B4—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, October 1,1983
Horse Lover
(Continued from Page B 2)
When Ned was offered a job
transfer to Lancaster County, they
searched until they found a place
that would be suitable for the
business Donna was already in
volved in. They traded an 80-acre
farm for the six acres they now
have.
They've been in the area for
three years, and Donna says, “It’s
difficult to get established. The
horse industry is very competitive
and we had no friends or family. ’ ’
She says traveling to shows has
found her many friends and con
tacts, and she knows five horse
owners within one half mile of her
home.
“With horses you get to meet
people with horses,” Donna says.
Now she is boarding five horses
and has 10 students, ranging in age
from eight to “grandfathers.”
Most of the students are simply
learning to ride for pleasure, but
Donna says she would like to en
courage students to get into
showing.
She also tries to be realistic with
her students.
"You have to be devoted to it.
It’s a lot of hard work,” she says.
She stresses safety to the students,
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and t,i.Lj iliciii lessons
as well, where they leam to groom
and tack up.
"It’s really important to learn to
care for the horse, ’’she explains.
She says that the tack is really
important, and adds, "Your life
depends on it. I think you should
get the best you can.”
"I tell my students that they are
not riding a saddle, they are riding
a horse,” Donna says. She feels
students younger than eight cannot
understand the importance of the
legs and weight in riding.
“You have to have control of
your own body to control a horse’s
body. You have to concentrate and
pay attention," she says.
She feels children and horses are
a natural combination.
“My philosophy about children
and horses is that when I started
working and buying things for the
horse I never had time to get into
trouble,” Donna says. “Children
need some kind of direction.”
She was thrilled when one of her
students wrote a book about the
different breeds of horses and
dedicated it to her. That helps her
feel she is having an impact on the
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students.
Cast year Donna spent some
time helping with the 4-H
Therapeutic Riding program.
"1 got a big kick out of seeing
those kids ride,” Oonna says. "We
take so much for granted. It is nice
to see their progress.”
Donna is very particular about
the bam and how it looks. She and
Ned took stanchions out to make
the barn suitable for horses, and
she says, “The first oppression is
so important, it is a reflection of
how you care for your horses. 1
keep it clean and safe. 1 run a tight
ship - sometimes I think the bam is
cleaner than the house. ’ ’
That attitude does reflect on her
attitude toward her horses.
"When babies are due, 1 sleep in
the bam,” Donna says. "It is wise
to be present and we have a cot
here.”
One future goal is to breed
registered mares and sell the off
spring. Asked about the market for
horses, Donna says realistically,
“It depends upon what you have to
sell and what people are looking
for. Dus is a good horse area
because it is so close to cities and
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Much of Donna’s experience has
come from practical work. "I
learned and earned,” she says.
Most recently she worked in
training and rehabilitating
thoroughbred race horses, and
states, "It helped me a lot. 1 gained
a lot of valuable experience.”
She also reads breed magazines
and periodicals, and she is very
knowledgable about bloodlines.
"What I like about horses is that
each is an individual and there are
so many different facets to each.
There is so much to learn,” Donna
says.
Her love of horses is reflected
throughout the house, which
features her miniature horse
collection, begun as a child when
she asked for a horse every year
for Christmas. There are also
needlework horses and pictures of
horses. A prized possession is her
first horse, a rocking horse which
Donna got when she was two.
Building the indoor arena was an
important step m Donna’s horse
work, but it was not one she had
contemplated for a long tune.
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over the bnnk,” Donna says. The
poles were set on Memorial Day
and then, "We worked on it every
spare moment. 1 would work on it
after lessons.” While she didn’t
relish some of the high work
required, Donna reasons, "It had
to be done. I didn’t look down."
Looking down may have been a
problem, but looking out wasn’t
because the view from the indoor
arena is spectacular, with a long
view of northern Lancaster
County’s rolling lulls. Donna also
became grateful for the
preseverance in completing the
building because it afforded shade
from the relentless sun during the
summer, and the hillside location
brought cooling breezes as she
worked the horses.
While Donna plans to continue
with her own riding, and giving
lessons, she says, “I would really
like to tram.”
With the arena completed,
lessons underway and the
possibility of additional boarding
space, it seems that Donna is on
her way to doing just that. Her
determination has clearly paid off,
and will help her realize a lifelong
ambition.
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