Strides Member of the Month for July!
Each month, we will be profiling one of our Strides Student Members, so everyone can get to know each other a little! This month, we’ve chosen Cindi Greear!
Where are you from? Ellensburg, WA, USA
How long have you been a member of Strides? Since August 2022
What’s your favorite part of Strides? All of the wonderful knowledge and encouraging support from Amelia, her team and other members of the group. I’m so excited to continue to learn about all aspects of dressage, and basic horsemanship!
How has Strides helped you? Once I decided that dressage was going to be my pursued discipline, I knew Strides would be the perfect fit for my needs. From monthly Strides topics, 30-day Challenges, and bonus add-ons offered, it caters to everyone.
What kind of horses are your favorite? I originally thought I liked Friesians, or maybe more realistically an Appendix Quarter Horse. I loved the half Andalusian I leased for a year and ended up finally purchasing a wonderful Warmblood mare. She naturally has good movement, is very willing, and seems to like to work.
What’s your goal for 2023? To learn more about dressage, focus on my rider position, and become more bonded to and in harmony with the new horse I got the first of April. My tentative goal is to start going to dressage shows in 2024.
What is something unique about you, your journey or your horse? I rode and had horses from age 12 to 18: 4-H, open performance shows, Pony Club, and touched on dressage. After a 40-year hiatus, I started back taking Quarter Horse performance lessons (a little over a year), leased a horse for dressage (1 year), and recently bought a Warmblood mare (May 2023). She has some showing experience, but I have a lot of catching up to do!
What achievement (with horses or not) you most proud of? Still being able to do something that I was passionate about as a teenager. Lots of stretching! I really feel that just being around horses is so good for one’s soul.
What challenges have you overcome? Taking over 5 years to determine if I still had the desire to ride again, that my body still could hold up to it, and to finally settle on dressage as my discipline of choice. I’m so thankful that I have access to a wonderful equestrian facility, owned by a very accomplished competitor/trainer/instructor.
Final Thoughts: Thank you sooo much for all you do to help your many students. Each one of us are lifelong learners who need knowledge, and encouragement. Amelia and her team offer both in many different forms: visual, audio, live Zoom/Q & A sessions, and personalized answers through text/emails. I’m sooo glad I came across Amelia.
