“It is a very wide range of things,” says Libby Hanon, equine adoption and marketing specialist at the ASPCA Equine Transition and Adoption Center (ETAC) in El Reno, Okla. She says that the term can mean late teens and onward in terms of age. Horses younger than their late teens that are experiencing issues typically associated with senior horses, such as PPID and arthritis, may also be called senior.

Boundless Potential

But labeling a horse as a senior is not about defining him by his potential limitations. Hanon describes senior horses as “amazing,” and enthusiastically relates that they have a lifetime of experience behind them to share.

“They can offer a lot of teaching,” she says. “They are a great option for beginners or people who have not had a horse in a while.” In these situations, Hanon says that it’s often ideal if the horse comes with a wealth of experience behind him.

“They can also offer a calming effect on younger or high-strung horses in the pasture,” she says, adding that they can also provide a much-needed confidence boost to their companions.

Versatile and diverse, Hanon says that senior horses can be great candidates for riding, too, particularly trail riding. She says that having a suitable job often helps senior horses stay healthy and feel young.

“Likewise, horses keep us young and healthy,” says Hanon. “It works both ways.”

Despite popular myths, many of the adoptable senior horses available on MyRightHorse.org do not require medical maintenance or even extra budgeting to maintain their health.

But if this isn’t enough to convince you, there is a feel-good benefit that adopters often experience when they provide a senior horse with a wonderful, stable home in their final years.

Overcoming Emotions

If you are considering adopting a senior horse, it might be easy to get caught up in the fact that you will have a finite amount of time with your horse.

Hanon, however, counsels adopters to think more positively.

“On several occasions, we’ve had a horse that we would consider ‘late in life,’” she says. “We felt they might only have a few years left.” But she says that when a match with the right person is made, they often see these horses flourish and live more years than originally expected.

With a good routine, positive interactions, and gentle exercise, such as liberty work and hand-walking, Hanon says that senior horses often see an improvement not only in their quality of life, but in the quality of life of their adopters, too.

Rather than focusing on how much time you have left, she says it’s more important to focus on what you can make of the time you have.

Preparing for the Future

While it’s important to note that not all senior horses will come with extra expenses, potential adopters should be aware that as their adopted horse continues to age, extra expenses can arise.

To help compensate, some My Right Horse Adoption Partners provide incentives for adopting senior horses. While not guaranteed, some of these incentives may include reduced adoption fees and temporary stipends to help with medication costs.

Even so, because senior horses need to have long-term, stable homes, Hanon says that if you’re considering adopting a senior horse, it’s important to take an honest look at yourself and your budget to determine what is sustainable for you, adding that it’s OK to go in a different direction and consider more affordable choices.

Success Stories

And senior horse adoption success stories abound. Nicole Walters oversees the West Virginia Horse Network in Charleston, W. Va. She has helped facilitate some wonderful senior horse adoption experiences.

“When I look at senior horses, I think of what they can do,” says Walters. “I don’t think of what they can’t do.”

She describes many adoptable senior horses as being excellent friends and entertainers and a joy to be around. The enthusiasm Walters exhibits toward senior horses is often contagious, so much so that people who have adopted a horse through her organization have realized that age is just a number, and have fallen in love with these horses as individuals.

For example, each year, Walters and her team take adoptable senior ponies to the Adoption Affaire at the Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio. In 2023, one of those senior ponies, Fiona, was adopted by a little girl who was very active in taking lessons and showing.

“Her family could very easily have gotten her a riding pony,” Walters says. “But she fell in love with this senior pony, and now she sends us pictures of the pony dressed as a unicorn, Christmas pictures, Easter pictures, that kind of thing. The pony is the light of her life. The family doesn’t look at Fiona as a consolation prize. They look at her at the Grand Prize.”

Though she could have looked for a riding pony, Riley fell in love with senior pony Fiona at Equine Affaire.

This year, the organization took another senior pony, Noelle, to the Equine Affaire. Initially, a veterinarian was interested in adopting Noelle, but ended up walking away. However, another family soon followed.

The family was grieving, the child having lost her father, and needed something to heal her. While the family was discussing the possibility of taking Noelle home, completely unaware of what was unfolding, the veterinarian reached out and said that while she could not adopt the pony for personal reasons, she would like to donate the cost of the adoption fee. Her donation made the decision even easier for the family to adopt Noelle.

Harper had recently lost her father and found that adopting senior pony Noelle helped her with healing.

Now the withdrawn pony who prefers children to adults has the perfect home, and her new owners are equally as thrilled.

“Senior horses are a gift to us,” says Walters. “We offer them not as an apology, but as an opportunity.”

This article about senior horse adoption appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Adopting a Senior Horse appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

“She was pretty healthy looking, but she was really wild and traumatized,” says Valdivia-Abdallah. “If you just walked in her pen, she would jump out. She did it multiple times.”

It was a familiar situation. The mare was one of eight at a “loose horse” auction (horses are bid on while running loose in a pen) that Valdivia-Abdallah bought.

“An Oregon man had been breeding mostly Shagya Arabians, and he died,” she explains. “The family called a horse trader who rounded 53 of them up. Most on that property were adult horses that had never been handled. She was such a difficult horse, and so not into people, that I named her after the Taylor Swift song, Love Story. It’s a version of Romeo and Juliet that has a happy ending. I like to give horses names with positive affirmations.”

Vera Valdivia-Abdallah, founder and director of Love This Horse Equine Rescue, says Love Story took about six months to tame after coming to her facility. Photo courtesy Vera Valdivia-Abdallah

Gaining Trust

She recalls that it took about six months just to tame Love Story. Valdivia-Abdallah and her daughters, Tamarah and Erna Valdivia, plus one other trainer, worked to gain Love Story’s trust. Even during this time, Valdivia-Abdallah had a special feeling about the mare.

“Once we got her going, I said that’s a Tevis horse right there,” she says. “Don’t ask me why. I just had that feeling.” California’s Tevis Cup is considered one of the toughest 100-mile endurance rides in the world. Horse and rider pairs have 24 hours to complete the race, with regular vet checks that must be passed to continue along the route.

Susannah Jones, a friend of Valdivia-Abdallah from Rough and Ready, Calif. (between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe), is always on the lookout for her next Tevis Cup horse. The three-time finisher of the race adopted Love Story in February of 2021. She took the halter-broke mare home and sent her to a trainer. The first trainer rejected her as too dangerous. The next trainer broke her to saddle, and eventually Jones began riding her.

But Love Story could still be difficult, and she bucked Jones off during a trail ride. Injured and sidelined for six months, Jones didn’t want Love Story to backslide, so Valdivia-Abdallah welcomed the mare back to Love This Horse Equine Rescue in October 2023. Her daughter Erna Valdivia began riding and conditioning the mare for endurance rides. Now 17, Valdivia learned to ride at age 5, and has been starting rescue horses under saddle since 2020.

Love Story intimidated Valdivia at first.

“The first time I got on ‘Lovie,’ I acted like I didn’t know how to ride, because I was so anxious,” she recalls. “I was shaking in my boots. She’s a big horse. She has a lot of power. It was just in my head, because she was Susannah’s horse, and I didn’t want to mess anything up and ruin her. But as soon as I stopped thinking about Susannah, and just treated Lovie like I was riding one of the rescue horses, she was easy to figure out.

“Lovie was very sassy,” Valdivia continues. “I had to be a little bit more stern with her because she’s a mare. She’d get upset with me, but then we pushed through it. When she’s with me, she knows she can’t get away with stuff.”

The two finished their first 25-mile ride together in California in January of 2024, then moved up to 50-mile rides, getting to know each other and building a strong partnership.

Valdivia took over the training on Love Story, taking her to the mare’s first 25-mile endurance ride in January of 2024. Photo courtesy Vera Valdivia-Abdallah

Targeting the Tevis Cup

After breaking to riding, many of Love This Horse Equine Rescue’s horses compete in endurance.

“Endurance riding is so good for starting our horses,” says Valdivia-Abdallah. “You have a different horse at the end of the ride. Even if somebody wants to adopt one as a trail horse, taking him to an endurance ride is valuable training. They must travel in the trailer, camp, stay tied to the trailer overnight, ride in a strange environment, ride a minimum of 25 miles under timed conditions, and complete successfully without having any issues.”

As Lovie and Valdivia accumulated more endurance rides and miles together, the “T” word came up again. Both Valdivia-Abdallah and Jones, now riding again, suggested the Tevis Cup. Jones volunteered to ride her other horse, Eli, and mentor Valdivia aboard Love Story.

“I was like, um, no!” Valdivia laughs. “I didn’t like the idea at first, because it’s Tevis. But once we got closer, and started making plans, I thought maybe it’s not too bad of an idea. I warmed up to it toward the end, and I was actually kind of excited for it.”

With Jones riding Eli and Valdivia aboard Love Story, the pairs rode two days and 50 miles of the Tevis Educational Ride in June, giving both newbies a good taste of the trail.

“It helped me, because the trails are narrow and the turns are pretty tight,” Valdivia says. “It gave Love Story peace of mind, too. It helped her watch her feet and be careful where she stepped. It was definitely a good experience.”

Erna Valdivia on Love Story (front) and Susannah Jones on Eli. Photo courtesy Vera Valdivia-Abdallah

Tevis Time

The atmosphere and idea of the Tevis Cup itself can make riders apprehensive, and the start can be chaotic. At the 5:15 a.m. start time on July 29, 2024, Love Story, not used to such a big field of 137 horses, was agitated.

Valdivia was nervous going into the Tevis Cup, but once the riders were able to space out she and Love Story relaxed. Photo courtesy Vera Valdivia-Abdallah

“I had to relax myself in order for her to be relaxed because there were so many horses around her, and all that adrenaline and energy,” Valdivia says. “It was nerve-racking for both of us.”

For most of the first 6 miles, Tevis is a single-track trail where it’s not possible to pass horses. It wasn’t until the trail opened up and they were able to spread out that Love Story settled down.

Jones rode her other horse, Eli, and mentored Valdivia for Tevis. Photo courtesy Vera Valdivia-Abdallah

The 2024 Tevis Cup was one of the hottest on record, particularly in the two deep canyons horses have to traverse, contributing to the low 40 percent finish rate.

Eli and Love Story successfully made it to Foresthill at the 68-mile marker at 9:35 p.m. They passed the vet check, but Jones and Valdivia opted to pull their horses and not continue the last 32 miles.

“Our horses were tired,” Valdivia says. “It was so hot. Their energy was just not up. The vet said we were good to go, but I felt like if we would’ve kept going, it would not have ended well for us.”

Valdivia and Jones decided to pull out of the Tevis Cup at the 68-mile vet check, where the horses were deemed sound to continue, but the riders felt they were tiring. Photo courtesy Vera Valdivia-Abdallah

A Happy Ending

And so ended the potential fairy tale story of Valdivia and Love Story LTH completing the Tevis Cup. But the plot doesn’t end there.

After Tevis, Love Story was slated to return home to Jones, her adopter. But that’s not how the cards fell.

“Susannah told Erna she was going to gift Love Story to her,” says Valdivia-Abdallah. “It took Erna a minute to process what had just happened. And then Erna totally lost it, jumping up and down and laughing and crying at the same time.”

Valdivia modestly downplays the moment.

“I figured after Tevis, Love Story should go back to Susannah, but I’m happy that she’s mine,” Valdivia says. “We got really connected doing all the endurance rides together. We know each other pretty well.”

Jones and Valdivia became close friends while training for Tevis, and afterward Jones decided to gift Love Story to Valdivia. Photo courtesy Vera Valdivia-Abdallah

Recipe for Success

Since incorporating in 2016, Love This Horse Equine Rescue has rescued 702 mostly Arabian horses and adopted out 534, and currently has 125 in its care. The horses come from a combination of owner relinquishment, law enforcement seizures, and low-end auctions.

What contributes to the group’s success is Valdivia-Abdallah’s focus on attempting to get every horse broke to ride before offering them up for adoption.

“Since I come from a training background, I get the horses going under saddle, because a riding horse will find a home,” she says. “They’re endurance horses, therapy horses, trail horses. We’ve had horses move on to hunter/jumper careers. We have one adopter who shows in hunter under saddle and dressage at Scottsdale [Arabian Horse Show], and this year she’s gone into ranch riding. So they’re really versatile.”

By taking the time to rehab and train rescued horses, Love This Horse Equine Rescue proves that adopted horses can not only become great companion horses, but they have the potential to perform at the highest levels of their chosen sports, including endurance riding’s legendary Tevis Cup.

This article about a Tevis Cup love story appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post A Tevis Cup Love Story appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

The beginning of Goobie’s adoption story is unfortunately not unusual. But for Goobie’s sake, thankfully it has a happy ending.

In a story, “Donkeys on Duty! Albert and Yankee Get New Jobs and Second Chances” posted on the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (ASPCA) website, when a horse or donkey is being rehomed, it is often due to a change in their owner’s life circumstances. In Goobie’s case, he and his equine companion found themselves alone in the world when their elderly owner passed away.

Further complicating matters, there were no family or friends to step in and take over their care, illustrating the importance of an often-ignored area of equine ownership: having an emergency plan in place.

It was not until well-meaning neighbors intervened that local law enforcement officials collected Goobie and the horse, delivering them to River Edge Farm Horse Rescue near Lyles, Tenn., for care and adoption.

Although safe, Goobie’s story took another sad turn. While his partner soon found a good home, Goobie’s adoption proved a bit more challenging. One reason, perhaps, is that his beauty is found more in his personality than his physical appearance.

Companion Donkeys

Meanwhile, some 150 miles away, my journey toward adopting Goobie was unfolding.

In September 2021, I purchased a young American Warmblood gelding named Bucky. My herd already consisted of a Half-Arabian mare, Sally, and her companion donkey, Harmony.

Sally, who has metabolic issues, lives on a dry lot year-round, making it an easy management choice for the donkey, who flourishes (despite not facing similar issues) within her living arrangement.

Although I made it possible for Bucky to both see and hear his companions, it was important that they not be able to touch. Sally, extremely mareish, made plain her intention to injure him.

It quickly became clear that he needed a companion of his own. Even a system I developed to share Harmony’s companionship ultimately failed, expediting my need to find Bucky a new friend.

A Link to Goobie

A few months later, I had still not found a suitable companion equine. But by February 2022, Bucky and I were ready for the next step in our story, one that would ultimately lead us to Goobie.

My schedule as a teacher, writer, and farmer can be extremely full. I decided that for Bucky to be better prepared for the fun I had mapped out for us that spring, I would need to send him to a trainer, Brittany Malinoski in Lebanon, Tenn.

It was an enjoyable time in both our lives as Bucky progressed and my friendship with Brittany grew. Through our talks, I learned that in addition to client horses, Brittany also trains rescue horses for River Edge, a kind act that often makes them more adoptable. It was through her relationship with the farm that she became acquainted with Goobie.

During updates and riding lessons, we talked about my need for a donkey companion for Bucky. It was during one of these conversations that Brittany told me about Goobie and his plight. Based solely on her description, by the time Bucky’s 90 days of training ended, I had agreed to adopt him, sight unseen.

Meet and Greet

Because Bucky’s vacant training spot was being filled by a horse from River Edge, they kindly agreed to deliver Goobie when they brought the new horse to the facility where Brittany trains. The first time I met him, when my husband and I brought the truck and trailer to bring Bucky home, the two of them had already had an opportunity to become familiar with one another.

Even though he was about to catch the best break he’d had since his owner’s passing, in Goobie’s eyes, our arrival was an unwelcome surprise.

Despite being well-informed, I was a little taken aback by his appearance. Then, nervous and mostly unskilled at trailer loading, he refused to be caught so that he could be loaded.

Still, once he was caught, he willingly followed Bucky as he was brought onto our spacious stock trailer. I decided to press forward, and the pair quietly traveled home.

Opposites Attract

Over the last year and a half, Goobie has proven that beauty is much more than in the eye of the beholder, and he is doing well with his new companion.

He is as knowing as his ancient appearance suggests he would be, and he is a perfect partner for his young pasture mate. Spinning, trotting, galloping, and bucking at a moment’s notice, Bucky can be playful and unpredictable in the pasture.

Goobie, his polar opposite, offsets Bucky’s antics with his calming presence. Sometimes Bucky also enjoys a good play fight—biting, rearing, striking, and more. While Goobie is not always willing to join in, he is accepting of Bucky’s antics rather than fighting back, and he has become a wonderful instructor of manners to his young friend!

Donkey Differences

Despite his quiet inner beauty and good relationship with Bucky, their relatively new partnership does have its imperfections. While I considered myself somewhat knowledgeable about donkeys, since I had already owned a donkey for several years, Goobie has presented me with his own unique set of learning opportunities that differ from those of Harmony.

Far from halter broke, Goobie still adamantly refuses to be haltered. On the few times I have been able to manage it and experiment with the various styles and padding options of breakaway pasture halters, each has rubbed his sensitive skin. So for now, he remains halter-free. Instead, I have discovered that he will quietly allow himself to be wedged between a panel and a wall for routine farrier and veterinary care, something I hope to improve on in the future.

Hope and Goobie get along great, as long as there isn’t a halter involved.

Goobie and I have arranged an understanding. Because I frequently bring Bucky and Goobie in from the pasture together, he willingly trots ahead on the way to the barn. Much like my other donkey, he lets me know when he wants attention and when he doesn’t, further narrowing down his preferences from a pat or scratch to a more extensive grooming session.

Basic Training

In their website story, “6 Tips for Getting Donkeys Adopted,” the ASPCA advocates for training donkeys to be haltered, led, groomed, loaded onto a trailer, and have their feet picked up. I believe these basics are important for all equids to ensure a safe landing in the event the unexpected happens.

Though I never intend for Goobie to find himself in an uncertain situation again, he is still very much a work in progress. In spite of the work still to come, I plan to provide him with a home for the rest of his life where he knows nothing but love and good care.

Though the adoption story that Goobie and I share is somewhat unusual, I strongly encourage anyone considering adopting a donkey to do their research and, if it seems like a good fit, begin the process of searching for your perfect match. You, too, may find an unusual but happy pairing.

This article about adopting a companion donkey appeared in the June 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post An Unlikely Friend: Adopting a Companion Donkey appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Cheyenne & Whisper

Alexa Atchison of West Farmington, Ohio, had always dreamed of owning a horse.

“When I was told that I was going to get one, I couldn’t keep my eyes off myrighthorse.org,” Atchison says.

While much needed to be done before she and her family were able to bring a new horse home, when she saw Cheyenne and her dam advertised, they immediately planned a visit for the following day to ASPCA Right Horse Partner Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary in nearby Raveena, Ohio. During the visit, while Atchison was busy meeting the horses, her father noticed the cute-faced Whisper in the stall across the aisle.

“Her fee happened to be waived for Adopt a Horse Month,” Atchison says. The family was smitten with her and signed the papers that evening. “I fell in love with Cheyenne, and Whisper was the perfect companion to help her leave her mother. I was thrilled, because not only did my dream come true with bringing Cheyenne home, but because of Adopt a Horse Month, we were able to bring Whisper home, too.”

Alexa Atchison adopted Cheyenne in May, and decided to take home Whisper as well, whose fee was waived for Adopt a Horse Month. Photo courtesy Alexa Atchison

Pony Hero

In 2024, Alina Bartlett of Springdale, Ark., adopted Hero. Bartlett had previously adopted other horses from the ASPCA Equine Transition and Adoption Center (ETAC) in El Reno, Okla., but unlike her other adoptions, Hero was not supposed to stay.

In the process of being relinquished by owners that could no longer care for him, Hero stayed with Bartlett overnight before she was to return him to the ETAC.

“He was coming to my house for only one night,” Bartlett recalls. She says that while she didn’t know Hero’s entire story, she did know that at some point he was mistreated. “In his younger years as he was growing, his halter had grown into his soft tissue and had to be surgically removed.”

Hero was also exhibiting some behavioral challenges while at Bartlett’s home. He was very nervous and untrusting around people. As such, Bartlett placed Hero in a stall and advised her boyfriend, David, to be watchful. Wanting to ease David’s mind, she also told him not to worry because the pony would be going back to the ASPCA in the morning.

A bit later, as Bartlett was feeding her other horses, she found David sitting in a lawn chair in the stall with Hero. Soon enough, Hero had taken to David and was allowing him to give pets and scratches, much to everyone’s surprise.

David spent hours bonding with the timid pony, who ended up staying as a permanent resident at Alina Bartlett’s farm. Photo courtesy Alina Bartlett

“I had no need for a pony, nor did I want this one,” Bartlett says. “I was taking this pony back and adopting another horse.” David, however, had another idea. He spent hours in the stall forming a bond with the timid little pony.

“David fell in love with this pony,” she says. The next morning, as she went to hook up her trailer and head out, David told her to call whoever she needed to and find out how to keep the pony.

Now, she says, on top of the many horses they already have, they also have a pony that is just around for David to love on.

“Hero is very spoiled and really only likes David,” Bartlett says. “He was meant to be here with David. They needed each other.”

Ella’s Story

“Adopt a Horse Month is such a great opportunity to promote our available equines,” says Allison Hungerford, director of communications for the Susquehanna SPCA in Cooperstown, N.Y., an ASPCA Right Horse Partner.

In 2024, the organization received a stipend from the ASPCA Right Horse program to spend on paid advertising for their horses, something that allowed them to expand their audience.

“The opportunity was one that I was grateful for because so many of our adoptable horses at the time were going to be happiest living out their days as companions only, which is something that can be an adoption hurdle,” she says. With the stipend, Hungerford was able to target groups looking for horses similar to the ones at the facility.

“While these promotions increased inquiries for all of our adoptable equines, there was one horse in particular that found her match through the campaign,” Hungerford says.

Ella had come to the Susquehanna SPCA through a suspected animal cruelty case.

“She was extremely emaciated upon arrival and had a foal at her side that she was caring for,” Hungerford recalls. “After the case was closed, Ella became ours. Ella’s foal was quickly adopted, and she was healthy and searching for a pasture where she could spend her days relaxing while munching on grass, maybe participating in some light riding now and then.”

BEFORE: Ella came in from a suspected animal cruelty case with a foal at her side. Though the youngster was quickly adopted, Ella took more time to find a home. Photo courtesy Allison Hungerford

Hungerford says that sadly, Ella kept getting overlooked and had been waiting for her person to come along for quite some time.

“With the help of paid and targeted advertising, I was able to reach folks who lived in areas we weren’t necessarily accessing with our regular organic outreach,” she says. “This did the trick for sweet Ella, and she found her match!”

AFTER: Ella found her forever home after some Adopt a Horse Month funds helped expand advertising to reach new horse lovers. Photo courtesy Allison Hungerford

Facilitating Adoption

When the Adopt a Horse Month initiative officially started, everyone involved dreamed about how it would evolve and what it would one day become.

“Adopt a Horse Month plays a critical role in raising awareness and excitement around equine adoption,” says Cailin Caldwell, director of the ASPCA Right Horse Program. “In 2024, thousands of horse lovers explored equine adoption for the first time by visiting myrighthorse.org and met adoptable horses online.”

Caldwell says that as a result, more than 200 horses, donkeys, and mules found homes during the month through ASPCA Right Horse Partners.

“We’re hoping to make this year’s Adopt a Horse Month even more impactful and encourage everyone to get involved,” she says. “If you know someone looking for a horse, encourage them to consider adoption by visiting myrighthorse.org or their local adoption group. Or share on your social media channels to raise awareness and interest in these amazing horses. Whether you’re looking to adopt or not, there are countless ways to get involved and support these amazing equines.”

Be part of something big during Adopt a Horse Month 2025. Join The Rescue Effort to see how one adoption creates space for more horses to be helped. Learn more at aspca.org.

This article about Adopt a Horse Month appeared in the May 2025 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Adopt a Horse Month 2025: Finding Forever appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Welcome to Barn Banter, the official podcast of Horse Illustrated. In Barn Banter episode 13, hosts Susan Friedland and Horse Illustrated Editor In Chief Holly Caccamise chat with Adrienne Brandes, an equestrian who has channeled her love for entertaining into a cookbook and cooking show. Then, they talk with Ava, an 11-year-old with a special ASPCA Right Horse success story.

Click to listen on mobile.

Listen to Barn Banter episode 13 now to meet Adrienne and Ava.

Title Sponsor: Straight Arrow Family of Brands

Adrienne Brandes, Realtor & Cook

Adrienne Brandes

Based in Orange County, Calif., Adrienne Brandes is a residential luxury property realtor by day, but her side passions include horses and cooking. In the 1980s, she became the 60th female police officer to graduate from the Los Angeles Police Academy. She has a lifestyle and cooking show on YouTube and an online cookbook that is free to access. When not busy entertaining, she spends time riding her Friesian horse and working on their
dressage skills.

◆ Adrienne’s Cookbook
◆ Adrienne’s YouTube Channel
◆ Adrienne’s Instagram (@adriennebrandes)

Ava, ASPCA Right Horse Adopter

Ava and Little Man.

Our second guest this month is Ava, an 11-year-old from West Virginia who adopted her horse, an Arabian/Selle Français cross named Little Man, after reading about the ASPCA Right Horse program in Horse Illustrated. While her dream was to own an off-track Thoroughbred, she found them a bit out of her budget since she was saving up her own money. While browsing the myrighthorse.com website, she fell in love with 14-hand Little Man. Although unstarted under saddle, he showed a lot of potential and was very sound, two things that appealed to her. After her application and screening interview she was approved to adopt, so her parents drove her out to Oklahoma to pick him up. Over the months since then, the pair have been focusing on groundwork and building their relationship. Ava is very thankful for Little Man this Thanksgiving season!

Title Sponsor of Barn Banter

We want to thank our Title Sponsor, the Straight Arrow Family of Brands, makers of Mane ‘n Tail, Cowboy Magic & Exhibitor’s, with over 100 years of grooming excellence. For more information about your favorite products, visit straightarrowinc.com and find Straight Arrow Products at a tack shop near you!

In addition to Barn Banter episode 13, you check out all previous episodes of Horse Illustrated’s podcasts.

The post Barn Banter – Episode 13 from title sponsor Straight Arrow Products appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.