When I asked Kate Krival to send a photo so we could feature her as the Action Rider of the Month, she responded, “Oh, goodness, I sometimes feel like an INAction Rider . . . but I’m getting there. Ha!”
Kate’s two palomino mares are Mountain Pleasure Horses, a breed that is not very well known. Kate explains, “The mare on the left as you’re looking at the image is 8-year-old Goldfiner’s Serenade, or Summer, and the mare on the right is 19-year-old Goldfinger’s Glorie, or Glorie for short. They’re both Mountain Pleasure Horses and they each have a delightful, easy, 4-beat lateral gait that is a dream to ride. They are surefooted and agile, sweet, and very strong for their size.”
“Both mares accepted the Barefoot Amber Bitless Bridles with ease, and although Glorie is happy with a French link snaffle, too, I aim to ride Summer bitless always. According to the Mountain Pleasure Horse Association, the Mountain Pleasure Horse is the oldest gaited breed in North America and is genetically the parent breed of all North American gaited breeds including the Rocky Mountain, Tennessee Walking Horse, American Saddlebred and Kentucky Mountain Horse.
Glorie, the 19-year-old, enjoys her retirement from motherhood, the occasional trail ride, and being groomed. She had eight foals before Kate bought her. “I’ve never had a horse who so loved having her face brushed and washed.”
“Summer liked to ride out on the trail for miles with her former owner, and I aim to work up to those long rides too,” Kate adds. “She also has an aptitude for agility that I hope to develop.”
Kate is back to riding following a bad injury and a recent diagnosis of chronic leukemia that she is learning to live with. She is pictured holding both of her mares after riding on the trail with a friend.
Kate comments, “We are all a bit of a mess after a very buggy trail ride. But I thought I’d send it along anyway for a giggle. For me, the day was a treat – and a celebration of one month on my leukemia medication, with great results!”
For more information on Mountain Pleasure Horses visit http://mountainpleasurehorseassociation.com/
Action Rider Tack 