It is something that every equestrian from the North wants to do in the winter: go down to sunny Florida to get a head start on the show season and escape the cold.
This winter I was lucky enough to do just that. Up North I had been training with Brad Hall for two years and so we went straight to him for advice on where to go and Zach and Hannah of TerraNova Equestrian were gracious enough to let me stay at their beautiful facility. When we arrived, everyone settled in incredibly quickly. Windsor, my 12 year old Arab/Clyde, and Tonka, my 6 year old Trakehner/ Thoroughbred, were incredibly happy to not be stuck in an indoor and be able to stretch their legs and eat grass in the paddock. My mom and I were ecstatic to not be frozen to the bone.
The original plan was to stay six weeks, but that went by too fast and we extended it to eight. Soon the jokes about me staying forever became a serious conversation. I was offered the opportunity to stay as a working student and now get to do the work that I love every day in a wonderful environment. I have made such progress with my two horses in the time that we’ve been here. It is such a wonderful experience to always be surrounded by such knowledgeable people and have access to such an amazing facility! It is also so helpful to have so many shows and great places to school so nearby.
TerraNova is in a great location for both horses and riders to get out and comfortable in a show environment. Whether you have a young horse, or are a nervous rider or just want to get lots of show experience in there is always something to do nearby! I am so grateful for the amazing opportunity that Zach and Hannah have given me!
