Pat Reese Reins Free
At Rooster, we’re pleased to have a stable of employees with decades of professional and personal experience in and around equestrianism. Here’s an example of a Rooster who runs on horsepower. Meet Pat Reese.
Pat Reese, Chief Media Strategist, Rooster Strategic Solutions
When did you first start riding?
I’ve ridden horses for as long as I can remember. My dad loved horses and put me in the saddle for the first time when I was 3 years old. It was love at first ride! We moved around a lot when I was a kid, but my parents made sure that we had access to a stable no matter where we lived. The first horse that was truly mine was a thoroughbred Trakehner we bought when I was in high school.
What style do you prefer?
I started out riding English and still use an English saddle. I got involved in all the different styles of English riding: Jumpers, Hunters and Dressage. I was good with Jumpers; with Hunters, it’s all about timing and elegance, and I didn’t do as well there. Dressage requires an unbelievable amount of patience, which was never my strong suit! I got my first horse when he was 3 years old, trained him to be a Hunter, and took him to college with me. In fact, I chose the college I attended because it had a good equestrian program. When I was competing, my dad believed having some skin in the game was important. The stable we used was part of the Junior Cavalry of America, and to ride there, you had to do chores: water the horses, feed the hay, sweep the aisles and give lessons to kids. I loved it, and it allowed me to compete all over the northeastern U.S.
Do you still compete?
No, these days, I just ride for pleasure. My horses keep me sane! When I moved to Kansas, I found a place with 20 acres that had a 6-stall barn. Two are double stalls, so you can use them to breed and foal mares. I learned very quickly to sell the foal before it’s born. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to give it up! At one point, I had six horses representing three generations. That was too much to handle with a full-time job, so I slowly narrowed it down to the two I have now. I never bred the horses for financial gain; it was always just to feed my own passions.
Tell us a little about the horses you own now.
Both my horses are older quarter horses. Their favorite thing to do is sit in the pasture and eat! Carbonade is an 18-year-old gelding. He’s a roan, or reddish-color, and is extremely opinionated. When you ride him, you can almost see the thought bubbles as he says, “No, I don’t want to go that way; I want to go the other way.” He’s the one I can count on to dump me at least one ride out of every three, but I love him anyway! Annie is a 20-year-old mare. She’s a bay, or brownish color, and is as sweet as Carbonade is cantankerous. I could fall asleep riding her, and she’d just carry me back home.
How do you nurture your passion today?
There’s always more to learn! When I first got serious about horses, I took pre-veterinary classes, not because I wanted to be a vet, but simply because I wanted to know more about the horses – and I wanted to know when I should call a vet and what I could treat myself. Then, when it was time to start a career, I chose ag media, primarily to stay in and around the equestrian world. One of my first clients sold biologicals and pharma for equine, and I’ve always had a soft spot for clients who work with horses and owners. Riding isn’t a hobby; it’s an addiction. Horse people get that. Even after the hardest, longest days at work, a 40-minute trail ride gives me a whole new outlook and completely different attitude. I call it four-legged therapy.
I ❤️ my horses!