50 SIDELINES MARCH 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Megan showing her first OTTB horse,
Gadget, at the Princeton Horse Show.
Megan Blanchard
horses than any show barn could have taught me. Most of these
horses have gone on to be successful show partners, winning at
national finals, as well as top foxhunters and lesson horses. Each
horse needed a job and I was lucky enough to be able to find them
just the right fit.
This past year, I decided I wanted to focus more on my show
career and I started taking in less and less Thoroughbreds to be
rehomed. I worked hard selling and placing the ones that I currently
had in the barn. But that all changed in June when I received a
panicked phone call about a small young Thoroughbred gelding.
He was ready to be euthanized due to a horrific track injury that
had occurred a few days earlier. Knight Of Mischief (Chief) had
been trampled by another horse and they never thought he would
be sound again. Against a lot of advice, I agreed to take him even
if it meant just making him comfortable enough to be a pasture
mate for someone.
When Chief came off the trailer, he was covered in hematomas
and was barely able to walk without assistance. I couldn’t apply
any pressure to his left side due to the swelling and pain he had
endured. Despite the pain, his ears were perked as he rested his
head in my arms. I knew I had made the right decision.
After 30 days of wrapping and hand walking, he was finally able
to start a light turnout. He was roaming around the field one day
and kept following me, so I decided to hop on with nothing but a
neck rope. To my surprise he was as calm as could be. Then we
started slow trail rides, trying to build up his deteriorated hind end.
Everyone fell in love with him and by the middle of September
he was sound enough to begin small lessons. He allowed me to
relax and have fun on trail rides for the first time in over 15 years,
something I wasn’t able to do on my personal show horses who
tended to panic outside of the ring.
Every morning when I walk into the barn that handsome little
gray horse greets me with a nicker and sticks his nose across
the gate waiting for his good morning kiss. To many, this may
seem like such a small enjoyment for such a large expense, but
in the end he is so thankful for having been given the chance to
live. Will he ever be sound enough to be a top-level show horse?
Who knows? But, there isn’t a single day that goes by that I’m not
thankful for taking in such a young and talented horse.
This reminded me why I love doing what I do so much. Just a
few months after taking in Chief, I received another call about a
five-year-old stallion that no one wanted. The horse was going to
be put down if not rehomed soon as the owner was going to be
moving to Florida. In the back of my head all I could think about
was here is another young one in need of help, so I was lucky
enough to make arrangements with the
owners to have him gelded before he came.
When we picked him up he was
underweight, but had such a sparkle in his
eye. Within a few days of coming home his
sheath abscessed, and we weren’t sure if
he was going to pull through. After days of
injections, antibiotics and vet visits we were
finally in the clear to let him go out and enjoy
being a horse. Now he is a prized lesson
horse and the kids argue over who gets to
ride him.
I know it may seem small to many, but
even if I just help save a few horses a year
that means everything. I believe in these
young Thoroughbreds despite the facade
they present. Many of my old trainers have asked me why I gave
up my amateur status if I wasn’t going to show on the “A” circuit
consistently. Of course, there are days where I miss just having
a select few show horses, but when I get home at night I think of
all the faces I have been fortunate enough to save, even though I
should truly be thanking them for saving me.
About the writer: Megan Blanchard is a young trainer who works with and
specializes in retraining OTTB’s and building confidence in young riders. Megan has
shown up and down the East coast at shows such as HITS, The American Gold Cup,
M&S Finals, Middlesex and Princeton Show jumping on some of her young horses
that she started from the ground up. She now has several aspiring young upper level
prospects that she hopes to get into some bigger classes this upcoming year.
All photos courtesy of Megan Blanchard
