Despite having ridden for 15+ years at this point, it was probably only 3 or 4 years ago that I heard about the "Red Headed Mare" stereotype. Which is kinda funny since you know, I've had a RHM for the last 13ish years. I was riding at a primarily Hunter/Jumper barn with a pronounced focus on Equitation so I was constantly cruising around looking mighty out of place on my fat QH decked out in dressage gear. Because of this I didn't make tons of friends with people my age (they were too busy buying fancier horses because the last one didn't win) but the people I did click with were the ammy adults. Which shouldn't reallllly be surprising because I was entering ammy-adult status at that point and definitely had more in common with them than the younger girls.One of those adults, M, was well known around the barn for her riding/grooming/all around horsey knowledge and although she didn't have a horse of her own, she managed to qualify on catch rides every year. I really liked her, the way she treated her horses, and her overall riding "philosophies". And despite our riding styles being very different I think she kinda liked me too. And what she liked the best, was my silly red headed mare. You see, at this barn the horses were injected left and right, people took lessons every other day, showed every weekend, and medicated their horses for everything. Mollie couldn't be more opposite.
At the time I was in college and really only rode on the weekends. And by the time I actually got around to riding it was usually bareback, in a halter, with clip on reins. M was always shocked at how well behaved and mild mannered Mollie could be in those sorts of situations, provided all the time she had off. What M liked the best however, was when she would come into the ring during one of Mollie and I's "discussions". You see, she was one of the few people who knew that she wasn't being bad, and was perfectly capable of agreeing to what I was asking, she was simply being a red headed mare. Ever since then I've told Mollie "her red headed mare is showing" when she gets into a fit, and I'm always reminded of M, who started the term.
Right around the time I started this blog I also created an Etsy account and it only seemed fitting that I named both after my silly little red headed mare.
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| Casually ordering some lemonade, Summer 2013 |
omg love that last pic! :) And agree there is something about Juniors that doesn't mesh that great. Actually some juniors I didn't get along with when I became an AA I do now that they are also AA's because I think they "get it" now.
ReplyDeleteYeah I just found myself very irritated by a lot of them. They were often much better riders than myself, yet lacked the horse care skills that I grew up on. Their superior attitudes didn't hold up too well when they had to ask me to teach them to lunge their 3'6 medal horse...
DeleteVery cool name story! The last picture is hilarious. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!! She's quite a ham :)
DeleteI always got along with the younger crowd at my last barn as well as the few adults (I was that awkward in betweener that was in college) but once I started working I started wanting to drift away from that. Mind you I didn't have many of the things you listed above as reasons I just found myself getting along with the adult ammies better. Prob more my personality than anything else haha. Thanks for sharing! Love that last pic. Didn't see your feet at first and was like that's nifty!
ReplyDeleteHaha I was standing there to pay the man but I assure you Molls knew exactly what was inside the truck :) I ran a summer camp this past summer and every Friday I'd let Mollie out to "hang out" with the campers who would love on her/etc. And therefore every Friday she got to indulge in a watermelon lemonade. The guy who drove the truck thought she was a riot, as did all the campers and their parents.
DeleteLove a good red headed mare :)
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