Megan's Menagerie

09/06/2026

These ladies had a fantastic night at the NBHA in pontotoc.
🥵 Ella Beard
🥵 Mary Latham Gordon
🥵 Joley Clark
🥵 Mallie Gordon

09/06/2026

Do you pay attention to your horses coat? Do you know when subtle changes happen?
The horses coat can tell us so much about what's going on internally with the horse. Is it dull? Do they have long hair that won't shed off? What about their manes & tails, have they stopped growing?
A lot of times these issues can be related back to needing to be wormed or nutrition. That's the common go to. But sometimes you have to dig a little deeper. It could be related to ulcers or even EPM.
During extreme stress, the coat may show signs of Rain rot, skin allergies, and summer sores. These are more prone to flares during the times of stress.
While I did mention the animal communication in an earlier post. Not everyone is a believer. The good thing is, if you pay attention to what your horses body is saying, they will give you clues along the way. All you have to do is learn to read the signs.

So tell me what are a few subtle things you begin to notice when are off?

Being a horse owner is also being a good detective.
What's something you've had to dig deeper to get to the bottom of the issue?

09/05/2026

I've discussed the over scheduled kiddo who does not have enough time to ride. Now let's flip the coin and talk about the ones who ride everyday- hard. No proper warm up, tons of loping, pattern work daily, the "mini trainers" if you will.
Where's the line between not enough riding to too much?
What does that do to your horse over the long term? It can make them HATE their job and despise seeing you come. 
I feel that a lot of this is lack of foundation on the child's part. They've missed the fundamentals. What do youth do? They imitate what they see, and while it is good that they are paying attention and picking up a few things. They lack the understanding of why they are doing it. How much of it they need to do and what to do when something doesn't go right.
Creating bad habits for both the rider & horse all along the way. The horses become sore and over worked. This creates bad behavior on the horses part which usually results in the horse being punished then having to do more.
If you've seen me at a show, you know I will call down my kiddos if they are "hot lapping". Ultimately I try to have that out of them by the time they hit the show pen. However it can rear its ugly head when kiddos are with other kiddos. They feed of each other.
But what about the other kids in the warm up pen? As anyone who has rode in a warm up pen with a bunch of children, you know exactly how dangerous it can be. At times you are taking your own life in your hands.
When is it time to say something? To them? To the parents? Show producers?
These are just a few things I've witnessed over my lifetime. Just to be clear you can have owned horses your entire life and still be uneducated on things. Especially if you've never stepped into a show pen in your life.
Most of the time the above issues relate back to an uneducated parent. I say this not to belittle parents. I say this in hopes someone who is thinking about getting their little cowpoke a pony, will also consider the continuing education the whole family will need through out their journey. 

Let's talk about it. What are y'all's thoughts on this matter?

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

Are kiddos over scheduled? So many times when I ask a child if they did their homework I'm met with, I had piano lessons or I had a game. Now I'm not one to talk. When Major & River were both little they played football and basketball. Between myself & Patty we kept their horses in shape. But they were coming in and riding on days they didn't have a game.
I feel like kids are even more over scheduled lately, putting horses into the same box as the 🏀 in the corner of the garage. Or the ⚾️ 🦇 riding around in the back of the car.
Horses are not machines, they are athletes. If you expect to be successful in the arena - YOU HAVE TO PUT IN WORK AT HOME- consistently. It baffles me the amount of people who think it's ok to head off to a show and their horse hasn't been ridden since the last show and maybe, just maybe their lesson that week. Then the child comes out from their run mad cause they looked like they were riding a donkey & the parents in tow are fuming. When a simple riding program would make a huge difference in the outcome.
The other thing I'd like to mention is parents educate yourself on the type of shows you're attending. If it's a series and you're running for points, please read through the rules. Know how many shows that are needed to attend & how many points are need in order to meet those end goals. Every association is different. I have seen too many year end saddles & buckles be the difference in 1 point. Figure out where the points are posted at. Keep up with them at home. Producers make mistakes they are human. You parents are pouring a lot of money and time into these shows. Make sure you're staying on top of things for them.
The next thing I'm going to say may step on some toes🫣. If you're showing a series - make them see it to the end. Don't let them miss because they want to go to Polly's birthday party. My kids will tell you they missed A LOT of parties growing up, because we were showing. If you've already entered them in a big show and at last minute they receive what they think is a better time ( concerts, lake days, whatever) make them stick to the first commitment they made. By allowing them to flip flop on plans only makes adults who think it's ok to do the same thing. 

How do you think parents should juggle their own work, over scheduling of the child & horses?

When is it too much?

Has anyone barely missed a big goal by only a few points, and you knew had you made 1 more show you could have met it?

What's your thoughts on making kiddos stick to shows, especially when you as a parent already have money involved?

Let me know what you think 🤔

09/03/2026

Let's talk animal communicators! How the world works now, information is only fingertips away. Which means finding animal communicators easier than ever before.

Do you believe in their gifts? I have to admit I was very skeptical until I experienced a session with a client. While I wasn't fully convinced, I wasn't looking at my client like they were crazy anymore.
When is it time to bring a communicator into the equation? I became a full fledge believer after dealing with a horse with bizarre behavior. He was vet checked by performance vets but I was still experiencing issues. I had exhausted all avenues and I thought what the heck I'll throw money in that direction and see what happens. I made contact with one of the most sought out communicators, the things she revealed were mind blowing and she had no way of knowing certain things she found out. Would I do it again! Heck yes. Do I know a lot of you are probably thinking I've flown the coup for sharing this. Do I care? Nope; because at the end of the day when nothing else is working, sometimes you have to bring us some can relay what they are trying to say.
I have shared Kathleen's information with several of my clients, the story's in return have been quite comical. One being the horse told her she didn't like going to school ( lessons) and didn't like the teacher (me). The feeling was mutual 😆.
You really would be surprised to know those who do use them.

So are you for or against using a communicator? Tell me about your experiences!

Who do you use as a communicator?

If you haven't used one yet, would you in the future ?

09/02/2026

Something that's been on my mind lately is the decline at the local club show level. I'm talking about the all day western pleasure, gaited horses & speed horse shows. As some one who grew up in that world. It is so sad to see the recent decline in attendance all the way around. I remember when we would start the pleasure at 1pm and not start running horses until after 10pm or later. I have seen daylight many a times coming in from those shows. I am sure if you are from Mississippi and you were involved in horses 30 years and before you have tons of stories to tell.
It's where I learned to barrel race. It's where I brought my boys to show before they could walk good. It's where I have pushed everyone one of my new to this sport clients to get their feet wet. Cheap memberships, cheap entry fees, and making friendships that will last a lifetime. What better way to start out.
I know it's been referred to as a pumpkin rolling, redneck world and so forth. And while I have done more than my fair share of complaining about having to go 🥴. Those shows and that environment does serve a purpose. As I already stated it's great for newbies. It's also a great place to build confidence ( in rider & horse). It's a cheap fee to bring one you're having an issue with to do some "tuning".
Those trophies given out at the Open Championship State Show do MEAN something to those newbies who have rode hard all year long. Those kiddos ( and some adults) who barely knew the patterns at the first of the season, to go and compete in top 10 of their age group out of 40 plus riders. Have you ever seen their grins? The light up of their face when they hear their name or even the name of their friends called out? That is what makes my heart swell & makes me realize why I continue to do what I do.
Not to mention most of those associations give out fantastic year end awards. Those are usually point based. When those kiddos get up at the year end banquet to walk up and receive their awards, it puts a fire under them to work harder & towards bigger goals the next year.
I know with the price of EVERYTHING right now, people what to go where there's 💵 to be won. But ALOT of times your 💰 is better spent on lessons, a great beginner horse and some back yard horse shows.
With State show next week I guess I'm feeling rather nostalgic.

Date yourself and tell me about your horse show experiences!

Your funny stories that you have to tell every time you see a former competitor!

How many times did you threaten to sell everything your kid owns and quit showing altogether 😆 ( I may have said that a time or two)?

How many times did everything go completely wrong trying to get there but you ended up having a great show?

Let me know!

09/01/2026

This one here goes out to my older viewers. What do you do when you lose your fire, your drive, your desire to be at the barn?

There are tons of reasons why our ( especially as mothers) passion for horses gets put on the back burner. Children, marriages, work, injuries ( to self or horse), loss of that special horse, and finances all can play a roll into things.

What do you do when the very thing that made you feel alive is now the same thing that causes you so much grief? How do you find your way back?

I'd love to hear from everyone out there who maybe struggling to find the strength to carry on with this journey & how you're making it possible.