By Christina Lynn
We are celebrating Splash of Color throughout the month of February on YourDressage! Whether your horse is a registered breed of color, sports a painted or spotted coat, or wears lots of chrome, this month is for you!
Did you know that dressage riders who choose a colorful horse as their dressage mount are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program? Check the list of participating organizations!
Here, a Region 8 adult amateur shares the story of her pinto Draft cross mare, who has become the perfect-as-a-peach dressage horse for this dressage-loving mom!
Sweet Georgia Brown, lovingly known around the barn as “the Peach” (as in Georgia Peach), may not look like a traditional dressage horse, but she shines in and out of the sandbox.
With her tri-colored draft-cross looks (right down to the billowing feathers) and a personality as sweet (and occasionally tart) as her nickname, Georgia came into my life at exactly the right time. She is a constant reminder that the best horses don’t have to fit the mold. She is an uncertain mix of Shire on one side, and, as rumor has it, Percheron and Thoroughbred on the other. Whatever she is, she is certainly one of a kind.
When she’s not glamming it up for a ride down centerline, she enjoys trail rides, clinics, and being the center of attention for visiting preschoolers at the barn she lives at part of the year, and for my own kids.
Georgia loves being doted on by the kiddos, and as a life-long horse girl, watching my seven-year-old twin girls and four-year-old boy learn the lessons of the barn often brings happy tears to my eyes. She takes extra care with them, bending her head way down for a soft pet or gently taking a treat out of little hands.
The barn offers a space for the kids and me to connect with each other and disconnect from the rest of the world, and Georgia is right there in the middle of it all. As all of us horse people know, there’s no better place than the barn to learn about patience, responsibility, and even a little about heartbreak.
Soon after my twins were born, I lost my off-track Thoroughbred (OTTB), who I had for more than 10 years. As a judge wrote on a test once, he was a “very challenging horse,” but I loved him fiercely. In working through his many “quirks,” I learned so much about alternative training methods, and we finally had some massive breakthroughs once I incorporated some natural horsemanship into our dressage training. Right as we were coming into our own and finally clicking, he had a tragic colic incident. After he passed, and as I juggled little kids, a husband, a house, and a full-time job, my riding days were on pause, which I was convinced might be a forever halt.
But, as someone who has ridden (with a love of the sport that well outpaces my talent) for most of my life, I couldn’t hang up the boots for too long. I started looking around for a horse to fill the hole in my heart. I wanted something that could help build my confidence while also offering a safe way for my kids to learn more about horses.
I stumbled on a Facebook post for a pretty pinto mare, who happened to be at the barn where my OTTB had been boarded. She seemed a little small for me, had an uncertain background, and likely had exactly zero dressage training. The list of horses with fancy pedigrees and dressage show records that I was inquiring about was a mile long, but I kept thinking about that little mare (it just might have something to do with my first horse being a bit of a Franken-horse of unknown combination that just happened to be a pretty pinto pony).
My company offers two mental health days a year to do with as we please and one was coming up. I figured, what better way to spend the day than taking a little drive to meet this mare? I mean, it couldn’t hurt, right? I dug out my riding clothes and dusted off the saddle (she had possibly never been in an English saddle, and definitely never in a dressage one). When I arrived, she was lying in the stall where my old horse had once been, and I saw a little cross marking on her shoulder. I couldn’t help but wonder if someone was sending me some kind of sign.
Georgia was unlike my previous horses, who tended to be high-strung OTTBs. Those difficult horses had fueled my passion, but also left my nerves a bit frazzled. Now, as an older mom, I needed a horse who fit into this new season of my life. I even told the girl showing her to me that I would probably not canter her; my last two horses had a few tricks they liked to pull around cantering, and I was sure I wouldn’t feel comfortable even trying on a new horse. The second I swung my leg over, though, I knew we would be ok. I felt like I’d known her forever, and…we cantered.
After bringing her home (thanks to my non-horsey husband, who really upped the ante on a birthday gift that year), I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with her. I always loved competing, but never really made it far in dressage. I thought maybe I would focus on trail riding and just poking around the farm.
I’ll admit, as much as I loved her, her movement and background didn’t exactly scream “dressage horse.” On the other hand, I kind of wanted to see what we could do. The progression of dressage has always called to me, and, well, even in my older age, I still really like a challenge – just maybe not the same kind I did a few years ago.
I was introduced to a local dressage trainer, Carly Collari, who I instantly liked. I reached out to her, sent her a video showing Georgia doing mounted shooting in a clinic and a few other tricks, and said, “Hey, I’d sort of like to do dressage with her; what do you think?” She didn’t hesitate for a second, saying, “Bring her over to my farm, and let’s figure it out.”
We started at square one. Dressage is such a versatile sport at the lower levels. The fundamentals are something that any horse and rider can learn, and it translates to so many other disciplines. It has been the perfect fit for us, offering structure and progression, but allowing us to compete primarily with ourselves.
I value the part of the sport that helps any horse and rider find a place to work toward their own goals, even if the horse isn’t the flashiest mover or, in my case, the rider isn’t in the best physical shape. I love seeing more of the “off-breeds” out there doing their thing and really appreciate more of a body-inclusive attitude across the discipline (though I’d challenge the sport to keep doing better, but that’s an article for another day).
I also have to progress on my own timeline. I have three kids and still work full time, so my life cannot be as attached to the barn as I would love it to be, but we can still find little things to work on and perfect as we move at our own pace up the levels (and here I must again thank my tireless and truly wonderful trainer, without whom I might never have moved on from Training Level, and who is my confidence when my own falters).
And brick-by-brick, we continue to build. Before Georgia, I had maybe done one recognized dressage show, and I don’t think I had ever competed beyond Training Level. Now, entering our third year of competing together in 2025, we are about to try Second Level. When we show, we focus on doing better than we have before, improving on a manageable piece of the test. And together, we earned my first USDF Bronze Rider Medal scores. That might seem like a small thing, but it was something so far off my radar, even two years ago, that – for me – it might as well be competing at the Grand Prix.
Georgia really seems to perk up to meet the pomp of the show experience. She likes being doted on, loves napping soundly in her away stalls between classes, and is always up for a little pet from her adoring fans. She definitely draws attention with her unique markings (the aforementioned cross on one side and a large heart on the other) and always shows up for me. For her, the judges’ comments are consistently about how hard she tries (which I assume means they realize she sometimes has to fight a bit uphill against her poor rider)! Georgia has a little spice, but she is overall steady, forgiving, and curious.
One of the greatest gifts Georgia has given me is the community we have found together. My trainer has a knack for welcoming what we like to joke are the “exotic breeds,” so Georgia fits right in with a Craigslist Haflinger, a superstar Morgan, a Quarter Horse here and there, an OTTB, and, of course, a healthy dose of some gorgeous warmbloods. Our barn family is incredibly supportive.
Horse shows are amazing experiences where everyone lends a hand, cheers for each other, and offers a hug when things don’t go quite as planned. From barn parties that welcome my kids to eat in the aisles among the horses, to clinics and fun days (if you want a good laugh, come watch a barn full of dressage riders pop over a jump or two in dressage saddles), the barn is my happy place and the people in it some of my very favorite people, who all welcome Georgia and I with open arms.
When Georgia isn’t in full training mode, she lives a different kind of horsey dream life in a picturesque backyard barn. Just a short walk from my home, she shares space with her Shetland pony buddy, Tony, and her Gypsian bestie, Haddie. It’s the perfect blend of structured training and relaxed barn life, which suits Georgia and me just fine.
During this part of the year, we trail ride (I’ll admit, she can certainly get my heart racing out on the trails where she has spurts of decidedly non-draft horse, um, “spirit”), we do clinics (in particular, some really fun obstacle clinics and lots of horsemanship), and we have even tried a hunter pace. She’s game for anything, happy to get on the bus and find out what the next adventure will be. But during this time, most of all, we all take a moment to just enjoy each other’s company. My kids frequently join me for chores, with everyone appreciating a few quieter evenings among the horses and various barn cats.
Georgia and I may not fit the typical mold when it comes to the dressage world, but she has given me everything I could ever want from a horse. She’s restored my confidence, reignited my passion for riding, and allowed me to share my love of riding with my kids. She’s proof that the best horses are those that fill your heart and meet you right where you are.
Even more, riding and having the barn connections allows me to feel like a whole person, something that can be easy for us moms to lose sight of. I truly am a better mom, a better employee, and probably a better human because of the time I spend at the barn. I also hope that we can be a reminder to others out there who try to balance it all that it is okay to just enjoy the horses, and do what you can without putting too much pressure on yourself or your horse. The journey is your own.
Sometimes – maybe most of the time – it is absolutely okay to “just ride.”
Georgia is more than a horse; she is a partner, teacher, and reminder that sometimes the most unexpected paths lead to the greatest gifts, arriving exactly when we need them most. She’s my horse of a different color, and I wouldn’t want to be on this journey with anyone else right now. She has a beautiful future of toting my kids around waiting for her, and God-willing, she will spend the rest of her life with us. I truly can’t wait for my kids to enjoy the view between her fuzzy ears (but don’t tell them that; I want her all to myself just a little bit longer).
