The Phenomenal Paint Horse! Throughout the month of March, we are featuring Paints and Paint crosses.
Did you know… dressage riders who choose a member of this historic breed as their mounts are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as the American Paint Horse Association is a participating organization?
After losing her confidence, this rider from USDF Region 8 found herself looking for a reliable partner, which landed her in the presence of a steady Paint Horse mare named Zipper!
By Jane Ostiguy
I was first introduced to dressage back in 1979 when I attended nine months of horsemanship training at Wonderland Farms in Pennsylvania. I was hooked. While I was in the US Navy, I was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, in the early 1980’s and started competing in dressage. I was fortunate enough to belong to the Southeast Virginia Dressage Association (SVDA) and took advantage of riding in clinics with some well-known riders at that time. In the late 1980’s, I was stationed in San Francisco and joined the California Dressage Society (CDS). I enjoyed competing out there also. I returned to New England in the mid 1990’s, and was still riding, earning my USDF Bronze Medal in June of 2000.
I tried to continue on towards my Silver Medal, but my horse had some soundness issues, and he just wasn’t comfortable, so I decided to sell him and find a new horse. Sadly, I was convinced that I was ready for a young horse. I have always loved tri-colored horses. So, silly me bought an unbroke three-year-old Art Deco gelding. He was gorgeous and a lovely mover, but was too much horse for me. I kept trying to make it work and was able to get to some schooling shows, but never made it to any recognized shows with him. Needless to say, after 14 years, I had lost my confidence in my abilities as a rider. I lost him to colic in June 2014, and I knew that my next horse needed to be quieter.
I went through several horses, and my ego took some big hits each time a new horse didn’t work out.
Finally, in September of 2018, I went to look at a four-year-old Paint mare. I had been at a Paint barn back when I had my Art Deco gelding, and really loved the breed for how quiet they were. I wasn’t completely sold on having a mare, but there was just something about her. So, EPR Zip to the Bar (Sonny’s Amigo Bar x Zippos Eternal Ranger), aka “Zipper,” went from being an all-around Paint to a dressage horse.
We went to our first dressage show, which was also a combined test. She handled the jumping horses with no problem and was perfect in our two Intro Level tests. Winter set in, and I continued to ride and enjoy my new horse. By spring, we had moved up to Training Level. We attended a couple of schooling shows and then I decided it was time to return to recognized shows. She continued to behave herself and took showing in stride.
The seasons came and went, but in late spring 2020, she came up lame. She had a small fracture in her hoof, so she got a few months off. By September, we were back at a couple of schooling shows. But sometime during 2021, the old anxieties began to creep back in. I would enter shows and then scratch. I had days when my anxiety was so bad I could hardly get on to ride. Through all this, Zipper never got spooky or anxious. The worst thing she did was get tight because I was clinging to her. We continued to try to get to shows with limited success.
We did manage to move up to First Level in 2022.
With my anxiety still not under control, we tried some virtual shows in 2023. These were helpful, but poor Zipper was still having to deal with me. In 2024, Zipper and I were Reserve Champions at First Level in the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) Virtual US National Dressage Classic in Region 1, and we made it to one recognized show.
2025 arrived, and I was even more determined to get my anxiety under control. In January, my instructor, Susan Rainville, launched her course, “The Confidence Connector.” I was finally really ready to open my mind and enjoy riding and showing again. Of course, Zipper was very happy as I relaxed more and more, and started being able to move more forward now that I wasn’t clinging to her. Susan’s course has been a lifesaver. We did hit the recognized shows again, this time with much less stress. At one show in July, I was so relaxed, I wasn’t even breathing hard at the end of my test.
Age caught up with me, and I started having issues with my hip. I took a month off from riding and had a young lady from the barn who had lost her confidence ride Zipper for me in the interim. Zipper helped her gain back her confidence, too! When I got the January/February 2026 issue of USDF Connection magazine, I was excited to see Natalie DeFee Mendik’s article about the “Bionic Riders.” I had my hip replaced this January, and I can hardly wait to get on and ride again.
Last August, I retired and felt it was time for a second horse. This time, I only looked at Paints. I had a certain stallion in mind, because they bragged about how quiet his offspring were. I had planned on a three- or four-year-old, but along came a two-year-old that hadn’t been broke yet. Through Susan’s course, I have gained enough confidence to work with a young horse again, so Can’t Buy My Love (One And Only Asset x No Doubt Im Platinum), aka “Kiddo,” another Paint, has joined my herd.
I am lucky that the same young lady is riding Zipper for me while I recover from hip surgery. I can’t believe how great she looks. I am planning on moving up to Second Level this year and work towards the Master’s Challenge Awards.
My ultimate goal with Zipper will be to train her through Prix St. Georges (PSG) and earn my Silver Medal.
Why would I recommend a Paint? They have started to breed them for movement and size. Some have really nice trots with suspension. They have great brains. And if you don’t like color, there are plenty out there with solid coats.
The most special thing about Zipper is that, through all my anxiety, she was there to take care of me. She was steady as a rock at home and at horse shows. I knew I could count on that.
Zipper is definitely a mare with a princess attitude at times. Only walks through puddles when required and will not step in someone else’s poop in the ring. She lets all the boys know when she is in heat, but once you are on her back, you would never know. She attacks new movements and catches on quickly. I must ask her politely with my aids, or she lets me know with a big tail swish and sometimes a little buck. This has made me a much more sensitive rider. She also loves her treats and knows when to expect them.
I love the bond we have formed. Zipper has a forever home, and I’m hoping to do our Century Club ride in 2037.
