By Tiffany Rutledge
I’ve been riding horses since I was six years old, and the last twenty-five of those years have been in dressage.
One of my equine partners’ names is Fabulano, or as he is affectionately known, Fabio. Fabio and I found each other when my mom purchased him nineteen years ago, at just four months old. It took many years to develop the bond we have today. This bond is a result of the many obstacles we’ve overcome together, including some very significant health issues for him.
Fabio developed some sinus cysts, which resulted in several surgeries at the Colorado State University (CSU) Veterinary Teaching Hospital, in an effort to save his life.
Each time the cysts returned, it was a step backward, and we had to restart his training following surgery. Last summer, after his third surgery, Fabio colicked, badly, and I thought I was going to lose him. Once again, though, we managed to get through the challenges of recovery, and return to training and competing. I never thought the day would come after all of our setbacks, but we finally made it down centerline at Third Level.
Unfortunately, due to an old injury, Fabio has since retired from competition. He is becoming my son’s horse, and I have no doubt that Fabio will take care of him like he has me all these years.
I’ve had several other amazing equine partners in my life; my Young Rider horse, Forest for instance. He was my first heart horse. I got Forest at 16, and he lived with me until he was 36 years old. With Forest I accomplished something that no one ever thought I would – we successfully competed through Intermediate I. The bond I had with Forest was something that carried me through a huge stage of my life, and when I look back now, I see that who I’ve become today is because of that horse!
My current partner, an Arabian named Quantico, has been a whole new ride and learning curve. Quantico has given me one more challenge, making me a better rider. This summer I’m riding at Fourth Level for the first time since I was a Young Rider. It’s fun to ride at this level again, though I do look forward to going down centerline wearing those tails next summer.
I had grown up with Arabians, but despite this, I never thought I’d be a rider that loves Arabians. Now though, I’m not only riding one Arabian – I just purchased a new equine partner, another Arabian, named Yahabibi, or “Bieber”.
I may not be the conventional rider image, but that hasn’t stopped me from doing what I love. I’ve had a custom show jacket, made for my body specifically, so I looked better when showing. Over the years I’ve been in the saddle, manufacturers have come out with better looking jackets that fit riders of a wider range of body sizes. One thing I still do today is that even if coats have been waived, I still go down centerline wearing a jacket. I feel that, for me personally, it projects a better image and gives me confidence as a rider.
I tell everyone that rides, or who wants to ride, to not let your self image stop you. If you enjoy riding and showing, go for it! Not only am I a rider that doesn’t fit the sterotypical “rider” image, but I also ride Arabians, horses that aren’t the typical dressage mount choice. I enjoy riding everyday though, and trying to achieve that lovely harmony between rider and equine partner – no matter what that image looks like!
