Training and Photo Update

CURLY Q

Fun day jumping!

Price Category #3

07/09/08

Photo taken by Megan Kee

BIO

Megan Kee spent her childhood days growing up in the luscious wine country of Temecula, California. She developed a love for horses at the early age of three and began taking serious lessons at the age of five with a trainer by the name of Mari Mohill. Megan's parents saw how deep her passion for horses was and decided to buy her first horse on her thirteenth birthday. From there on Megan's horse experience grew as she reached out to formal trainers to gain knowledge and experience in the equine industry. Megan has been exposed to a variety of trainers in dressage, and the sport of show jumping.

When Megan was fifteen she got her first job in the equine industry running a summer camp located at Fox Briar Farm in Temecula owned and managed by Katherine Ferris. Megan successfully ran Fox Briar's summer camp, giving lessons, and schooling horses for two consecutive years.

In 2001 Megan was offered a job as an assistant trainer under Jerry Ericksen where she learned the art of training horses by voice command. At the same time she was working part time for Barbara Corey of Friendship Farm, a thoroughbred breeding facility located in San Bernadino, California. There she gained knowledge in breeding and foaling.

Throughout Megan's riding career she developed a reputation of not only being an effective rider, but a wonderful instructor with the ability to teach, help visualize, and achieve a realistic path of goals. She has a laid back training approach when backing horses and creates a sturdy foundation to build upon. She works with everyone in mind.

In 2005 Megan was called on by Sanaa Pharayra an advanced hunter/jumper trainer out of Pegasus Equestrian Center in Agoura, California to be a hunter/jumper instructor and assistant trainer. From there was the height of her career - she was given the opportunity to run her own riding school consisting mostly of beginning though intermediate adults. She learned the ins and outs of all training aspects, as well as became a skilled, strong, and precise rider.

Recently in January 2008 Megan joined forces with dressage trainer Gay McCall at Buffalo Meadows Ranch in Redlands, CA to take on over fifteen horses for training and sales. Megan and Gay successfully worked together for a year bringing along some promising prospects. As of recent Megan lives full time in Big Bear City, California where she is looking to fill in a position at a local facility.

History of Show Jumping

Jumping is said to have been born in France, as people would amuse themselves by combinations of running and jumping cross country races. Spectators learned it was only a minute of fun until the horses were a speck in the distance. Since the crowd wouldn't follow on the fifty to one hundred kilometer runs it didn't take long for the french to come up with a better idea, an enclosed area better known as an arena or field.

In 18th century Britian an Enclosures Act forced the British to fence off their fields. When residents engaged in fox hunting they were forced to learn how to jump fences. In 1907 jumping was introduced as a competitive sport in England.

This day in age show jumping has proven to not only be an entertaining sport for spectators, but also financially satisfying. Jumping is a sport held at Grand Prix and Olympic levels as well as lower levels world wide. As the art of jumping has progressed so has the style of riding. Riders soon learned that shorter stirrups were less inhibiting in the movement of the jumping horse. A new saddle with a forward seat and shorter stirrups was soon introduced to enable the center of gravity and connection between horse and rider.

Show jumping is an adrenaline pumping sport that never ceases to entertain. It is a beautiful combination of speed, agility, and precision. Good jumping prospects should have a bold personality, balance, impulsion, and good judgement of distance. Jumping is not limited to the fearless rider, anyone can jump horses. If you are willing and confident you are half way there.

MKEquestre - Training/Lessons/Sales

Wednesday, July 9, 2008