Just down the road from where I grew up, there is a property knows as the Tolland Agricultural Center, or TAC as we called it. Consisting of a handful of buildings and a field in the back with two riding rings, it seems out of place with the gas stations, grocery stores and banks that have grown up around it. My mom attended Homemaker meetings at TAC, and when I was old enough, she found a 4-H group focused on horses and shoved me into the room. I started out huddled in the back, but soon enough got caught up in the discussion and left with new friends and the start of some of the best times of my childhood and teenage years.
4-H showed me that I did actually like to learn, as long as it was a topic I was interested in. We studied parts of the horse, assembled bridles blindfolded, identified bits and random pieces of tack, memorized the life cycles of parasites, learned to judge horse conformation and performance, and memorized reasons for why we placed each horse in order. You didn’t have to own a horse to be a 4-Her, so in addition to 4-H horse shows, we had horse knowledge competitions.
Our group was dedicated – we studied weekly for the state competitions of Hippology and Horse Judging, and we even made it to the 4-H Eastern Roundup (the East Coast Nationals of sorts) for an intense few days of competition. These early travel experiences broadened my horizon and showed me other parts of the country and other riding disciplines that I would never have known about otherwise. I did get to horse show as well – on borrowed horses who bravely faced fair atmospheres to compete in the dreaded Fit and Showmanship (an in-hand class judged on cleanliness and presentation) as well as Pleasure, Equitation and the most fun class – Trail! I even got to show at the Big E, the huge New England regional fair – we stayed in dormitories on the fair grounds and skipped the cafeteria slop in favor of fried food and baked potatoes. We marched in parades, went on Haunted Halloween trail rides, learned the basics of polo and driving, and in general got the most well-rounded horse education possible thanks to the amazing volunteers, parents and fellow horse enthusiasts who chaperoned, taught and guided us.
This past holiday season I reconnected with an old friend from that era. We figured out that we hadn’t seen each other since the early 90’s – over twenty years ago! In anticipation of our get-together, I dug up an old VHS tape of us riding and being horse-crazy teenagers in the barn. I watched that tape and wondered, who is that girl with the gigantic red glasses and frizzy hair? It brought me back to a time when riding was just about having fun – playing tag and hide and go seek on horseback in the woods, building crazy jumps out of branches in the backyard, riding bareback in the snow, taking epic treks across town just to see if we could. We chased the ponies around their paddocks to watch them run and play, we took endless pictures and videos of our escapades and we slept in the barn during colic episodes to make sure our beloved creatures were going to be OK. High school was not a great time for me, so having a best friend with a pony to share and endless horsey shenanigans as an outlet was invaluable to me.
I’m extremely lucky to have had these experiences – they shaped who I am today and gave direction to my life. They showed me that friends who share your passions will be friends for life, even when you don’t see them for 20+ years. Most of all, they gave me the basis of my career – working in the horse industry in many different facets and loving almost every second of it. Remember to thank those who fostered your love of horses, and nurture that love in the next generation – there are more horse-crazy kids out there who want to learn everything they can!
I’m pretty sure I rode against you in IHSA shows back in the mid 90’s ! I rode for Pace. Our coach always had us choose a rider to beat before our class. You were usually mine, because you were always at the top and I knew I had to have a great ride to beat you! It worked sometimes!
It was nice to read this article and see where
riders have come from and have ended up. It
seems you have a job and hobbies that suit you well.
I too still have horses, but with a family I am now a trail rider and professional leadline rider groom. Any way to have them in your life is a good way .
Best of luck with Tally! Hope to see more from you two some day!
Hi Kerry! Such fun times in IHSA – miss those days. I’m super flattered that you picked me as your opponent to beat! You guys were stiff competitors, and you always put on a great show. I still have a Pace mug that I won there! So glad to hear you’re still riding – and passing it on to the next generation!
Take care, Jen