Maryland is known for equestrian events. It was the first state in the nation to introduce horse racing, and throughout the state, people pursue horse riding as a hobby. Rising senior Katie Ianni has dedicated herself to equestrian pursuits for years and recently got her own horse.

 

 

Q: What caused you to make the commit to the responsibility of owning your own horse?

A: I had been riding for about four years before I really looked into owning my own horse. I love horseback riding, so I wanted to take it to the next level and train a horse myself

Q: Have you trained your horse to do any special tricks?

A: So far, I have just trained Maya to jump. The highest she has jumped is three feet, but regularly we just jump two feet six inches.

Q: How well was Maya trained when you first got her?

A: She was not trained at all when I bought her. She was a racing horse for about a year and a half, so when they sold her to me she had not been trained at all.

Q: How often do you have to work with Maya?

A: Usually, I work with her five to six days every week at the TRW Farms where I board her.

Q: Do you compete with Maya?

A: Our first show together was June 20, and for this competition I entered Maya into a beginner horse class because it is her first show.

Q: What do you plan to do with Maya when you leave for college?

A: I’m either going to sell her or lease her out to someone else while I’m away at school.

Q: Do you plan on owning more horses after college?

A: Yes, after college I would like to own more horses and continue to train them because I have had such good experiences with it.

Q: Does owning a horse effect you social life at all?

A: Yes, I’ll make plans with my friends and then something will come up with Maya forcing me to either have to cancel or come late to hanging out with my friends.

Q: Is owning Maya worth giving up on some of your social life?

A: Yes and no. I love what I’m doing with Maya, but it is difficult having to miss out on things with my friends. In the end, I’m happy to spend a majority of my time doing something productive and an activity that I enjoy that will benefit me later in life.

Q: How hard has it been training a green horse and what has been the single most difficult task you have had to accomplish?    

A: The most difficult thing is not losing patience with her. Training a horse takes a lot of time and effort to thouroughly teach her the skills she needs. Overall, it has been a challenge making time to work with her and then actually working with her to make sure she has mastered the skills, but Maya is such a great horse and usually learns quickly and does whatever I tell her to do, which is always nice and makes my job easier.

–Julia Hause and Dan Hill, The Patriot Press