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January 2010 Samantha Shuler and Spyder (SA Twin Spires)
Last page update: 01/15/2010

Hi, my name is Samantha Shuler and I am 15 yrs. Old. I live in London, Ohio, just west of Columbus. I have been riding horses pretty much my whole life. I first started riding on my mom’s old Tennessee Walker as most people start riding with my mom leading. After my mom’s horse passed away my neighbors bought me a six month old POA filly. When I was ten I took my yearling POA, Jasmine, to the Madison County Fair. As most people learn it is not a good idea to take yearling to fair your first year. The following spring we went to a horse auction and bought my first riding pony. She was an eight year old Quarter Pony named Sassy. Her first year at I rode her western and English. It was at this time that I took an interest in jumping. The following summer I participated in the Young Riders’ Jumping Clinic at the University of Findlay. It was at this point that I realize that I was out growing Sassy and now is rode by little brother. So the following year I started riding our family’s Quarter Horse Arabian X. Her name is Ginger and she is a retired barrel horse is 17 when I started riding her I took her to Findlay for two years and three years to fair, I showed her in English and jumping. It was during the time that I was working with Ginger that I met SA Twin Spires a Shagya X Anglo (Bayram x Oak Island Jeeka) at the time he was owned my aunt, Lois Shuler. I call him Spyder others know him as spike. He was two years old at the time and I fell in love with him. Every time we went to visit I had to go to the barn to see Spyder. I was really upset when my aunt said that she was going to sell Spyder. Last April, my aunt told me that I could take Spyder from their house in Kentucky to my house in Ohio and start working with him. He was young and needed a job and I was experienced enough to start working with him. It wasn’t until the end of June that we were able to find the time to get him. Once we got him I began working with him and bonding with him. I went on a seven mile trail ride with him not too long after I got him. I was little nervous about how he would do, but, he handled it like he had been on a million trail rides, he was the perfect angel. At Christmas, he became mine officially. I plan on continuing to work with him and make him my jumper. I am going to take him to the Young Riders Clinic at Findlay again and will probably continue to do that until I graduate from high school and then I would like to go to Findlay and take him with me, of course. I would like to start going to more shows with him as well as the county fair.

"Spyder" (SA Twin Spires) on his first trail ride with Samantha Shuler in July 2009


Samantha Shuler riding Spyder on the trail with her younger brother, Ben, and Sassy along side.


Spyder grazing out in the pasture August 2009


Spyder and Samantha Shuler enjoying the snow January 2010.