2020
Ar abian Horse Times | 6 | Saddle Seat • 2020
Ar abian Horse Times | 7 | Saddle Seat • 2020
Saddle S E AT
Rob & Liz Haar Dexter, Michigan
SIGNATURE OAK STABLES WITH KAYLEIGH MEYER DISCIPLINE FOCUS: Saddle Seat & Western What drew you to the saddle seat discipline vs. others? Liz: I showed western as a kid and sold my horses to go to college and didn’t ride again until I was in my forties after our daughter got interested in riding. I decided if I was going to ride again, I wanted to learn something new. We also both love the fast-pace and excitement of saddle seat. How many years does an amateur ride the same horse before they change horses? We tend to like change, so the longest we have ever shown the same horse as an amateur is two years. We have some horses now that we may show for a third year, but will have to see in December! Do you prefer an already proven saddle seat horse or do you like the idea of discovering the next star? Almost to a fault, we like discovering the next star. It’s a lot of fun, but sometimes as an amateur, if every horse you have is a junior horse, it can be challenging. We also like ‘spirited’ horses, which combining that with young horses makes every class unique! A proven horse can be nice too. What do you hope to contribute to the saddle seat division? Liz: While I ride the horses, Rob breeds them. He has some great young horses that are just starting to be shown, and even better foals from this year. It’s exciting to get a great crop of home-bred horses to show, but also exciting to contribute to the industry with good quality English horses. Name a current saddle seat rider and horse whose talent you respect and why. Lori Foster is a great ambassador for the breed and for saddle seat riding … on any horse. She looks good and is well prepared, but more importantly, is generous with her time promoting charity work within the breed. She always has a smile on her face, and makes it look fun, which it should be!
Ar abian Horse Times | 8 | Saddle Seat • 2020
Saddle S E AT
Kayleigh Meyer Dexter, Michigan
SIGNATURE OAK STABLES
What drew you to the saddle seat discipline vs. others? Growing up, I always saw saddle seat as the most challenging discipline (now I realize that Western is VERY hard), and I always found myself drawn to watching those classes. Their athleticism and show presence are what I was drawn to the most and it is what keeps me riding English horses every day. What are the important must-haves in your ideal saddle seat horse? Most importantly, they have to want to work and have natural talent—a high neck, straight tail, and great motion only gets you so far when they don’t enjoy what they are doing. After that, they need to have a powerful hind end. I like a horse that trots squarely off all four corners with ease. How many years does an amateur ride the same horse before they change horses? I think everyone has personal goals they are trying to attain, and once that goal is reached, I don’t see a need for a rider to continue to show the same horse over and over again. I think it brings excitement to the breed to watch a new horse and rider team trot into the arena. Do you prefer an already proven saddle seat horse or do you like the idea of discovering the next star? I really enjoy starting the young horses from day one and seeing them through their entire training process; this makes the reward at the end even greater. Luckily, I have amateur riders that are willing and excited to look for that next big star and enjoy the ups and downs of the process! What do you hope to contribute to the saddle seat division? My goal is to produce Open-quality yet amateur friendly horses from our breeding program that are straightforward to ride, train and show.
Ar abian Horse Times | 9 | Saddle Seat • 2020
Ar abian Horse Times | 154 | Volume 50, No. 7
K AY L E IGH M E Y E R What encouraging/positive things did you observe within the industry in 2019? I felt like there was more trainer support amongst us all. I also felt that the industry is up in breeding and those breeders have become more knowledgeable in their stock and their choices. I feel like this is a result of incentive programs such as the AEPA, AHPA and AWPA. What new things will 2020 bring for your program? We are one of those farms that I stated above, making our own choices in quality breeding stock. We are expecting nine foals in 2020 that we are super excited for! What are three items in your tack trunk you can’t go to a show without? • Work board - organization makes me feel prepared for success! • Zip ties - because what CAN’T they fix! • Treats - our horses are spoiled. :) For new clients getting into the horse business, what have you found to be the most encouraging to get them enthusiastic about owning and showing an Arabian horse? The camaraderie between the horse show family that makes it feel more like a weekend vacation than a weekend of just spending money. They become part of our world instead of just an outsider looking in. Progressive aisle parties, Sweepstakes programs, and exciting evening classes are all rewarding to new clients. If you could contribute one idea to the industry to benefit the community, what would it be? A central location for sale horses on social media and at horse shows. If the industry had one location where everyone advertised, it may make selling and buying horses less intimidating and more productive. A daily type flyer at Nationals like y4Designthe Results seems like a great place to start.
SIGN AT UR E OA K S TA BL E S DEXTER, MI Years as a trainer: 10 | Services/Discipline Focus: English Ar abian Horse Times | 155 | Volume 50, No. 7
YOUNG P RO F E S S I O NA L S
Kayleigh Meyer Dexter, Michigan
Trainer/Instructor | Signature Oak Stables Age: 28 What personal accomplishment are you most proud of? Watching my amateurs show their horses successfully, whatever that means to each horse and rider at that particular show. I am lucky enough to work with a barn full of quality, well cared for, and happy horses that enjoy coming to work every day, and it’s rewarding to be recognized for that in the show pen. What is your primary personal development/ business goal for the next five years? I am excited to be part of a farm that is breeding quality youngsters and providing sought after crosses to the breed. I am looking forward to marketing, training, and showing the next superstars of our industry and in five years you will want to be visiting our farm to buy your next National Champion! What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned the hard way? Training a horse correctly simply just takes a longer time than you’d hope. Rushing the training process will almost always come back to bite you somewhere down the road, and usually when a lot of people are watching. What keeps you motivated and inspires you? Working at our farm is pretty inspiring on a day to day basis. I get to sit on the type of horse I would imagine riding when we used to play “horse show” in the backyard watching a group of high necked, big trotting weanlings in the field and get excited about what they will look like in tack. What advice would you give to other young professionals getting their start in the business? Manifest your destiny, write down all your hopes, dreams, and who/what inspires you and do whatever it takes to get yourself there. Training horses for a living is FAR from easy and many young horse(wo)men don’t make it through the gritty beginning because they don’t have the end game in mind.
Ar abian Horse Times | 256 | Volume 51, No. 1
Ar abian Horse Times | 257 | Volume 51, No. 1
Ar abian Horse Times | 140 | Volume 51, No. 3
Ar abian Horse Times | 141 | Volume 51, No. 3
Ar abian Horse Times | 142 | Volume 51, No. 3
Ar abian Horse Times | 143 | Volume 51, No. 3
Ar abian Horse Times | 144 | Volume 51, No. 3
Ar abian Horse Times | 145 | Volume 51, No. 3
Ar abian Horse Times | 146 | Volume 51, No. 3
Ar abian Horse Times | 147 | Volume 51, No. 3