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Equine Dreams Come True Sharing An Adventure With Katie Mayer

photo by Photo Provided Katie and Shangrila are exploring the world of carriage driving with Bob Giles as their guide. Whether working in Maine, Florida or Vermont, Katie is living her dream and taking on another venue of the equestrian world.

photo by Photo Provided

photo by Photo Provided

photo by Photo Provided

Tuesday June 23, 2015

It was an unusually cold November afternoon when Katie Mayer and her mom loaded up the family Morgan and set off for the Equine Affaire 2014 in Massachusetts. They were attending the “Ride with the Best” session after wishing to do so for several years and Katie was on board to attend a carriage driving class under the direction of Bob Giles from Winter Hill Driving Center in Florida. “I knew taking my horse to such a public event would be a good experience for both of us, regardless of who the clinician was,” shared Katie. “With a little research I found him to be a very well-known and respected carriage driving expert.” They drove three and a half hours through snow with their horse Equinox Shangrila to meet Bob and were surprised to find him possessing a deep voice and strong northern New England accent. Shangrila and Katie worked hard on harnessing, carriage driving turnout and cones over the next three days and were greatly surprised by an invitation to come to Florida in the winter to take additional lessons.
    After months of anticipation Katie and Cindy were in the sunny south in the heart of driving country. The pair was offered the chance to stay at Bob Giles home and met horses with unique personalities, national champions and working under the careful eye of Giles, who not only runs a tight ship but offers critique and insight into every part of working with horses.
    “I was a part of working every horse, whether it was long lining, driving or riding on the back of the carriage when Bob was driving,” remarked Katie. “He was continually instructing, sharing his knowledge and challenging me. The last two days of our stay Bob let us take Sterling out for her workout through the maze of dirt roads that surround the farm. What an honor that was! When we finished working horses for the day, we anxiously waited for Bob to tell us what other activities he had planned for us for the remainder of the afternoon and evening. We went to dinner and visited neighbors, went to the Grand Oak Carriage Museum, the Homosassa Wildlife State Park and we ended the week with Bob taking us to Daytona Beach to swim in the ocean. Bob takes carriage driving seriously and his instruction is direct and to the point. Each horse he drives is treated with compassion and respect. He takes great pride in passing along his vast knowledge and sharing stories of his experiences. He is passionate about helping and encouraging young people in the sport of carriage driving and believes the future is dependent on valuable knowledge sharing and guidance from the older to younger generations.”
    Katie and Shangrila will once again study under the hand of Bob Giles who stopped in on the pair the other day in Bristol and went for a drive. Giles invited the pair to attend classes and competitions in Maine this summer. Giles continues the tradition of nurturing the next generation and creating partnerships that not only last a life time but put them on the track to national level work whether it is under saddle or behind a carriage.  So, if perchance you are out and about in New Haven this month and see a horse and buggy out in a meadow or coming down the road, pause to watch and give the team room to move. It is more than just a Sunday drive; it is a blooming relationship between an avid equestrian and her Morgan as they take their partnership to the next level and move to a new set of skills.

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