In this new series, Melissa talks about the horses who have helped shape her career and create Pyrois Media.
If you’ve ever heard someone talk about their “heart horse,” you may be wondering what exactly they mean. While different people may have different descriptions, for me it means a horse I truly connect with and will never be able to come close to replacing. It’s only fitting that I start this brand new series out by featuring my original heart horse Ms. Tashina – or “Crystal” as many of Pyrois Media’s followers know her by.
As a young teenager, I bought Crystal on a payment plan that saw me have to use all my “savings” from chores to put the down payment on her myself in 2002. With a box (a literal small wooden box I still have) of money that I’d been saving for ages – and major help from my parents, I suspect – she came home as a surprise to me on Christmas morning that year and the fun began.
She wasn’t an easy horse and we spent a good six months teaching her to relax instead of automatically revving into high gear every time someone mounted but that work paid off. One of the most consistent horses I’ve ever seen both in my tack and others’, every time we suffered a penalty for knocking a pole or barrel over it was definitely my fault.
A multiple NBHA District champion, Crystal also qualified me for five 4-H State Fairs and helped me earn Reserve Champion Drill Team Honors with my high school equestrian team. One of those all around horses that lets you do a bit of everything on them, she was for nearly any discipline I threw at her – as long as it wasn’t slow.
Possibly the most important thing Crystal did for my professional career, however, was becoming my first “broodmare.” Already the dam of two foals before I bought her, I bred Crystal once and started down the path to learning all about everything that goes into getting a foal safely on the ground. Playing a part in the process from beginning to end, I fell in love with breeding horses and raising foals – a major reason you’ll find me foal watching every year these days.
A palomino paint filly who followed in her dam’s footsteps was the result of that breeding and while she proved to be probably the best horse a novice breeder could have, she also helped lead my career down another path from my original intention. Known as “Vegas”, she taught me that while I love the breeding side of the sport and working with foals – once she had to be trained under saddle, my one-time goal of becoming a trainer was a goal that wasn’t for me.
While it is cheesy to say, everything I’ve done in the equine industry to this point has been because of Crystal’s lessons. From a mare who made a game out of challenging everything I thought I knew early on, she turned into the horse who taught me the most about horses, horse care, and even compromise – a skill that has worked wonders in my professional life.
Now 29 years old, Crystal lives the good life of retirement in Washington where she keeps my dad in line. Making it clear she is done with nearly anything that is defined as work, the only thing she consents to doing is our yearly Pyrois Media Christmas photo shoot – which has quickly turned into a game of “how can we get Crystal’s ears pricked this year!”
If you have any questions about how to improve your website’s content, Pyrois Media offers both content creation and editing services. See our Services page or email Melissa@PyroisMedia.com for more information. We’re happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about content creation to help your business succeed.
Do you have a topic you’d like to see covered here? Email Melissa@PyroisMedia.com with your suggestions and you could see it in a future blog!
