a couple times a month, we won all of our classes except 2, both being at regionals. At our very first regionals we won the Training Level division out of 36 riders, which is one of my most cherished memories. In 2005, we were second in the nation!

LaBelle's notorious extended trot at the
2006 Regional Championships.

A few of our accomplishments, including Mare of the Year
(3 times) and being in the magazine Dressage Today!

LaBelle had some health problems and couldn't compete much above Second level (although we consistently scored in the 70%s every time we showed second level!). That is how I came to acquire Icon, a Dutch Watmblood that was imported when he was younger by Robert Dover!! I had been riding with George Williams and had aspirations of competing in the Jr./Yg tournament, which is like a younger version of the Olympics here in the USA. Icon was a fabulous horse and very talented, but we didn't get along at all. I didn't like working with him and he didn't like working with me. He was right brained and I am left brained and at the time I didn't  know how to handle it. I was so unhappy I thought I had lost all interest in horses. I sold him and everything I owned.

Icon and George Williams.

After about a year, I realized that it wasn't horses I was unhappy with, it was the relationship I was unhappy with. I had Velvet, Chauncey and LaBelle (all 3 left brained horses) for 3 years each and had incredible relationships with the all of them. It hit me that it was the relationship, not any fancy dressage movement or any amount of blue ribbons, that I loved most about horses.

So, I found Parelli and Sonny and that is where I am today!