JB - the Standardbred that can wear any bridle.

19/07/2025

Today I learned that horses do speak to you if you listen.
JB has been a bit sticky in the left canter lately so I made a chiropractors appointment as that is our go to when that happens.
He also have been extremely itchy, or so I thought, over his back from the whithers all the way back to his tail when I groomed him. He would literally lay on me to rub harder and I was using a very stiff curry comb.

Today, after his appointment the other day which read like this:

Huge adjustments in SI and lumbosacral joints. Some minor stuff mid back and base of whithers. Then right side low neck and left poll. Went ahead and gave some Robaxin also to help hold that SI/low back area

He did not move one bit and I curried him the same way I always do. No “itchiness” (well that’s what I thought) at all.

So I put 2 and 2 together and he was actually telling me he was sore in those areas.

Mind blown!!!!

30/06/2025

Someone 🫶🏻

The SPHO-NJ received a Diamond level sponsorship from a donor that wish to remain anonymous.
The donation was made in honor of JB, the standardbred that has opened so many new minds to the greatness of this versatile breed.
Thank you 💙

14/06/2025

This weekend JB is at a recognized show at Grand Oaks here in Florida with 12 year old Alivia!
Her horse got sick so JB stepped in.
Stay tuned for videos and results!
This is his first show since the injury last year so I’m sure he’s thrilled to be out and about again and intro A and B is a good way for him to start back showing ❤️

29/05/2025

Today 23 years ago this incredible horse was born 💙
Happy Birthday big boi, mommy loves you ❤️
We celebrated with a ba****ck hack and ran into some interesting people!
JB of course had to do a cookie check.

05/05/2025

First dressage lesson in a year and the old man was on fire!!!
He has been sound from his injury last year for a long time now but my work schedule and my bad knee was in the way for more then hacking with my pups.
He was very happy to be back playing in the sandbox, in fact so happy he tried to do all his tricks at once so his mother had to hand over the reins to our trainer Kristen McDonald to sort things out.
Today we mostly worked on hind end engagement and leg yields.
We will bring him back slowly but if JB got to have it his way he’d say when’s my next show?
This horse loves to work ❤️

10/03/2025

My friend Dawn has exercised JB for me lately and she wrote me this after har ride yesterday!!!
This is the second time his done that, mind you he does not like to be touched on his face……

I wanted to tell you I got an extra surprise when I was cooling JB down and walking down the road. There were two girls riding a motorized wheelchair. One was definitely disabled and JB walked right up to them and put his head in their arms. It was absolutely priceless. The smile that they had on their face they were a little bit, afraid at first, but then they were able to pet him and I think it meant so much to them. Really warmed my heart! He is such a lover boy!

07/12/2024

I dedicated December to ba****ck rides only
As I’m out here in the peace and quiet doing walk trot and cantering I started to think about how it all started
I was around 11-12 when I started riding racing standarbreds. I didn’t not own a saddle so most rides were done ba****ck.
I had no formal riding education except for a few years at a young age at the local riding schools where we rode in groups of 15-20 and I didn’t learn squat.
In the Standardbreds I found my calling, and at 14 I got my first saddle. (I still have it although the tree is broken but I have so many memories with it I can’t part with it)
We would ride these racehorses both on relaxing trail rides or train them on the track under saddle. Often we would ride galloping intervals and the horses trainers watched with stop watches.
I definitely found my need for speed there.
And I learned how willing and awesome the Standardbred breed is.
When I started taking formal riding lessons at age 35 on an off the track 3 year old I suddenly found out that I could not ride at all.
Diagonals and leads were words i never knew existed.
I have been fortunate to be able to take lessons and learn from some great trainers and although my bad habit of leaning forward (how we got the racehorses to break into a gallop) still is something I struggle with.
But in hindsight, all the ba****ck rides made me the rider I am today, although I’m not perfect, I can still work on it every day.
In a world where I was told daily I was useless and would never accomplish anything, I proved him wrong.
My self confidence was at zero when I entered my first show with said 3 year old trotter, and we won 2 classes.
At 56 it’s a privilege to have a horse I trust 100% to put up with my antics but after a summer of very limited riding I am challenging myself yet again.
Sorry for the bumpy video but we had a great ride and I wanted to share the fun!

05/12/2024

JB always keeping an eye on me 👀

06/11/2024

Got this photo sent to me from Equine Affair in Massachusetts!!!
My boi is the center picture on the USTA poster ❤️
I’m bursting with pride and have goosebumps 😀 (I did not know they used this photo)
Get a Standardbred, you will NEVER regret it 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

08/09/2024

22 years young, not on a single supplement, the dapples are coming out now that he’s on full turnout again!
After his injury that I was told was going to take 6-9 months to heal, he was 100% after 3 months and we have started short canter sessions and he bucked!!!!
This horse is AMAZING 💙