Taking Time Away from the Show Ring

Isn't life great when you are a youth and you go ride every day after school and hit up horse shows every other weekend and all you care about is that new showmanship outfit? Oh how I wish I could go back to the days when life was that simple. My parents provided such a wonderful youth show career for me; I got to travel the country, chase my dreams and have my life revolve 100% around horses. Next was college. I stayed in my hometown so I still showed, I still rode almost every day and I competed as a college equestrian. My life was a bit more busy and diverse; now I had to worry more about classes, a part time job and working towards Law School but horses and horse shows still mostly drove my life. 

Then came 2016. I graduated college, married to the love of my life, we bought a house, we moved an hour away from home and I started Law School. I was able to compete in one horse show in May before life just got too busy. This is the longest I have gone in my entire life without competing in a horse show. This is also the least regular riding I have ever done. It is a strange time in my life where goals and focus has completely changed from horses all the time to making sure I keep my head above water in Law School, dealing with the upkeep of a home and loving every minute of newlywed life. Charlie is spending his says of semi-retirement turned out and my dad rides him as a demo horse for teaching. Ella is at home pregnant with her first baby and enjoying the broodmare life. We sold the 2 and 3 year olds and several of my show clothes. The trailer is frozen in time waiting for another adventure.... whenever that may be. 

I am not going to lie; I love where my life is right now. Things are going great and I am truly happy. I knew this was coming all along; I knew that when I got married and started Law School, horses would move to the backburner. It was not a surprise and I was honestly looking forward to a bit of a break. But then reality starts to hit.... the stall reservations for my favorite show were due last week and it broke my heart to not be sending them in. Knowing that I will not be eating candy and showing my horse the last weekend in October at Fall Color Classic is really sad. Seeing all of my friends pictures from shows throughout the summer while sitting at home surrounded by casebooks makes me very homesick for a weekend spent in my horse trailer, eating junk food and getting no sleep all to get the thrill of being in that show arena with my best friend. 

I miss horses as the center of my life more than I thought I would. Only getting to ride Charlie every other weekend is rough. So many days I get done with school and all I want to do is go see my pony but he is an hour away and I have 100 pages to read that night. Seeing my facebook memories of heading off to another horse show almost every Friday makes me sad as I prepare for another weekend of learning the Law and trying to make sense of a new city. I would give anything to be loading up the trailer and heading off to a fairgrounds in the middle of nowhere right now. 

As much as I miss my old lifestyle, one thing keeps me going: when I finish Law School, horses and horse shows will still be there waiting for me. My English boots will still zip, Charlie can be tuned up and ready to show in no time, Ella can shed the baby weight and be back to loping like a boss and I know my horse show family will welcome me back with open arms. This is a part of me that I can always return to, no matter what else happens in the between now and then. Law School will come and go, we may move and we may have kids.... and no matter what I can always get back to the show ring. 

Time away is sad and hard and I miss being at horse shows more than I ever thought I would. Thankfully I still have Charlie and can ride when I fee the urge and have the time. I have not had to remove horses fully from my life and I am so thankful for that. But when I get back to a show for the first time in a long while, I know it will be all the sweeter for my time away. That first showmanship pattern will feel so good; it will be so worth the wait. Zipping up those black pig suede chaps will make me smile for the first time maybe ever. I will appreciate the opportunity to show horses just that much more and will enjoy the shows more for having spent some time away. I will hug my friends I have not seen in a while, triple check my patterns, polish the long unused show saddle and probably have some serious butterflies when I enter the ring that first time back.... but once I am there, I will be back on my stage, doing what I love with the most amazing animals as if no time has passed and that will be a moment worth waiting for. 

Social Media and the Horse Industry: Why the cruelty???

You see it all the time on social media: people bashing western pleasure horses, people bashing people who trail ride instead of showing, Hunter Jumpers sticking up their noses at the western "cowboys" and twitter personalities who gain followers from making fun of random people they may not even know. This is cyber bullying. I get so sick of looking at it day in and day out on social media. Since when did the horse industry become a place of cruelty and cutting absolutely everyone who is a touch different from yourself down from the safety and anonymity of a computer screen?

On the subject of the crazy western pleasure debates all I have to say is everyone has their own opinions and preferences. Just because you do not agree does not give you the right to cut them down and call it cruelty or call the horses "crippled" when they are just doing what they are bred to naturally do. I personally love a good western pleasure horse like no other; however, I want them forward with a natural, level headset and not overcanted; I want them to look like they were born doing this and want to do it. I have a mare that can lope all day long just as slow and simple as could be; it is natural to her and that is a thing of beauty. What bugs me to see the horses SO shut down, TOO low in the neck and loping at a 90 degree angle down the rail and winning that way. I ask that judges take a closer look at the rulebook, what standards the associations have laid out and reward the horses and riders that are riding to that standard. I applaud Jaime Dowdy and Its A Southern Thing for taking a stand at the AQHA World Show and riding off the rail, forward and looking like a rockstar; thank you for taking steps to improve that part of our industry.

On the subject of hating those who ride a different style than yourself; who flipping cares???? We all love the same glorious, four-legged animal that I believe is a gift from God himself. Whether they trail ride, jump, do western pleasure or just stand in a pasture looking pretty, they are all horses and we are all horse lovers. I personally have ridden paints my whole life but find it very fun to get on a Hunter Jumper or Dressage horse every once in a while just for a change of pace. Horses are horses and I find each and every one of them beautiful and magical because I just love horses. Respect everyone no matter what discipline or style because it is their choice and what they enjoy and there is nothing wrong with that.

On the belief that AQHA horses are far superior to APHA horses I have one statement: APHA horses are cropout AQHA horses that were born with too much white. When they could not be shown AQHA, they formed their own association for the cropout horses with too much white, APHA. Therefore paints=quarter horses from the basis and the lineage. They are the same horses, just different hair and skin patterns.

My last and biggest pet peeve is the Equine Twitter "anons" and all others who hide behind a keyboard and bash people for fun without knowing them. As for the twitter accounts, these are young, generally high school/college age girls who make an Equine twitter account anonymously and use it as a platform to air their views, make fun of people and their horses and spew opinions that can often be hurtful to others. As a victim of this very intense form of bullying, I find it disgraceful and disgusting. I had people hiding behind a keyboard telling me that because I chose to leave my geldings mane long and be different I should go "jump off a cliff" to quote their exact verbiage in a tweet (and this was tweeted by someone I considered a friend until that point). What is the purpose of this??? What good is this doing other than building up some pathetic people's self-esteem??? I just don't understand the need to sit around and bash people just for some laughs. Something else I saw regularly was taking pictures off peoples social media account without permission and posting them around and making fun of any number of things: outfits that weren't deemed stylish enough, Equitation that wasn't perfect, a horse that was still a bit furry.... what if those kids could only afford that out of date outfit and had paid for it with their own hard earned money and were proud as punch? Why tear that down? What if that girl has a leg injury that prevents her heels from going any lower but she loves to show the class regardless? What if that is an older gelding with Cushings that is teaching someone the ropes and hasn't been body clipped yet? What is so wrong with all of these scenarios that gives you the right to tear these people down? The answer is nothing. All it does is hurt innocent people's feelings and drive people away from the horse industry. (I will say that not all can be judged by the actions of a few and not everyone on twitter is a part of what I described and many are perfectly nice and build people up instead of tearing them down. Sadly in my experience these lovely people were the minority.)

I will get down off my soapbox now. I just can't stand to sit here and watch social media be used as a vehicle for cruelty and cyber bullying inside this relatively close-knit horse industry. We are all bound together by one common bond: a love for all things equine. We can either join together and be a big family who supports and respects one another; as most of my equine "family" and friends are. This is the situation where social media is used as a tool to keep in touch with friends from other states, share photos and stories about our precious ponies, to sell horses and tack, exchange ideas, educate and keep up with all the news; in that form, social media is amazing and a wonderful addition to the horse industry. I much prefer this use of social media to the unnecessary bashing cruelty that happens all too often. All I have to ask those pathetic people is why? What good is this doing? What is the purpose? All this does is make you feel bigger and better than others and that is not good enough reason to cut people down through a computer. It does NO GOOD. Instead of sitting around on a computer bashing people and talking big; get your booty out to the barn and put in some blood, sweat and tears so that your showing and riding does the talking and you won't have to hide behind a computer screen and cut other people down to make yourself feel cooler and better. If you do your homework and leave it all out in the arena, chances are your results will make you feel so good that you won't need to bash others in order to make yourself feel cool.

Let's remember that we are all together for a common reason and that is we love horses.... is it too much to ask to treat each other with respect and common courtesy over the internet and not purposefully harm each other?

If you agree with my message and want to help spread this positive movement please share this post on social media and use the tag: 

Prepping for Show Season

The days are getting longer, the horses are shedding and I am starting to pencil shows in on my calendar.... horse show season is coming right up! Prepping for horse show season is never an easy task and is one that can be overwhelming at times but I enjoy it nonetheless. It means another year of showing the most beautiful animals on earth with my extended horse show family and doing what I love. Here is my list (in no particular order) to help me prep for another great year of showing.

·         Wash your fake tales,

·         Clean your tack

·         Oil your tack

·         Iron and prepare show clothes and make sure they still fit

·         Clean the horse trailer

·         Wash sheets and sleazy’s and make sure they fit the horses and do not need repairs

·         Make sure you have all your health papers ready for the first show and horse is up to date on shots, worming, Coggins

·         Renew association memberships and review any rule changes

·         Make sure your grooming and bathing products are no longer outdated and possibly invest in some new ones including my favorite, EquiFUSE

·         Pack ringside bag with all the necessities

·         Clip the horses and start washing stains out of the white ones

·         Trim mane and tail and pull the mane if needed

·         If you've bought new tack or new horse make sure everything fits correctly and safely

·         If you have a young horse make sure that they are accepting and quiet in the new show tack, chaps and fake tails

·         If they've never been hauled also make sure that they load and stand on the trailer quietly and unload safely

·          Make sure they're accepting of whatever you choose to ship them in including shipping boots, shipping halters, soft ride boots or standing wraps

·         Get in one last Farrier appointment

·         Possibly consider injections a chiropractor or a glucosamine joint shot

·         Make sure you know what you're taking as water bucket, hay, grain, supplements, etc. Smartpaks are a great option for show season hauling and my supplement provider of choice

·         If you're anything like me you'll tend to over pack so make sure that you're not taking a lot of unnecessary things but also be prepared for surprises

·         Make a horse  first-aid kit so that you have options if an accident occurs

·         Also make sure that you have other necessities if an accident does occur including automobile and trailer repair items

·         Stock up on the little things like electrical tape, zip ties and duct tape in large supply

There you go! My list of things to remember when prepping for a new show season. 

Any things you would add? What helps you get ready for a new show season?

Gaining a New Horses Trust

First off, since it is Veterans day, I want to thank all the veterans who served or are currently serving. This is the home of the free because of the brave and I am so thankful for those who serve this great country. Don't thank them just today, thank them everyday. 

Thank you to reader Abby Foley for this question. I hope this helps you out with your new girl!

-         -  So- I am use to having horses since they were foals. I recently bought a 3 year old. I saw your post about coming so far with your horse Charlie - him trusting you, etc. What are your suggestions on how to build that kind of relationship with a horse that is 3, not a baby?

Gaining a horses trust is very simple when you own them from birth. Buying an older horse that has already bonded with someone else and trying to recreate that bond can be difficult. I personally have always primarily shown horses bred, raised and trained by my family. However, with my dad’s training business, we have a lot of horses in and out that were not raised on our property and I have the opportunity to ride and occasionally show them. These are the horses I have to work at my relationship with.

When trying to gain a horses trust, I have found that just loving on them can go a long way. Hug their face, give them treats, and take them for a walk or grazing. They will come to associate you with pleasant things. They also feel comfortable with you. It is amazing how far just some quality time can take you in a relationship with your new horse.

Next tip, take hands on care of them. Go clean their stall. Go spend 30 minutes just grooming them. Get to know every little inch of their body and all their quirks. When you truly know your horse, it will deepen your bond. Find their itchy spot and make sure to itch them every day you see them… there is nothing they love more.

When it comes to training and working, I find that showmanship can really bond me with new horses. Something about moving in unison and having them learn to react off your body so harmoniously just really gets you together in rhythm. Even if your horse is bad at showmanship or it’s not their event, do a little bit. It certainly can’t hurt and you will be surprised how much rhythm it gives you as a pair.

As for riding, I suggest starting out slow and easy. Lots of walking, bending, just feeling them out. Teach them to trust your hands by being slow, soft and easy. They mostly need to learn to trust you so in the beginning, don’t give them a reason not to. Of course, don’t let them get away with bad habits but I always avoid picking fights in the beginning until we have a trust built up.

Horses are herd animals; they look for a leader and a place to belong. When they are show horses and being care for by people, you need to become their herd. They need to look to you for guidance and leadership. Building that bond of trust and love will help with this. Play with them, scratch them, take them for walks; All of this will help them to realize you are their herd.

I know these tips all seem super simple and self-explanatory but they work. Even the horses I raise go through this process; they still need to learn to trust and love you. Charlie is a great example; he was scared to death of everything. He had the biggest panic button. I spent so much time just loving on him (maybe why he is such a cuddle big now) and leading him around and treating him more like a puppy then a horse. I cleaned his stall myself and petted him in between pitchfork-fuls. I groomed him and brushed his mane and figured out he loved having his withers scratched. For him, it helped him to trust me; he realized I would never lead him into harm and my presence usually meant something pleasant. He will follow me almost anywhere now. He trusts me. All the time I spent in the beginning paid off now because as long as I reassure him, he will do always anything for me now. I haven’t stopped all this once I gained his trust; I keep it up. You have to constantly work at a relationship and a relationship with a horse is no different. I think Charlie truly believes I am the leader of his herd and one of his people…. Or he just thinks he is a human child… it could really go either way with him. But the key is that he trusts me and will follow me anywhere. That is a bond that is purely priceless to me.

A $3500 World Champion

It is sometimes said that one should surround themselves with people who inspire them. This is one cliché I can agree with. In the horse world especially, it is so easy to get caught up in the competition and the cut throat atmosphere. It is easy to become judgmental and even hateful at times. Surrounding yourself with horse show friends who do not fall to these temptations is something I try very hard to do. I have been very lucky to find some ride or die friends who I can say, wholeheartedly, inspire me. 

Just a slight height difference between our boys

Around 2011, I had just started showing Charlie as an all-around horse despite the fact he was just 4 years old and in his second year of showing. A new girl around my age showed up at the Ohio paint shows with a giant red roan gelding. Her name is Rachel Walcoff and her gelding is EFC Holesinmysocks. My parents are longtime friends with her trainer and through that mutual friendship we became friends. I learned the story of “Socks”, her giant gelding. They came across him for sale for $3500 and all he did was jump. He had cancerous sarcoids on his leg that had to be surgically removed and treated. He didn’t know the all-around events and given his older age, he wasn’t terribly interested in learning them. She was transitioning from showing Appaloosas and didn’t know anyone of the paint circuit. We quickly bonded over the crazy year of showing our polar opposite geldings; mine was young and clueless to the horse show world and hers was old and would rather not learn new tricks. We also just have a blast together; every show I see Rachel is bound to be a good time. Throughout the tough shows where the boys continuously screwed us out of winning with their antics, we realized that we were both in this for the same reason: a genuine love for showing and horses.

Fast forward a few years and we were back together again at the Pinto World Show. The geldings were much easier to show now. They knew their jobs and despite their ever present weaknesses; we both found great success. Rachel and I stayed up all hours of the night braiding our fingers raw to help pay for our classes. Charlie and I won reserve world champion in Western Pleasure and Rachel showed Socks in his strong classes of jumping and hunter events. I will never forget watching my sweet friend win her first world championship on that old roan gelding in the Amateur Dressage; my heart was overwhelmed with happiness for someone who had worked so hard to take a horse that no one believed in to the highest level of competition and WIN. She followed up that buckle with a win in Amateur Working Hunter and she literally danced her way out of the arena with her buckle. For someone who genuinely loves this sport, loves her grouchy old man and pays her own way to the horse shows through her summer job to reach such great success inspires me.

Because why not dance after you win your first world championship?

Currently, I am sitting at home, preparing Law School applications and writing papers and watching the APHA World Show live feed with jealously. Many of my friends are there showing, including sweet Rachel for her last show with Socks. I wish I was there with everyone. Two mornings ago I turned on my webcam just in time to catch the end of Rachel’s jumping pattern and the subsequent World Championship she received. Yesterday morning she won another one. She is having the show of her life and living her dreams; all on the back of a $3500 gelding that no one believed in. Despite the wish to be in Fort Worth, I could not be happier to watch someone receive the success they deserve. I am honored to be friends with someone who truly inspires me. I absolutely could not be more proud and happy for the success she is having. She pulled a diamond out of the rough and put in the hard work to make him the world champion he is today. Also, I could not be happier for our good family friend and Rachel’s wonderful trainer Ric who spotted the talent in that gelding and helped Rachel every step to bring them to this level as a pair.

Never underestimate the power of hard work, dedication and a little bit of love; the least likely candidate may just become a multiple world champion. You don't have to have all the money in the world and the fanciest horse to win. 

Rachel- 

I truly could not be happier for you. Thank you for being a great friend and thank you for inspiring me. Give Socks a treat from Charlie and I and I expect to see those buckles next time we get together <3

❤️ Brandy 

Fall Must Have's

The leaves are changing, the air is crisp and Pumpkin Spice is everywhere... It is fall! There are a lot of things I love about Fall but also a lot of things I dislike. It signals the end of show season, blanketing begins and layering up to go to the barn is a must. Here is my list of 5 must haves for Fall to make it easier for all us equestrians.

1. A Jacket and Vest
It's getting cold so some warmer clothes are necessary for crisp fall rides and a few hours cleaning stalls. I love to wear a light fleece with a vest or a light soft shell jacket in the fall. Not too warm but enough to keep the chill out. Love these styles from Noble Outfitters - comfortable, functional and pretty: the trifecta for barn clothes!! Love all their products!

2. Mid-Weight Sheet
Not cold enough for blankets yet but sometimes a light sheet just isn't enough to keep those show hair coats. I absolutely love this sheet. I use it all through fall and as a liner under the heavyweights during winter. It is nylon outside to resist stains and fleece inside to keep them toasty warm.

3. Grooming/Bathing Supplies
Trying to keep a show hair coat in the fall can be tough. Good grooming products can make or break that hair coat. A good, stiff, sharp curry comb and a soft but firm brush are classic and simple but you can't beat them. I also use EquiFUSE Shine spray every other day to keep my ponies coats healthy and shining even as their winter hair starts to come in. As for bathing, fall is the time to get their manes and tails in tip-top shape because bathing is a rare occurrence all winter. If your horse has a white mane or tail, get it sparkling in the fall. Condition the crap out of them. I only use EquiFUSE because it will get them super clean without striping their natural oils and health out of their skin and coat. Also, nothing is better for their manes and tails in my opinion. Gleam used with this brush is a LIFESAVER in the winter to keep those tangles at bay until they can get a good bath.

4. Coffee
Well not really horse related but if you know anything about me, you know I love coffee. Fall is the best time to take a travel mug full of rich coffee out to the barn to keep you warm and caffeinated. To each his own, but coffee is generally present in my tack room. (I promise this is the only random must have)

5. Hoof Oil
Winter is DRY. Dry hooves are a bad thing. Start early in the fall with the hoof oil to get those hooves healthy and keep them hydrated all winter long. This is the best hoof oil I have found. I do this once a week during the Spring and Summer but every other day in the Fall and Winter. The more the better!

A Visitors Guide to the All American Quarter Horse Congress

The All American Quarter Horse Congress.... aka any horse persons personal shopping paradise and heaven nestled in downtown Columbus, OH for the entire month of October. I have heard it called the Superbowl of horse showing. So many of us visit simply to watch, shop, see the famous horses, learn from clinics or just to get a feel for the biggest horse show in the world.

For the last 10 years I have been living in Ohio, a mere 1.45 hours from the Congress, I have visited at least 1-2 weekends every Congress to shop and hang out and watch. With my experience and amount of time spent there, I have amassed a large knowledge base on navigating the Congress as a visitor not exhibitor and many shortcuts and tricks. Here I will be outlining my best tips and tricks for a fun trip to the legendary All American Quarter Horse Congress for those of us not showing.

1. Best Times To Go
 -The first weekend is the best for shopping. Everything is fully stocked, lots of sizes, not very busy. Store workers are fresh and happy and excited to help you. They haven't run out of free stuff at booths yet. Downside is the classes are mostly reining and cow horse and if you don't want to watch that then theres not much to watch. Also, Gilligan stall fronts aren't all set up yet and those are so worth seeing.
-The middle weekends is the best for watching the classes. This is pleasure, hunter under saddle, trail, showmanship, etc. Freestyle Reining is the second weekend and always a fun evening of big stops and good music. It is busy though so shopping and navigating the buildings can be hard.
-Last weekend is a time for deals. Stores don't want to haul it home so prices are often reduced. Also, less traffic this weekend.

What a beautiful sight

2. Best Places to Shop
Personally, I love Schneiders, Rods and Big Dee's. They are the biggest and mainstream and there is good reason for that. They have a great selection and quality products. Schneiders and Big Dee's have very reduced stores at the congress this year but they offer free shipping in. Some of my more hidden favorites include The Tack Room: great quality and selection of English apparel and quality halters, storage materials and little bits and pieces. I also love Kathy Williams Tail Extensions; in addition to great tails, she always has great show clothes in her booth. Chicks and HorseLoverz are also good destinations for little random things- you can't beat the prices.

3. Walk Through the Barns
Trust me- take at least one walk down the main aisle of Gilligan and see the amazing set ups of the trainers. They are pretty incredible. Also, you never know when you will be walking down the aisle and see a famous trainer or horse.

           

Building the Stall Fronts and one of my favorite set ups

4. FOOD
The food stands are seriously the best. You MUST get a cinnamon roll from the Sweet Shop. Also, the Stromboli is to die for. You can't shop on an empty stomach so eat. A lot. It is worth it and you will work off the calories walking around and carrying all your purchases :)

YUM!

5. Go sit at the Practice Arena
This is usually my dad and I's favorite congress pastime. We love to sit at the practice arena next to Congress Hall and just watch everybody ride. It's amazing how much you can learn just watching these great trainers ride and listening to what they tell clients warming up. I highly suggest taking even just 15 minutes to go watch- you never know what you will pick up.

6. Fun Events
Freestyle Reining = enough said. It is a super fun evening. The rides are great, the music is fun... defiantly one of the Congress's best events. Grab a Stromboli and sit yourself down in the Coliseum for a night of music, spins and stops. Also, sometimes you get to witness history... such as 2006 when I watched Stacy Westfall perform her legendary bareback and brideless ride LIVE. The Masters is also a really cool experience- it is awesome to see the upcoming great horses in their first class and witness the pinnacle of talent in the industry.

Few things a cooler then watching Stacy Westfall win the Congress... again

7. Clinic's and Product Information Sessions
Why not? If you are there during a clinic, go stop by. Just like the practice arena, you never know what you might pick up and learn. These are put on by highly skilled and successful professionals and I guarantee you could learn something from any of them. This is also a great opportunity to rest your feet and set your bags down for a few minutes. Also, stop and listen to the product demonstrations. There are always a million new products available here and someone who wants to tell you all about it. Sometimes they are silly and other times they might be your new favorite product. I would have never found EquiFUSE if I had not stopped and talked to the dealer at Congress. It doesn't hurt to stop and get the info and sometimes they give you free samples... and who doesn't like free samples?? (only crazy people)

8. GIVEAWAYS
Ah the giveaways.... they are everywhere at the congress. Free stuff, gift certificates, free breedings... they are endless. When and doubt take the second to fill out that little paper. You can't win unless you play. Smartpak always has a great giveaway for not only starting Smartpaks at the Congress but also a raffle. Farnum usually has one, AQHA usually has one, The University of Findlay gives away hats and t shirts.... I know I am missing a ton but seriously find the giveaways and sign up. More chances to eventually win something.

9. Deals, Deals, Deals
I am a huge bargain shopper. I love nothing more then to find a good deal. Congress is great for this. I always take advantage of the deals on Jeans at congress: this year it was buy 2 get 1 free on Wranglers and Cinch at Rods! Yay! Also, as I previously mentioned, Chicks and HorseLoverZ always seem to have little deals like the zip up Sleazy I got for $20 yesterday! The last weekend will have a lot of places giving even better sales and deals because they won't want to take it home. Bargain shoppers heaven!

Nothing better then new riding jeans :)

10. Watch the Show
After all, this is the reason for the whole shebang. Go sit and watch the best of the best compete for bronze trophies and bragging rights. At risk of sounding like a broken record, you can learn something from this also. Drool over the outfits, dream about the horses and be in awe of the incredible  level of the competition. The Congress is overall, first and foremost a horse show... the biggest in the world.

The Celeste Arena

The Congress is one of my favorite equine destinations... such a convergence of all things equine and it is just a blast. I was there yesterday for the day and it was as good as ever. I got some new jeans, stuff for my puppies, treats for my spoiled ponies, a new sleazy for Charles and some information on breeding... more on that at a later date ;). I love the Congress and I like to think I have it pretty well figured out as a visitor. I hope these tips help you out when visiting the legendary show.

A beautiful evening at the Congress before we left

Happy Shopping and I hope you learn something too :)

 ~ Brandy

- What are your favorite parts of the Congress???