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 Ginalee Howard, who is from Cole Camp, Missouri, USA!
How long have you been a member of Strides? About 6 months
What’s your favorite part of Strides? I can’t pick just 1 favorite part of Strides because I have 2 favorites, the lectures and the video exercises. I listen to the lectures multiple times a month while I ride.
How has Strides helped you? Strides has given me the ability to understand the theory of dressage and Amelia breaks everything down into terms I can comprehend and easily apply.
What kind of horses are your favorite? I’m not sure I have a favorite breed but I love a horse that is willing to try as hard as I do. I also love a horse with personality and am partial to geldings.
What’s your goal for next year? My goal is to end the year getting solid in shoulder fore and shoulder in and loving the time I have with my boy!
What is something unique about you, your journey or your horse? Gibraltar (Gibbs) is unique in that he is a non-traditional dressage horse, he is gaited and he is 24 but acts like he is 8. He does not gait but does want to go around like a giraffe and daily tells me that life as a dressage horse is just difficult, but he tries so very hard for me anyway.
What achievement (with horses or not) you most proud of? I’m most proud of the self confidence that I’ve attained in and out of the competition arena.
What challenges have you overcome? Since being in Strides I have been able to go to a show and ride tests without any performance anxiety at all, take Gibraltar (Gibbs) alone on a trail ride successfully and I’m retaining what I’m learning and able to apply it successfully to my everyday schooling.
Any final thoughts? Strides has sparked a deep passion for riding that I have not experienced, because of this Gibraltar (Gibbs)and I have made huge leaps since May. We have slayed a few dragons in the process and gained a ton of confidence as a team. I am now the leader he has always needed.
