Saddle Talk with Sandy and Cara
'Saddle Talk with Sandy and Cara' is hosted by two saddle sisters, keeping you company one ride at a time. We discuss life, love, horses of course, and all the unexpected turns along the trail.
Saddle Talk with Sandy and Cara
Welcome to Saddle Talk with Sandy & Cara
Hello Cowgirls,
Join us for a conversation all about us, how we met, and what to expect from upcoming episodes. Saddle up or grab your pooper scooper and join us as we introduce ourselves to you!
Clip plop goes the trail, sun is rising high. Two gals in the saddle neath the big Nevada sky, laughing and chatting as the desert rolls on by. It's Saddle Talk. Come along for the ride.
SPEAKER_02:Welcome, listeners, to Saddle Talk with Sandy and Cara. Whether you're here to laugh with us, learn, or just ride along, you're in for a really good time. So go grab your helmet or your pooper scooper and settle in with us as we discuss life, horses, of course, and all the unexpected turns along the trail. And hey, whether you're a seasoned cowgirl or you're still learning, remember we're sharing our own stories and opinions based on decades of personal experience. Always ride safe and check with a professional before trying anything new. Now let's go ride. Welcome to Saddle Talk with Sandy and Kara. We are here to introduce ourselves for the first time. So exciting. Yes. Yes.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so why are we calling it Saddle Talk?
SPEAKER_02:Um, because you and I are uh basically saddle besties, and we have the most amazing conversations in the saddle. And I am an avid podcaster, and I was just riding. We were on the trail one day riding, and I thought, oh my gosh, we should record ourselves.
SPEAKER_01:Because we have these great random conversations that are all over the place. Like I would say, I would say 80% of the time we're talking about what our stupid horses do, um, and how we're always worried about them dying. Like, like we heard somebody else quote, they wake up with homicide or suicide on their mind, and and that's so true, and we talk about it in the saddle, and we just have very poignant conversations.
SPEAKER_02:We do. And then after I said we should start a podcast, or like we sounded like podcasters, I just remember every time we would have a conversation, I would think, oh my gosh, this would be on the podcast.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yes, and it's always when we're in the saddle, so we thought, why not saddle talk? Why not saddle talk? So that is why we're calling it saddle talk. So welcome to our saddle talk. And we we're gonna hit things from A to Z. A to Z and it's random, and sometimes we might go off on tangents, and we are who we are, yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. We're not gonna hold back because I feel like a lot of people do hold back, and we're just we're not. We're gonna keep it real, real with Sandy and Karen.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so I think one of the first things um that people that were would listen would want to know, you know, um, why did we uh why do we like horses? I mean, why horses? Why not dogs? Why not cats? I mean, I'm sure there's podcasts out there for dogs and cats, but so why horses? So what a silly question. So we're going to give each other the opportunity to ask. So I'm gonna ask you that question first, yeah, Miss Cara. Um why horses? How young were you when you realized of all the animals that you love? And I've I've seen your zoo, so I know you have an eclectic amount of animals. Um why horses?
SPEAKER_02:It was it, I think for me it felt genetic. I think that I didn't have a choice.
SPEAKER_01:Really?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I clearly remember being about the age of four. I could have been three, and I was underneath a table, and there was a movie on, and it came on, and I could just hear the hoof beats. And I think it was the movie Black Beauty. Oh, of course, and of course, always black beauty, and I think it was a scene where there was a horse running across a beach, and the rhythm of the hoof beats just got in my brain, and I didn't even watch it, I just heard it. And then my grandpa got me this book, and it was all about horses, and I used to just stare at the pictures and read the captions, and so I was just completely hooked and captivated from the sound. Yeah, and then I think from there on I couldn't get enough information. Like after he gave me that first picture book, and I actually still have the book, um, and here I am 48, so that would have been 44 years ago. After that first picture book, all I did was consume information, right? And this is obviously before like the information age, anything I could get a handle of, whether it was like the encyclopedia, I would go to the library, magazines. I used to consume a ton of magazines when I was a teenager. So that's what got me hooked was the sound. And and then how old were you um when you first started writing? So I was lucky enough to have a mom and a grandma that I could pester, and um, I did not stop. And when I was eight years old, I started taking riding lessons. Oh, so it was I was pretty young, I think. For I was pretty lucky and pretty young, and then I started boarding my own horse when I was 16, and I became a working student. I had a grandma who gave me a thousand dollars for your first horse. For my first horse, because she was gonna give me her horse, but then she found out her horse had cushions.
SPEAKER_01:So your grandma had horses?
SPEAKER_02:She did. She was a grandma that I never really saw, and she was kind of a stigmatized grandma. She married into the family and nobody liked her. But I think that she saw me in, like she saw her in me.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_02:Horse girl loves a horse girl.
SPEAKER_01:Did you ever go visit her and see her horse?
SPEAKER_02:I did, and I was very kind, and of course, we got along, and so when she realized I really was gonna take her horse, she's like, Oh no, hon, here's a thousand dollars. So my trainer um took the thousand dollars and she said, Let's go find you a horse. And we spent$500 on my first horse and$500 for all of my tack and equipment. Wow. Yeah, and it was a pretty good deal because I worked, I worked every weekend, Saturday and Sunday, and that's how I at the barn. At the barn, yeah, at a riding stable in Norco. And that's how I did it. Norco, California, if you horse town, USA. If you haven't been there, I'm sure there's other horse towns, but that place is magical.
SPEAKER_01:No, Norco's amazing.
SPEAKER_02:It is, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:That's the first place that I ever saw, um, you know, riding on the street. Oh, yeah where it was actually made for people riding horses around the neighborhood. That was really cool. It was really cool.
SPEAKER_02:So, what about you? Like, how did where did your love of horses spawn from?
unknown:Spawn?
SPEAKER_01:Um I well, my first recollection of Loving Horses was a book, Misty of Shinkatiague. And I love that book. And also uh Star, I think it was daughter of Misty. Anyway, Misty gave birth. Um and then I was amazed to find out that Shinkati and Acetigue are it's an actual thing. There's they they do um from what I remember when I was growing up, they actually um do a roundup and bring the horses over to the mainland and they vaccinate them, and then they I'm sure that they pull some out for auction or whatever, but so that was the first thing. And then I think I was like five years old, and I grew up in Virginia, and my neighbor, we had not acre lots, but we had big lots. Um, but my neighbor's sister brought her horse home. I didn't even know they had a horse, and she brought her horse home and put it in the backyard, and I was just amazed. And it was this beautiful Palomino. I don't even know. I don't know. I know I don't know if it was uh I don't know what breed. I I'm gonna guess maybe a quarter horse, but it was just I don't know, so just amazed. And I didn't ask for riding lessons. Um, my mom and dad bought me everything horse related. I had this great wooden barn that I never like you could take the roof off and there were stalls inside. And it was just so cool. And and I didn't realize what and I had every briar horse, which my mom got rid of, which I understand as a mom, like you're ready to get rid of some toys because your kids just but I had all these briar horses. My favorite one was a Clyde's Dale, and had the little braided, the braided hairs and stuff like that, and I just grew up just just I don't know, I think it's a gene. I think there's something inside. I mean, there's people that have the same feeling for dogs and cats, and I think I mean I love dogs and cats, don't get me wrong, right? But I don't know, there's just something about horses. There's this animal that is so big and strong, and it doesn't even know its power and it listens to you. Like so I never I never took riding lessons. Uh we were in Girl Scouts, I was in Girl Scouts, and there was an option to go horseback riding, and I did that. You know, I would always choose to do a horse thing if there was ever a choice. Um, but I never took riding lessons, I never did anything, I never thought I'd ever own a horse. And then when I had children, one of my kids loved horses, and I was like, wow, okay, this is great. Um, and then we thought somebody was gonna give us a horse, uh, a three-year-old, that boy who hadn't even been cut yet. I thought it was my only opportunity for a free horse, and Kara and I will absolutely discuss free horses on another podcast because that's a whole subject. Free horses aren't free. Free horses are not free. So I thought this was my only opportunity. So I said to myself, I'm gonna go and learn about horses. And we were living in uh Southern California in Cerritos, and I went to this barn that had a therapeutic writing program and met this amazing woman who I walked up and I said, Okay, listen, somebody's giving me a free horse. It's my only opportunity. Don't tell me no, just help me do it safely. And she looked at me like I was really crazy, crazy, of course, because you were.
SPEAKER_02:So you didn't know.
SPEAKER_01:I didn't know. And um, so I started volunteering for her, and then we learned that that person was mistaken and I was not getting a free horse, which was fine, which is good, because me and my child um volunteered for this therapeutic writing program, and we just learned so much, and it was amazing, and that leads us right into when you and I met, right? Because I I was 48, uh, so zero experience, zero, and um I can attest to the zero, not in a bad way, I don't take it in a bad way, yeah. I will not, I'm not offended whatsoever. Because you're right, you're right, and I didn't know what I didn't know.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and that's actually I met you and you were walking past my stall. Um, you had that Bay Arab, and I could tell something was super wrong with it. Like I knew that it was like in pain, but but there was more than that. Right. And so you were slowly leaving it, and I was like, hey, uh, there's something wrong with your horse. Right, right. And you're like, oh no, no, it's fine, it's fine. I was like, uh, no, really, there's something really wrong here, honey. And that I didn't say honey, but like, I was really wrong, and and you were like, no, it'll be all right. And I didn't want to like push that boundary because you have to be careful of barns, barn politics, and we were at a massive barn. There were so many horses and so many people, right? Um, and a lot of gossiping. Yeah, and so I just put it out there like, hey, there's something wrong, and then I just retreated because I didn't want to cause a problem with you.
SPEAKER_01:Right, right.
SPEAKER_02:And then I clearly remember you coming back about a week later, and you actually apologized to me, and you're like, Yep, there was something really wrong with my horse. It had laminitis, I think you had. And foundered. And it had foundered, and that's what was going on. Yes. And so you were actually really, really sweet about it. Thanks. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, I I don't know anything, and I and I hope I wasn't like bitchy when you were trying to tell me.
SPEAKER_02:You were kind.
SPEAKER_01:I was just like, oh no, no, it's an old horse. I'm sure she's fine. Thank you very much. Blah blah blah. Um, but no, I think it's because at first I thought, I'm just gonna get a horse to ride around the barn a little bit. Well, I rode her every day. And then my kids rode her every day. And um, she was a 20-year-old show horse that had already put in her time. Like she should never have been sold.
SPEAKER_02:Right.
SPEAKER_01:She should have just been able to live out her life wherever she was and retired. Um, but I did, you know, learn a lot about how to wrap and soak and what to look for. And, you know, it's it's sad that we learn our best lessons at the suffering of any animal, not just horses, but anyway that's when you learn. Right. Um, and so I learned a lot, and I actually was able to give her back to the people that I bought her from. Oh, that's good. So I'm hoping I'm sure she's no longer around on the earth.
SPEAKER_02:But um because we've known each other for years now. I think about it. Yeah, it's been a while.
SPEAKER_01:I would say at least I'm doing some math because you guys can't see this. Because I can't do the math in my head. No mental math for Sandy. We've known each other for at least 14 years. Oh my gosh, no way. I know that's crazy.
SPEAKER_02:I know. I think I met you yesterday. I know, it's crazy. And after our initial meeting, we didn't even get friendly after that. No. I saw you at the barn because I was there almost every day. Yeah, yeah. And I would pass by the therapeutic writing program almost every day.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, and everybody there was kind to me, but we just didn't have a connection. No, no.
SPEAKER_01:I remember I remember one time you you have an aura about you that I think draws people in, and I felt that. Um, and I knew that this was somebody that I could probably learn from. And I remember the one time um you had shaved Bob. And I remember you walking down, and I don't know if I was standing on the the platform waiting for another ride or something, but I remember turning around and looking at you going, did you get another horse? Because all of a sudden he looked like a liver. Yes, you know, and I was like, what a liver colored, an organ, buddy organ liver. But it was just like I remember that, and then um, so um my friend helped me get another horse, Autumn, who I still have, and is that my house now? And is that your husband? Yes, but I've had Autumn since she was 12 years old, and she's now 23, and um um we started trailering. You had this amazing trail, have this amazing trailer, and you were so kind, and you were like, Hey, would you like to go trail riding? I was like, Oh, yes! I was so excited.
SPEAKER_02:We and I think you were like walking again, you were like walking past my my area, my little barn area, and I just flippantly put it out there because I'd been looking for months. I had Bob, who was supposed to be a show Morgan. Um, he's actually his real name. I wanted to rename him, and I never got to actually officially rename him because his show name was Le Prince Chief Skyhawk. Really? Yeah, he was a super fancy going back to Lip It Morgan's, like just a very typey, gorgeous animal, right? Yeah. So I always kind of figured I'd show him, but I could tell that you know stuff just wasn't working out. And he was at that point, he was an early teenager. Um, and I knew I wanted to transition to trail riding and just leisure, yeah. Because for me, it's all about the horse, right? Like I've I've gone into the show world. Um, but for me, my relationship with Bob was just so close, and I knew he wanted to do something else, and I could not find, I literally couldn't find anybody at that barn.
SPEAKER_01:And you had other friends, you had friends there at the bar.
SPEAKER_02:I had barn friends, yeah, and none of them wanted to leave the grounds.
SPEAKER_01:I wonder why.
SPEAKER_02:I don't know. And then you walked past and I said something about trailering, you're like, what? Yes, let's do it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and we were really good because we were both early risers, we'd be there at 7 a.m. And and not only did we trailer, but you taught me how to hook up a trailer, how to be safe, what you do. You know, there's I mean, you don't have to do everything in a particular order, but you know, there are in order to make sure that you do everything, sometimes having a routine and an order when you teach somebody um is just the best way. And and you you were just so kind and and and um um patient, yeah, patient with me, and really helped. And and then you would never really take gas money, so I just started to buy lunch. And your I was so excited and you wanted to go. I know, and your dietary needs were a little unique, so you know I always wanted to make sure that I got exactly the right thing, and like I'd go to Subway and get our sandwiches, and yeah, we went to some really nice places. Um, I think I really enjoyed Shibaram. Yeah, because Shabaram had that great arena, and we would put Bob and Autumn out there to play after our ride, and then we sit, they had picnic tables, yeah, and we could sit down and have our lunch.
SPEAKER_02:And then they would just like hang out and roll in the dirt, and yeah, that was so fun.
SPEAKER_01:So every once in a while I my memory on Facebook pops up and shows them out there running around. Okay, that's really cute. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Well, that was that was some really good times that we've had, honestly.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and and since then. It was.
SPEAKER_02:It was, and then we had a minor separation, right? Um, and then major separation.
SPEAKER_01:Because I went to a because I went to another barn.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, she had to go to another barn, and then I actually moved out of state and I moved to Nevada to be with family. Right. So when that happened, um, that was a huge shift, and we'd already been apart, I think, for about a year. Yeah. So our trail writing days had super slowed down. Um they were pretty over. They were pretty over. And then I moved here and uh reconnected with you on Facebook about a horse. I mean, we were still friendly, but I didn't think our relationship honestly was gonna go anywhere after that. I thought, oh this is it. Facebook friends. Yeah, Facebook friends. Like you were this amazing writing person buddy, but you were also I mean you were more than that. But like that's what we did.
SPEAKER_01:But you don't have to say that, like you don't just to be nice, because I I felt the same way. I thought this is just you know the evolution of it.
SPEAKER_02:This is what happens to adults who are friends, sure, exactly, yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and because you m moved uh, you know geographically farther, yeah, you know, what else were we gonna do? But you came up here with one horse, and your one horse was not happy.
SPEAKER_02:No, Bob could not handle isolation, right? It was not his jam.
SPEAKER_01:And we're in the high desert now, yes, so he was freaking out. He was, there was a lot of open space, yeah, and no other horses around.
SPEAKER_02:No, yeah, he had anxiety, and that is not him, he was like the chillest. He was actually named Bob after Bob Marley.
SPEAKER_01:Aww.
SPEAKER_02:Because when I got him, he had dreadlocks and he was super chill.
SPEAKER_01:Perfect, yeah, yeah. So when I saw on Facebook that you were looking for someone to retire their horse up here, my girlfriend who has a therapeutic writing program had some uh retired uh therapy horses, and so um I was like, hey, what do you think about this? And she's like, Yeah. And then we reached out to you and said, We're up for a road trip, we'll bring Rex up here. So that's what we did. We brought Rex up here.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, we had fun because I just needed a pasture puff. Yeah, and then you ended up coming back again with my husband, because you realize how amazing.
SPEAKER_01:And my other horse. Yeah, so I had swapped out Autumn for a uh cute little quarter horse who is kind of wow, she's an evergreen, she's an evergreen, that's what I like to call them.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, when they never actually get quote unquote broken or tamed. Yeah, she just had no like consciousness of the human, no, zero, like she she nailed me. Did I tell you she like fucking knocked me down out there? No, yes, there was one day I feel like I was taking off her fly mask or something stupid because she was here for a little while and she turned and she spun and literally like ran into me and I ate it. Oh my gosh, yeah, and that's when I thought to myself, I'm never getting on that animal.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Yeah, her name was is Willow, and she's beautiful, buckskin, you know, it's not always about color, people. It's not always about color. The flashy ones will get you, but they're usually the crappy ones. No, so um, so I went home after we dropped off Rex, and I said to my husband, hey, how would you feel if I went to go visit Kara and I was gonna and I'll take I want to take Willow, and then Kara's gonna show me some trails. And I had said, you know, I thought I was just being nice, and said, Would you like to go? thinking he'd say no. And he called my bluff and he said, Hey, I was thinking maybe we could go back, you know, but how about we fly and not take the horse? And I said, Okay, let's that's fine. And then right before we left, he said, you know, if you want to look at houses while we're there, I was like, okay, whoa. Like, stop right there. Whoa, whoa. Because if you get me started, I will find us a house. Like, I will 100% find us a house. So he was serious. He just, you know, he I met him in California. Um, he grew up in California, he is just a California guy, and I moved to California from Virginia because I wanted to live in California. Got my degree, my family, raised my kids, you know. I was fine, but he had really just had enough, and so it just looked really awesome to him up here.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So we uh came up, we looked around at houses, and we didn't find anything right away, but we found a real estate agent, and she was amazing. So she found us this great house that is literally around the corner from Kara and her husband. Yes, so we are now literally around the corner from each other. Our horses can hear each other, yeah, call to each other. So, because a lot of times we will ride back and forth to each other's house. Yeah, and that's where we are.
SPEAKER_02:Lately, I feel like we've just been on fire when it comes to how you and I operate.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:We've we have this special, we've always had a special relationship, I think, with horses. And I think as an adult, when you when you're an adult and you get a friend, it's different than when you're a kid and you have a friend. And I think horses are something that ties women to women. I mean, obviously men are in there too, but when I think when you look at like the whole spectrum of who actually rides, it's mostly women, right? Yeah, and I think that it doesn't matter your age, it's your passion. Right. And so when you came here and you got your you had your horse and then multiple horses, and the same thing happened to me, we started depending on each other more and more. Right. And now it's almost like it's almost like we have 10 acres. I wish we did.
SPEAKER_01:Wouldn't that be nice? It's so nice.
SPEAKER_02:But we have houses around the corner from each other, and you actually bought that house I'd have seen, which I think is hella gutsy.
SPEAKER_01:Uh yeah, well, we you know, in this age, um You just wanted to be It was during COVID. It was during COVID, and she and there were videos, and you even went over and took pictures of it.
SPEAKER_02:I tried to go inside, I couldn't break in. Yeah, you can break in.
SPEAKER_01:But you could look over into the back. I remember you writing me back and going, You have a legit backyard man. It was like, oh, cool.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um, but yeah, and our real estate agent went through with a video and she did a walkthrough for us and things like that. And and it's very dated, like it was totally built in the 70s. So um, but my husband is an amazing handyman, and he has done so much work around that house. He does everything I ask him to do with the horses, like he has changed panels. He's so tired of changing panels. I feel so bad for him, but you know, you just gotta do it until it works. So um, yeah, and so now we help each other with our horses.
SPEAKER_02:Yep, and I feel like we are so good together. It's crazy how good we are together. Like, if I'm being realistic when it comes to training, yeah, I feel like we play off of each other because you're super great at and I think honestly, you've been growing in confidence. Thanks, and I think you're so open-minded about learning that your level of horsewomanship has just skyrocketed over the last couple years. Because I'm up here, yeah, yeah, and we're doing it all the time, and it's so different to have your horses in your backyard than it is to board. Yes, and I was a boarder my whole life, right?
SPEAKER_01:Well, we had to, we had to, we have a choice, yeah. People are so judgmental at Barnes when you're trying because I mean I don't know. I I I just feel like they don't it's it's I call it like a my little pony mentality. It's like so many people get stuck at the my little pony, like oh, my little pony is so cute, and I don't want it to get hurt, and I don't want it to step in the mud, and I don't want it to get dirty. But then on the other hand, my little pony weighs like a thousand pounds and is going to literally crush you. I mean, you you have to break that mentality and you don't want to lose the kindness, right, you know, of that that feeling, but you have got to step up, and if you have to, you know, jiggle that rope, you know, to get that horse to pay attention, you know, to you, um, or to stop obsessing over there and hey, look over here, butthead, you know, right, right, yeah. That's it, but in a barn, you know, I'm not trying to give the impression that I'm mean. Like, I'm not gonna be able to do that. No, you're not.
SPEAKER_02:I think you're you're actually really good at what you do, and I've seen talent within you from your open mindset, but I think that barn mentality definitely can inhibit some women, but like it inhibits growth in a really big way. Like, I remember when I was riding Bob and we were practicing, I want to say we were practicing second-level movements, and he was just being a dick. He was being so bad. And so he used to do this thing where when I was riding him, he would cow kick, and it was like it wasn't a buck, it was just this little like, no, I don't want to do that. And he was only like six, six or seven. Yeah, yeah. And so I would literally be out in the arena cussing, and this woman came around and she's like, you know, you shouldn't say that to him. You know, and when I boarded there, I didn't have a trainer, like I was already at trainer level. Like I'd and I had to make that conscious decision to be a to to to either go to school and become a professional something, right, or to go and become a trainer. And I and I chose the working world, of course. So that's how you pay for the horse. That's how I pay for the horse. That's what got me through college. Like, I'm gonna get a horse, I'm gonna get a horse, I'm gonna get a horse. Yes, yeah, but it I think like living here in Nevada, I did miss the social aspect of because the rural life is different than boarding at a barn, right? You are by yourself, and honestly, that's how I got addicted to podcasting um and just listening to podcasts because I was alone all by myself all the time. Right. And I'm out there cleaning, mucking all of the things, whether it was hot, cold, raining, snowing, oh my gosh, the wind, I can't even tell you. Yeah, um, but that's honestly like that's a really big reason why I want to do this podcast because I feel like there are so many people who are just like me and just like you, yeah, and we we we really are alone in this sport in a really big way. Even if you're at a border barn or whether you're in your backyard, right, like it really is sort of like this isolationist sport because you're so passionate about it, but maybe your your spouse isn't, right? Your best friends aren't, right? Right? You don't you don't really have someone to talk and to listen to and to bounce ideas off of, and there's a lot to be said about chewing on information.
SPEAKER_01:And I think too, even if um, you know, we're hoping that a lot of people want to listen to us.
SPEAKER_02:I hope so.
SPEAKER_01:Um we think that we have a lot of fun things that we talk about. Some things that might make you go, hmm, okay, maybe, you know.
SPEAKER_02:Maybe even some things are kind of cringy.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Exactly. Oh, cringy will come. There will be cringy. There will be cringy. Um but you know, even if there's somebody at the barn listening to us while they're cleaning their stall or they're writing in their arena, and if it just gives them insight or confidence, because you know, you started writing at eight. I started writing literally at forty eight. I mean, there's gonna be people between the two of us. Right. And I just hope that uh, you know, people listening to us don't see us as these uh professional people who have already gone through everything and all you're gonna hear is what we have to say at the highest level.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You know?
SPEAKER_02:Right. That's not us. We we had to figure it out.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, I did have trainers, but in a really big way. It was all self-motivated. Right. I did stuff that other people did not want to do.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. And I did it for reasons. I think when you're in the show world, um, you have to make a decision at some point. Do I move forward knowing that I'm doing this for like the detriment of my horse's mental health? Right. And my own mental health. Right. And I came into the horse world right about when, so I think I mean, I was probably I was still like a junior rider in the early 90s. And riding back then, like you had to have a certain look. It's kind of like ballet 15 years ago, right? It was like tall, white, skinny girls did really, really well. Okay, I've never been tall, and I've never been skinny, right? So I didn't exactly fit in into that mold. Although I was a great rider, I have an amazing feel, I have amazing um connection with the horse. I didn't always win um just because I didn't have that long leg. And I and I couldn't afford the horse. Like I couldn't afford the horse. Right. Right? I was always on these second hands.
SPEAKER_01:Well, which is another podcast. Is it the rider or is it the horse? No, I mean, is it the rider or is it the horse? If you can afford the horse, you're gonna look like an amazing rider. Right. Or do you get the horse you can afford and train it and you're both amazing.
SPEAKER_02:Right. Which which is what has happened in my life, right? And that there was that divergence. Right. Um, but you're exactly right, and I think that's actually what turned me off from showing. Right. Was I could see that there were these girls who were beating me on these horses that their parents paid for, you know,$20,000,$30,000, and that was never gonna be me.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_02:And I knew that I was 10 times the writer.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_02:And we would go to these shows and the judges would score them above me, and I would think, you literally know nothing. Like I work my ass off way harder. I'm a I'm way better of a writer, I can handle so much more.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_02:And that's actually what spurred me into getting into dressage. Because I felt like dressage was much more of an individualized sport in a way, and I get that there's still politics in that world.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, everywhere.
SPEAKER_02:Everywhere, everywhere there's politics. But that's how I got into dressage, and then I made the conscious decision to do what was best for my horse. Yeah, and he did not want to do dressage anymore. He was like, you know what, let's just have fun. And I said, Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And then that was us.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, and then we we got together. And that's how we got together. Yeah. So I really, I really think that um um people might enjoy our crazy banter. Our crazy banter. And our tangents, because there will be tangents and we will go off topic. Yeah. Maybe.
SPEAKER_02:And maybe we can help you like walk you through some of the things that we've been through and some of the hurdles that we faced and give you the confidence to try something different and new for you, for your horse, and we'll just keep you company. And we'll have a good time.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, we will keep you company while you are out there mucking your stalls in the weather and trying to soak your horse's foot because there's an abscess coming through and it hasn't yet burst. And you're just trying to stand there. Yeah, well, we don't call them damn horses, but we'll save that for later. All right. We'll save that for later on.
SPEAKER_02:Well, thank you, Sandy, for our introduction chat. And we hope our listeners love us. All right. Tootles. Tootles. Hey friends, that's the end of today's ride. We hope you enjoyed listening. Don't forget to follow Saddle Talk with Sandy and Cara wherever you get your podcasts. Please leave us a review, share us with a friend, and saddle up with us next time as we ride through more stories, questions, and our wild tangents. Till then, friends, keep your boots dusty and your hard hats on. We hope to see you out on the trail.
SPEAKER_00:Dandy and Kara stir up swinging free, talking about life and love and mystery. From coyotes to coffee, they'll cover it all with the sagebrush blowing and the wild birds call. So cinch up your boots, we're hitting the track, saddle talks on, and we're not looking back.