Cindy Kaiser never imagined that when she invited a standardbred into her life, she would gain an entire community of supporters.
After a thirty-eight-year gap from horse ownership, having shown horses as a teenager, Cindy’s return to riding was made all the richer when ‘beautiful, but sassy’ standardbred mare Prada came into her life just shy of a year ago.
“I was scrolling through ads in Horse Deals, when I came across a listing by Hero Retrainer KARH Equestrian”, Cindy explains.
“The ad included a lovely photo of a standardbred mare and the description sounded great, so I made plans to make the two-and-a-half-hour drive across to Oaklands Junction to meet her.
“As soon as they took her rug off, I thought ‘wow, she is so beautiful and going to be perfect for showing’. I really wanted to do a bit more showing, before I get too old for it. She came home with me that day!”
Across their first year together, Cindy and Prada have enjoyed a diverse range of pursuits, including trail, adult riding club (HRCAV) rallies and even 3PE (3 Phase Equestrian) training sessions, which include some tricky little activity stations, such as ringing bells and crossing bridges, which Prada ‘handled beautifully’.
It was in the show ring that the pair found their passion, tasting success even in their very first outings, confirming Cindy’s initial suspicions that Prada would turn heads.
“Warragul Agricultural Show was Prada’s second show ever and first with me as her owner/ handler”, Cindy explains.
“Although it was quite windy, Prada was good to handle and settled quickly upon arrival. “The classes were small in the breed sections, but participants included some stunning Royal Show quality horses.
“It was a thrill to win Champion Mare, Supreme Champion Standardbred, along with the Alabar Hero Series qualifier sash and a cash prize!”
Having recently moved to a new property with a freshly cut arena, Cindy is looking forward to working to consolidate Prada’s gaits and strengthening her in the lead up to the upcoming 2023/2024 show season.
With complimentary registration with the Standardbred Pleasure and Performance Horse Association of Victoria (SPPHAV) provided to all Hero program horses, Cindy has the show calendar circled and exciting plans to piggyback off the fantastic experiences from her first year with Prada.
“Purchasing Prada has been a positive experience and the amount of support I’ve had through Hero has been amazing”, says Cindy.
“The new Hero Horse Pack, which includes free breed association (SPPHAV) registration, two complimentary riding lesson vouchers, online courses and gift packs with products from Hero Partners, is just remarkable.
“When you bring home a standardbred, you’re not alone; there’s a whole community behind you. If you ever need help or guidance there are so many people who are happy to help you, both in the standardbred world and through Hero specifically.
“It really has been wonderful, I’m so thankful for the support”.
