Grandpa Clark at a Harness Race
Grandpa Clark trained and raced Standardbred harness horses. The photo above was taken at a race back in the early 50's I would imagine. I never met my Grandpa, but I have always felt a connection to him through our shared passion for horses. Horses are definitely part of the family DNA as I'm not the only one in the family with a passion for horses.
While my Grandpa passed away years before I was even born, my Mom passed his knowledge of horses on to me. Mom taught me so much about horses, whether it was how to cool a horse out after a long hot ride, how to bandage their legs or properly groom them, but the most valuable lesson she taught me was how to listen to your horse. That's right my Mom taught me to listen to what my horse was trying to tell me. Mom would always advocate for the horses which when I was younger I didn't appreciate, but as I matured I came to realize that by doing that she was passing along an innate sense she had for horses to me. I have to believe her Dad passed that innate sense to her. To this day even though 46 years have passed by since my first horse I still use the innate sense when I'm riding, instructing or training horses. I still remember the things Mom would tell me when I was having an issue with horses and now I pass it along to others. This month two new horses came into my life and I could hear my Mom saying " You need to let them settle in and get used to their new surroundings and you too," and that's exactly what I'm doing. She would always say to me " You have to work at and make friends with him. Take him a carrot or a sugar lump," which again I still do today. Somehow Mom always knew what a horse wanted or needed. My first horse Omar and she had a special connection that I didn't even have with him and the crazy thing was Mom didn't ride. All her connection to horses was from the ground. Even though she didn't ride she knew everything I did wrong when I rode and how she knew that I haven't clue, but I know without her advice and encouragement I wouldn't be the horsewomen I'm today.
Omar and Mom
(one of only a few photos of her and horse )
My Mom passed away in 2018 and I still find myself thinking I will ask Mom about....... I guess she, my grandpa and all other horse people in family are the reason I changed my business name to Legacy Training, because horses are their and my legacy.