About Me
Horses are like small children. They are cute, inquisitive and playful most days, but can challenge authority and be naughty at times. To make the most of their abilities they need a teacher that will make learning fun, but that creates clear boundaries between right and wrong and bring them along through solid training with no steps skipped.
For Sandy, riding is as natural as walking. She first sat on a horse at the age of two and shortly thereafter was taking riding lessons at the local riding stable, but it didn't stop there. Growing up, her babysitters lived on the property and taught her more than any two legged babysitter could. She played horse tag with her sister galloping through the rows of grapevines, swam with the horses on hot summer days, and sat in the stalls watching the horses eat on days too dreary to ride. The rest is history.
Sandy has numerous accomplishments, all from the back of a horse. She has seen thousands of miles of trail competing in Endurance Riding and Ride and Tie. She has been atop not only bucking horses, but buffalo for exhibition rides across California for Cotton Rosser and the Flying U Rodeo. In 2010 Sandy made her debut appearance at the Horse Expo in Sacramento, competing in the Grace Foundation Trainers Challenge with two rescue horses. Her mount, Slash, took 3rd place in his division, going from wild to performing a routine in only 2 months. In 2011, Sandy Smyth rode "Sonya," her BLM mustang with a rescue history at the Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expo, taking reserve in the open division. The year 2012 brought Project Cowboy, the search for the next great American horseman, to the Horse Expo, and you bet Sandy made an appearance! The competition will be airing on RFD-TV in 2013. Sandy will be shown riding Tory, a beautiful Arabian gelding with only 7 months under saddle, competing successfully against seasoned horses. When Sandy isn't knee deep in competitions, you can find her riding with the Gold Express Drill Team, performing across California. With not too many broke horses around, but lots of young prospects, Sandy spends many a weekend at local schooling shows building the confidence of her young sale horses, as well as training horses. You can find her in western and english pleasure classes, but she really enjoys more stimulating classes, such as trail, horsemanship, and reining classes. When time allows, you might see Sandy enjoying a local parade.
Currently, Sandy spends most days working at her Marysville facility with all sizes, colors and breeds of horses. She has taken up a great interest in the traditional horsemanship philosophies of greats such as Ray Hunt, Bill Dorrance, and Buck Brannaman. She enjoys instilling this method of training on her training and sale horses and educating clients on building skill and a positive relationship with their horse, no matter what discipline of riding they choose to pursue. Sandy would like to welcome you to "Come on down" and learn about bettering you and your horses skills to make riding what it should be, ENJOYABLE!
Sandy and "Domino" at Lone Tree Cross Country Course
Sacramento Sheriff's Posse 911 Team - Wilits Rodeo 2010
"Doc" after his first 25 mile endurance race - Camp Far West 2008
2007 Salinas Rodeo Parade - Firecracker and Chianti's 1st parade
Everyone says I clean up so well when I am not on a horse :)
Me with the wonderful boyfriend who I have to thank for letting me be a crazy horsewoman!
