Dear Karin, I hope this letter helps you in your journey as a Dressage instructor and horsewoman.
Recently, my husband gave the green light for me to buy a dressage schoolmaster. I was thrilled beyond belief. How many women could be that fortunate? My trainer, Karin Reid Offield, was very happy for me. The difference between a pro like Karin; however, and the little amateur me, is that I was thinking with my heart and Karin was thinking with her head. Having bought and sold many horses in her lifetime, including the fabulous wonder boy Lingh, Karin knew it would take a while to find the right horse for me. I announced that I was going to Wellington, Florida for the month of February in search of my horse. I think Karin was nervous that I would traipse off and buy the first horse that flashed its big brown eyes at me. Now, came the time when a wise, dedicated trainer stepped in. Even though Karin was leaving for Europe on business, and to visit Lingh, she immediately said, “I’ll meet you in Wellington the first week of February and fly in directly from Germany.” I couldn’t believe my ears. How many trainers would do that for a student? Karin began a fast and furious month of contacting professionals she knew and trusted in the Wellington area and we were off and running.
When Karin arrived in Wellington, she called me immediately and said, “Have you got your riding clothes ready?” I hesitantly said, yes and her response was “Great, because I’ll meet you at the Tackeria at 8:00 a.m. sharp tomorrow. We will be riding and trying horses all day.” That turned out to be only the first of many days of riding beautiful, highly trained dressage horses. As we visited each stable, Karin would tell me the background of each horse. The other trainer or owner would ride the horse first so we could both watch it move. Then Karin would ride the horse, all the while talking to me and telling me what she was feeling. When it was my turn to ride the horse, Karin gave me a sense of confidence and also little hints as to getting the most out of the horse. When we left each farm, we took notes as to the positives and negatives of each horse. Karin , early on in the game realized that no matter how wonderful a horse was, it had to pull resoundingly at my heartstrings. Throughout the entire process Karin encouraged me and was very positive. No matter how many horses we tried (and we tried quite a few) neither she nor I was discouraged. I secretly had a feeling that the right horse would be in Florida. One day Karin announced that someone was bringing an Intermediare I Schoolmaster down from Northern Florida for us to try. When I first saw Rising Sun I knew she was something special – and so did Karin. After riding the beautiful mare for two days we both did a high five and smiled and laughed the rest of the day. This was the easiest horse transaction I have ever undertaken – thanks to Karin and also to Kate Etherly. The vetting was set up by one of the top equine vets in the country, Brendan Furlong, all the way from New Jersey. Karin and her staff followed up with all testing and x-rays. I never had to worry about shipping – all was taken care of for me.
Throughout this whole procedure, Karin really cared about me. She wanted to keep me safe and find a horse who could help complete my dreams. With Karin, I have not just a trainer – I have a true friend.
I must also say thank you to a wonderful woman and former owner of Rising Sun, who was sweet, honest and truly in love with her mare. Thank you for parting with the girl who now has won my heart. I wish you well as you continue your travels in the world of dressage, Nancy Hutson. You obviously loved this tremendous mare very much as it shows in her loving nature.
A big thank you to Mary Ann Grant and Carol Grant for helping so much in Wellington and a big hug and laugh to Marcel for all of our fun antics.
Sincerely, Nancy Anderson
The winner is...Rising Sun and Nancy and me (Karin ) ...I am thrilled to ride this horse everyday, helping Nancy learn to ride !
