Middlefield Post By Mandy Boggs
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It's Your Post'WPlus ellBeing' Sheldon’s First Rider
pIzzA pAsTA sUBs sALADs wINGs cHIcKeN cALzoNes wRAps
hen most people think about riding horses, they usually picture something they have seen in a movie. Maybe a group of cowboys out west moving a herd of cattle across a raging river, or an army charging into battle atop their brave steeds. Perhaps, you have ridden a gentle well-mannered horse owned by a relative, or maybe you took a picture next to a beautiful carriage horse while visiting New York City one summer. What most people don’t think about is what goes into getting these horses trained to be the movie stars, carriage horses, or spoiled pets to horse-loving owners. Rich Bradshaw and Patrick Cooper are the real life cowboys that cultivate these horses into the well-trained, rideable horses we all think about. Rich Bradshaw has been training horses for fifty years. Many of those years have been out of his training stable at the Geauga County Fairgrounds in Burton. Patrick Cooper has been riding his entire life and has been working with Rich for quite a few years now. Rich has always been well known in the local horse community for being the one you send your problem horses and “unbroke” horses to. When a young horse is old enough to be ridden, they go through a process often referred to as breaking or backing. This simply means the horse is going to learn how to wear a saddle and carry a rider. Most people are not experienced enough (or brave enough) to break young horses. Horses have their own unique personalities and every horse is different in how they react and adapt to becoming a riding horse. As Rich has gotten older, Patrick has been the brave cowboy who climbs on these juvenile horses and sometimes goes for a wild ride! The majority of Rich’s customers have western horses. These are your typical Quarter Horses and other breeds that are ridden with a western saddle and do different jobs like trail riding, cattle work, roping cattle, barrel racing and showing. Sometimes, Rich gets customers with English
June Julu10, 8, 2015
horses. These are usually Thoroughbreds ( r a c e h o r s e s ) , Warmbloods (a nickname for breeds that originated in Europe), and other breeds used for English disciplines. Many people think of English horses as the horses that jump courses of obstacles. S h e l d o n i s one of the English horses considered a Warmblood, with his bloodlines consisting of generations of jumping horses from Europe. On Patrick Cooper (rider) and Rich Bradshaw (trainer) during Sheldon’s first lesson with a rider on his paper, his pedigree has back. some of the best jumping horses in European history. Jumping horses are also very tall Theory”. compared to western horses. Sheldon, even at only three Sheldon just turned three years old and is ready to years old, is huge. He towers over all the horses he walks past learn how to have a rider. I have used Rich and Patrick to in Rich’s stable. Sheldon is my horse. I owned his mother, break our other young horses, including Sheldon’s older who was my jumping horse for 13 of my teenage through sister. Although, I live many hours away in another state, adult years. When she retired from jumping, I decided to let I knew I wanted Rich and Patrick to be the first ones to her become a mom so that I could have one of her babies teach Sheldon about growing up. I loaded Sheldon into to raise and be my next horse. Sheldon was born at our my horse trailer and made the trip back home to Chardon farm in Windsor back in 2012. When he was born, he was so for this important milestone in Sheldon’s career as a riding lazy he would just lay in our laps and take a nap before he horse. Sheldon had his first and second ride this week and tried to stand up and nurse. He was tall with long legs. He so far it has been a success. awkwardly stood and wobbled around whenever he tried Rich uses various methods and techniques when to walk. My mother, Kim, and Sister, Michelle, named him Sheldon after the character on the TV show “The Big Bang Continued on Page 6
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