Suestory

I started Horse Amour during the summer of 1991, when on summer vacation from substitute teaching, and while I was working on my masters degree in Education. I decided to justify my spontaneous rescue of a horse from a slaughterhouse auction by offering beginner riding lessons. I still had my first horse, my competitive trail horse from my gradeschool years, and had recently been given another (that seems to happen to me). I had given lessons off and on while in high school and college, but had never really considered it as a career, though I suppose if you had asked me at any time, even as a little girl, I would have chosen "Riding Instructor" as one of my dream jobs. The name "Horse Amour" means, of course, horse love-- a name I thought also that would not be duplicated or tied to a particular geographic region, and with me not being sure where I was going with it, it stuck. After one little ad in the Rutland Shopper offering beginner lessons, I never went back to substitute teaching.
My parents raised Arabian horses when I was a child, my mother bred them, she and I handled the babies, she started them in harness as 2 year olds and I would ride them when they turned 3. My father, Dr. Warren Cook, was professor Emeritus at Castleton State College, and he was quite involved with breeding the pedigreed horses, trying to create the perfect bloodline, when not chasing Sasquatch, Ancient Vermont inscriptions or UFOs. My mother was the Phys. Ed instructor and girls basketball coach at CSC, which is where I get my love of sports. Because a money making future in the horse business is unlikely, my parents tried to steer me towards a more lucrative career when I went to college, so I became an art major-- yes, that's true (what were my parents thinking...)! But that changed... and now I satify my artistic desires by painting jumps and sweatshirts, and designing Bit Wipe canisters and advertisements.

I was given a very naughty pony when I was about 5, and learned to stay on. He regularly would scrape me off his back by going under a low tree limb... he taught me to appreciate the privilege a horse gives a person when the horse allows the person to ride, and what sort of respect that person must treat the horse with to be allowed to ride. That sort of scenario seems to be a thing of the past nowadays, and I treasure my well behaved lesson horses, but every child that really wants to learn should experience a pony like that. When I outgrew him we gave him to another family, and I believe he went on to teach them to take up sports other than riding. My children now ride ponies, they are still young, and the right pony demands a standard of respect and kind treatment that only that sort of a determined animal can teach a child.
I began taking riding lessons with Doris Eddy, at Eddy Farm in Middlebury, at the age of 8 and then off and on until her passing in 1998. At age 9, I aquired my first "real" horse, and childhood love, "Jade". He was a wonderful horse, I used him for competitive trailriding, very successfully, rode to a State Level Championship as a young teen in 1977, although my dream was always to be an event rider. Doris taught me to love eventing- the harmony of dressage, the exhilaration and challenge of cross country jumping and the precision of stadium jumping. I longed to compete, but was limited to the Competitive Trail circuit with my Arab and my parent's horse breeding business, which never satisfied me completely, despite my success at it.

I spent my childhood summers at Eddy Farm, dreaming of being on the Olympic Eventing Team. Eddy Farm lent itself to great equestrian fantasies, and Doris gave all of her students a love, appreciation and true feel for horses. Eddy Farm was timeless-- immune to change, on its own timezone outside of the stresses and hustle of childhood. As an adult returning there it still is the same-- and I hope Horse Amour is for my alumni the way Eddy Farm was for me. For more about this experience, see my article "A Tribute To Doris Eddy", Vermont Horseman's Guide, January 1999. She taught me to have a steady hand, a sticky seat and a strong leg. Jade stayed with me all through High School and College, I free leased him, boarded him and for a time even kept him in my father's back yard in the village while I struggled to make ends meet enough to support a horse. He was my first lesson horse, and just recently passed on in the green pastures of one of my own lesson students, at the age of 34. I have never been without a horse, and never will be, no matter how difficult it can be to keep one, although I might advise my teenage/college age students otherwise. I have a great appreciation for how hard someone might have worked to keep a horse through good times and bad. I have often been given "hard luck" horses and am sometimes asked to take on horses that owners love but can't keep for one reason or another. I definitely got that some of that tendency from Doris, though I could never be so extreme; she took in everything!!!!

After graduating from Castleton State College with a B.A. in Psychology, I moved "away" to New Hampshire, where I worked at a Hospital with chronically mentally ill adults-- what I then thought was my calling. I also continued service for the Battered Women's Shelter, a paying position I'd had my whole tenure as an undergraduate in the Rutland area, continued as a volunteer in NH. My horse went with me, and I bought a TB off the track to play with.
When my father passed away in 1989, I moved back here to Castleton. I had begun to pursue an M.A., my goal to continue helping people in the mental health system. At that time I felt it was a terrific career, but I have been interested in many things during my life, and probably would have enjoyed a number of different occupations if only time allowed. I wrote my masters thesis on the Therapeutic Effect of Animals in the Classroom, and with Special Needs Populations,with every intention to publish a book at some point, or at least an article. For several years I volunteered at the local Humane Society, bringing homeless pets to visit elderly nursing home residents-- animals have always been the best therapy for me, and I love to share them.

The loss of my father was sudden and devastating, and sent me on the route I have since taken, which is that of complete independence, and to the beat of a different drum. Afflicted with polio at age 2, my father had a supreme determination to pursue incredible academic feats, he had two doctorate degrees, one in History(Yale) and one in Anthropology(University of San Marcos, Lima, Peru), and he was locally well known for not following the charted path, both in life and in his classroom. I think he needed to prove to himself that he could be successful against all odds, and no matter who told him otherwise. He loved being known as one of the only PhDs who openly pursued Sasquatch sitings. He instilled in me a desire to use my mind and not to do what would necessarily be expected by others. This would eventually give me the gutsi-ness to pursue the Bit Wipes endeavor despite the ridicule of 80% of the horse world. I enrolled back at CSC and got my Masters in Education while I was deciding what to do after his passing-- Castleton only offered a graduate degree in Education, not psychology, so I changed my plans at the time and then discovered that that also completely agreed with me. I substitute taught, started "Horse Amour", graduated and then never went back to a "real" job. Teaching riding has all of the positive aspects of any teaching position, without most of the negatives, except maybe the time off. I never encounter a student who does not want to be in my class. My students are all interested, most enamoured with, the subject. They come because they want to, and horses are also my true love. It is so wonderful to teach a subject you completely understand, feel comfortable with, and are passionate about! I have followed in my father's footsteps by being willing to chart new territory for my students in terms of everything equestrian. Only at Horse Amour will you find such wonderful events going on that are doable by entry level riders, like our nearly famous Musical Freestyles, Pas De Deux and Quadrille competitions, and our entry level Horse Trials & Combined Training Event series. My father is probably the inspiration for why I would always pick an oddball horse (with the right "eye & mind") over one that would be "expected" for my sport.
A couple of years into my instructorship I went away for Riding Instructor Certification-- mostly for my own self confidence, feeling that my education was not equine so much as human. I value the Certification by C.H.A., but much more my education background and social service experience, which has been so valuable to me over the years, in planning lessons, working with various populations and ages. I have hosted a number of special needs riders as well, autistic, ADHD, downs syndrome, and though I have eased away from that in recent years, it still intrigues me to watch the sensitivity of my horses to these special riders, and to witness the joy of the rider.
I purchased the farm where Horse Amour is now in 1994, after leasing it for a brief while. I loved it at first sight! To me, this hill is heaven on earth. It is beautiful, quiet, serene, private... everything anyone could ever want is right here. I lived on boxed macaroni & cheese for a long time to make this place work for me. I moved here with 10 horses, and have since grown to a school of 20 to 25 horses at all times, and about 15 boarders. Things have changed since Horse Amour began, the 3 legged skinny old rescue horses I used to use have all been retired and the $400 ponies seem to no longer exist. However it was beginning the business on a shoestring budget, and my willingness to work with animals that others won't that has made it such a success. Also at any time you can come here and find a "rescue"! Now that I can afford "fancy" show horses, I still pick the out of the ordinary, and prefer to "make my own" show horses. I'd much rather go to an auction and rescue a horse than purchase one out of an ad, and my horses have a fabulous reputation locally, although like my father I think I always have a few non-supporters who think I'm eccentric.

I have additionally been lucky to have a good partner (or as his mother would say, "a man who would stay with you"). He is (usually!) tolerant of a steady stream of lesson students, no privacy, never a day off, a crazy dinner schedule, horseshows every weekend and the continuous maintennance of this operation. He also can fix or make absolutely anything, get any machine to run, and he is frugal, strict and able to see things from a different standpoint. He has made the business double. In 1999 he got his VT Livestock Dealers Liscense, in 2001 he attained Farrier's Certification, and currently shoes 35+ head of horses. In 2004 he went away to Equine Adjuster Training (chiropractic) and earned his certification. He even puts on boots and breeches each summer for the Eddy Farm Horse Trials. (There he is on the right! )He is also an awesome cowboy, a true horse whisperer, he can and will ride anything! And although he sometimes gets tired of the above, and grumpy, he is still here.

This farm is too wonderful not to have children growing up here. Stephanie was born in 1994, Betsy was born on the farm July 4, 1999 between the 4th of July Parade in Poultney that we attended with lots of 4-Hers and horses and Event Camp the next day. Nobody believed I'd have her at home, but it just was not a convenient time for me to get stuck in a hospital. (One drawback of farming is that there are no vacation or sick days.) They are both farm girls, happy and healthy. It is very exciting to have two little girls growing up in this wonderful place. Stephanie began showing at age 3, Betsy is a little more reserved, but proudly started with some flat shows and dressage tests at age 6. She is a perfectionist! Thanks to the patience and outstanding generosity of my instructors, our lesson students, and their parents, Stephanie & Betsy have had the influence of many kind, loving and positive people in their lives at all times. Preschool was the barn aisle, full of learning experiences!

In 1995 I held the first combined training event here. I have always felt that there is a need for introductory level events for those who feel they are not ready for Woodstock or Saratoga. I myself was one of those riders as a youth, and it prevented me from competing(in eventing) which hindered my self esteem as a rider. Our events have grown each year, and we have developed a loyal following, our riders use our events year after year to advance their riding or schooling. We welcome any horse and rider combination to ride in our events, we encourage green riders and horses of any age or background to come and school through our Horse Trials. Ours is the first competition series of it's kind in this area. Several other farms have begun to host small Horse Trials-- I do my best to get myself and my students out to these events to support them-- they are so much more fun than your typical "show".

The highest level in our Horse Trials is Training level, and 2'6 fences, and always this is by far the smallest division, I tried to go to 2'9 one year and had fewer entries. Our beginner and intermediate divisions are always full, divisions and levels that are unavailable at the recognized events. I have always intended to add a higher division, hopefully will someday, but so far there has been no call for it. Our cross country course is quite challenging, even the beginner fences are the same fillers-- just scaled down in size! Thanks to my husband Dave we have water at all 3 levels, and are hoping to add a bank or slide this summer. My continued goal is to instill confidence in my students, at any level, and allow them the unmatchable fun of eventing.
I also enjoy creating useful well schooled horses from unlikely beginnings. In addition to scaling things down-- taking any interesting looking equestrian activity and making it doable by lower level riders, my other big talent is for finding good horses--although if I were a bit more superstitious I'd say they find me. We start young horses completely from halter on, something I have truly come to enjoy and look forward to continuing. Our started horses can then move on to serve our students. This takes a long time, but like everything else, it pays off in the long term, with a school of trusting teaching partners. I still take on horses from unlikely origins, and prefer to find the unexpected bargain or rescue. Price is all relevant to the person asking it, in horse trading I find price to be irrelevant.

The lovely horses pictured on this page, have been my partners for Eventing, Flat Shows, Jumper Shows and even Team Penning. I like having a horse that can do whatever activity it is that I want to do, I waited many years for a versatile horse (until well into adulthood!) and I look for that type of horse for my students to use. There are many great horses just waiting to be discovered, and connected with the right person. I am never one to judge a horse by its breed-- here I am on my Saddlebred doing dressage, and everyone knows Saddlebreds can't do dressage! I feel an wonderful connection with this horse, and his breed makes the victories sweeter. He has a fabulous mind, that's the key.

At Horse Amour you'll find all breeds, with the same common thread-- the right mind. A horse that wants to participate, and wants to please is so much more important than looks, size, gaits or conformation. Sometimes the horse you need changes as the rider evolves(physically grows, advances in ability or changes their mind on what equestrian sports to pursue), hence our successful leasing program. It is very difficult for my students to select and purchase horses for themselves, emotionally and financially stressful, particularly if that horse does not suit them forever. If the barn itself can take that burden off the students, that will be a huge change for all involved. Leasing removes the stress of commitment-- it can continue as long as wanted, and removes the stress of outgrowing, changing styles, aging, and going away to college. I am hoping that our leasing program becomes the norm rather than the exception. Everyone knows that Horse Amour horses often stay here for life, so there is never the painful decision of having to sell to the unknown buyer, the horse just returns to his former occupation of schoolhorse.

I hope to continue serving my students, my former students and students to be for many years to come. My life has changed greatly recently do to the Bit Wipes, and although I fantasize about doing more and more riding (thanks to the bit wipes I'm doing more now than ever, and am able to do more of the "mom" thing as well as enjoy my beautiful home), and less instructing, I will probably still be giving some lessons here at Horse Amour when I am old and grey, at least to the beginners I love, and hopefully Horse Amour will continue on after I am gone. My Bit Wipes business has allowed me the priviledge of having 3 wonderful instructors here in addition to myself, who also believe in the basic things that I believe. My life prior to the Bit Wipes involved enough hardship and hard work to leave me with a very strong appreciation for where I am now.

Through our contact with our students, I and my fellow instructors here at Horse Amour, hope to continue to foster a love of animals, an appreciation of the beauty and generosity of this fantastic creature the horse, and a feeling of how lucky we are to be able to connect so completely with this animal, that it becomes our partner. The results of our program here are evidenced in the successes of our students, not only in their love and appreciation of horses and horsemanship, but in their confidence and self esteem, and in their sensitivity and enjoyment of all of nature.

I am a horse lover and reluctantly a business woman. I would like to be able to say I'm a professional rider, but I have so many activities and things that demand my time and interests, that I am really only a hobby rider, although my family might argue with that! I like to think of myself as having some talent as a rider, and as a teacher, and as somewhat of an artist, somewhat of a writer, somewhat of an inventor, and somewhat of a horsewhisperer. I have so many interests, it has always been hard for me to choose where I want to go the most, so I indulge in all of the above, somewhat. I am proudly a Jack-of-all-trades! I could probably be really good at one of the above, if I could choose only one. I have arrived where I am thanks to my wonderful experiences along the way, and a desire always to take each thing I love a little farther than a less passionate person might.