Freshman Makayla Brown has a deep love for her horses. She participates in a variety of different activities around Shadow Ridge including track and marching band but that doesn’t stop her from spending time with her horses. She has created a busy but fulfilling routine centered around her love for riding and competing.
Brown has been riding horses for about five years and that passion stemmed from a close friend introducing her to the sport. Between watching her friend ride and slowly taking lessons of her own, she quickly fell in love with the experience it came with. Ever since then, horses have become her world.
While she has seven horses, her first horse, Bob, has been with her for almost four years. Bob is known to be a little bit crazy at times but he is also very sweet and holds a special place in her heart because he was her first horse. About a year ago she bought another horse, Mahzie.
Brown stated, “I jump with Mahzie. She is so sweet and means the world to me. In May of last year she had a sweet little baby named Levi and he’s so darling. It’s going be so fun to train him.”
Brown mainly competes in jumping and dressage which require patience, skill, and consistency. While she has tried barrel racing a couple of times using a friend’s horse, her main focus is on her chosen events as well as her own horses.
She doesn’t find it difficult to balance academics with the maintenance of her horses because she has created a good routine for herself. She tries to get all of her schoolwork done at school and then she’s able to go to the barn after her track practice. When she gets to the barn she doesn’t waste time, making sure she rides as well as feeds her horses efficiently so she has enough time to get things done at home too.
Brown stated, “I go to the barn and I’ve mastered getting out of there as quickly as possible so I can make sure I ride and feed all my horses without taking extra time and then I usually get home about 7 or 8 o’clock and have time to study.”
It takes a lot of knowledge and responsibility to take care of horses. Brown’s horses are fed hay three times a day, grain once a day, and their supplements. They also enjoy treats.
Brown stated, “They love different treats like peppermints, molasses, cookies, carrots, apples, and other fun foods that are safe for them.”
For horses, there is a dangerous illness, known as colic which is caused by dehydration, too much sand consumption, blocked bowels, or sudden temperature changes and if it is left untreated it can be fatal to the horses.
The barn is five minutes away from her house and home to many other horses from her trainers boarding program. Horses aren’t house based on weather conditions because just like humans, they can adjust to different temperatures as well. Brown will continue to balance her busy schedule while continuing to do what she loves most, spending time with her horses and growing as a rider.
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