Rider Feature || Interview With Amanda Schultz || From Nothing To Taming A Stallion

We all have a story. Each of us have plenty to learn, and something to teach.

Today we are going to consider the story of Amanda Schultz

I'll let her introduce herself and tell her story.

"Hey everyone.. I'm going to start this off with a little background on myself so you can get to know me.

My name is Amanda (Hello!) I am 26 and a stay at home mom of two children. I'm engaged to my high school sweetheart, and next to my kids and my fiance, horses are my life! I dream and breathe horses.

I grew up in the city and never had the opportunity to be around horses. I didn't have any experience with horses until I was 23. I never so much as even touched a horse, but I knew I wanted to work with horses someday and that somehow that's what I would do.

The opportunity first presented itself when my fiance got a new job and his boss had 6 horses. One of which was basically untouchable. Her name was Trixie, a 9 year old Saddlebred mare. The only information I got was that she had a big scare at a show and fell on her back. Since then she has not been able to be ridden or barely even touched.

I asked my fiance's boss if he wouldn't mind me coming by and spending some quality time with her. Sitting with her, trying to brush her, talking to her, eating with her. Trust building exercises.... Keep in mind I had no experience with horses before. I had just watched videos, read books, watched clinics, and studied many different methods of horsemanship.

I did what I call the trust building exercises with Trixie for months. After about a year I was able to ride her.

To say the least we then decided this was a huge breakthrough for my fiance and I because we figured out what we wanted for our future.. horses.

We then went on the search for a horse.

We ended up finding a 5 year old Tennessee Walking Horse stallion. He had no prior training. He was being housed next to another stallion and had some disrespectful behaviors such as nipping. We visited him every weekend for about a month when I decided to buy him. I knew I had the knowledge to be able to train him even if it would take me longer than the professional trainers. Plus I knew I'd be getting him gelded as soon as possible. 

We brought Fury home on September 20th of 2015. We started his training immediately and he progressed very fast!

He was incredibly smart and eager to learn. He loved having a job to do.We had his groundwork complete and backed him within a month.

During this time we were driving an hour and a half each way every other day to work with Fury.

We had become good friends with our hay suppliers. And they offered us a place next door with a few acres to rent. As long as Fury was gelded.

In March of 2016 we had Fury gelded at a very reputable vet in our area. Surgery went well and we moved in.

He still displayed stallion behaviors. This was not alarming as he was gelded late. During this time we were instructed to keep him moving with at least three 20 minute sessions a day. During this time Our neighbor/landlord got to see me work with Fury. 

During my time of watching many different horseman I've come to the conclusion that I will do what feels right for me and the horse. Not what people want me to do just because that's what they've been taught for years.

I gravitate towards natural horsemanship. My now ex-landlord was the type of person to use force to get a horse to do something. And thinks that when it disobey's she can punish it and he'll remember it for next time. 

This isn't about what I believe vs what she believes.

She asked to work with Fury and give me some pointers.

After only two times of her working with him I told her she could't anymore. She was irate.

From then on Fury would freak out whenever he saw her. He would pace the fence and challenge her. I could always calm him down though.

One day he got lose and bit her gelding, we broke it up in a few minutes, and I was able to calm Fury down as usual, she was screaming for her husband to shoot my horse.

Just two days later she served me with a 10 day notice to get my horse off the property.

I then sold Fury to what I thought was a trainer. I was supposed to get a buy back option after his training for being around other horses was done. But only a week later he sold Fury for 1,000 profit.

Since then he keeps getting sold and resold to different people, each of them ends up calling me asking what's wrong with him. They say he is wonderful on his own but not around other horses. 

I will be keeping in contact with every owner until we buy a place and are able to buy him back.

Well that's my story! I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to keep in touch with me!"

Amanda is on Google+ as Equine Angel

Please watch the video she made of their journey together Fury & Amanda's Journey

So now here's how our short interview with her went.

Q-1. After an experience like that. Especially when just getting into the horse world, do you have any regrets? 

A- Personally, I do not have any regrets with anything. Everything I experience in life is to teach me something at some point in time. When I think back to the experiences I had with Fury and my ex-landlord I think of it as a huge learning experience. I could have, and maybe should have done some things differently. But over all I couldn't do any better than my best and that's exactly what I did.I learn more and more everyday and in my eyes a good horse(wo)man never stops learning.

Q-2. What inspires you to keep going in your equestrian pursuits after such an ordeal?

A- Short and sweet, HORSES! My true love and desire for horses. I sweat, bleed, dream, and breathe horses. Nothing will stop me from helping and learning with equines.

Q-3. Equestrian fitness and nutrition is a big part of this blog. Do you do anything health wise that you find beneficial?

A- I believe being healthy is very important for the rider and the horse.Riding is hard work and you can get winded from it. Having good cardio, strong legs and glutes are very important along with a good diet to continue riding effectively and efficiently.

Q-4. Are their any equestrians you look up to? If so who and why?

A- Horseman I look up to include but are not limited to Clinton Anderson and Pat Parelli. I always tend to relate to their training methods. I like how they have the horse think and not just react. I truly believe it is a very effective way for the horse and handler to learn. I like how Clinton Anderson works off of the release of pressure and not pressure itself. They have similar yet different methods. Each is tweaked for the individual horse. I always try to do what works best for me and my horse! I always use the lightest amount of pressure for an end result.

Q-5. What is the best piece of advice you live by? 

A- Go slow to go fast. And be persistent, when knowledge and ability aren't enough, be persistent.