Tales of Triumph: Breaking Breed Standards

"Tales of Triumph" is an ongoing series sharing the tales of five horses who, in their own way, triumphed against all odds. Each story is told from the perspective of the horses themselves. We hope they get you in the spirit for BreyerFest 2024: Against All Odds!

“My life did not start great. I’ve tried to forget the first few years of my life because I was not treated well by humans. By the time I was three I was very anxious and fearful of all humans. I hated them for how they neglected me. My coat was dirty, and my mane and tail were heavy with mats. One day I was rounded up into a trailer with six of my pasture mates. We were scared and taken to a new place. This place seemed different, though. The other horse we met said we will like it here and not to be afraid, but I was not too sure.

This one human at this new farm kept trying to catch me. They took a liking to me and worked with me the most in trying to become my friend. This human would try to feed me from her hand, which at first I was hesitant about, but realized the snacks she was bringing me were delicious! I figured I would give this human a chance - she seemed kind, plus she had those yummy snacks. This human wanted to teach me to let them ride me. I was not to keen on that and instead liked to show her how well I could balance on my two hind legs!

This human worked hard and did not give up on me, and I started to look forward to them coming to see me. Shortly after finishing my training, they became my human, which I was happy about because they were always kind to me even when I did not understand what they wanted. Soon after, they discovered I loved to canter and jump! All the other humans at the farm said I was so cool because my breed does not normally jump or canter in their typical training. I jumped everything from regular jumps in the ring to the logs out on the trails. My human took me to show off my jumping skills and I ended up winning at our first show! Other humans were so impressed especially since they normally didn’t see my breed compete with their horses!

I like jumping with my human and they took me to more shows. Some were just jumping-only shows and some were breed shows where all the horses were just like me. I can do all the special things my breed is known for which is why I could show with them, I just can also jump well, and my human loves showing that off! I also love standing out from the other horses. My human and I continue to teach other humans just how versatile my breed can be and that it’s okay to go against the standard sometimes!”