S2 E19: Mo’ OTTBs, No Problems: Teen Founder Builds Trotty By Nature from the Ground Up

S2 E19: Mo’ OTTBs, No Problems: Teen Founder Builds Trotty By Nature from the Ground Up (Transcript)
[00:00:00] Hi everyone and welcome back to OTTB On Tap. I'm Neve. And I'm Emily. Hey Neve, what's on tap today? We're here with Kimber Houston and her mom, Tanya, the team behind Trotty by Nature, a 501c3 organization located in Montana, dedicated to rehabbing, retraining and rehoming off the track thoroughbreds.
Kimber at just 14 years old is already making waves in the OTTB world. Kimber and Tanya, welcome to the show. Hi everyone. I'm so excited and honored to be here. I love your podcast. Thanks so much for having us. Yeah. It's so put together, I can't stand it. Alright, so Kimber, let's start with you. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, how did you get into horses, and what drew you to thoroughbreds?
I took a couple lessons when I was really young and enjoyed them. Then when I was about 10 years old, I had a friend with horses and my mom reached out to see if I could spend some time with them.
She wanted to make sure I actually liked horses before buying one. And that's where we met Lou. He is a big thoroughbred gelding and everyone said he was a lost cause. But we bought him and started working with him and he ended up being a incredible first horse. He was so patient and would put up with anything.
He had to put up with a lot. We first started off Western and then did some gaming. And then I was really curious about English, we bought an English saddle, and me and Lou learned how to jump. That's so awesome. That's amazing. And Tanya, what about you? What's your background with horses, and how did you get involved in supporting Kimber's work?
Honestly, my background was mostly Western. I grew up in a place where nobody wanted a thoroughbred. It was really interesting. I trained and sold quotes throughout high school as a job. And then when I went to college, I started a new chapter and the horses were expensive and they weren't a part of that chapter.
And so when Kimber started showing an interest in a passion, I was pretty excited. But of course, like she shared. We wanted to make sure it was something she was really interested in before we took that leap. And, I am like a kid out there having the best time getting to work with Colts. And it's really cool to have the benefit of enjoying it with my daughter.
And I do have to give a shout out to Jeff, who horse dad. When we talk about the team behind Trotty by Nature he is such an integral part of the team, too. Is he horsey? Or is he horsey by default? You want to hear something tangent, but the first time, when I talked about Kimber buying a horse and he said we're not buying a horse.
And then he said something like I'll never go feed the horse. And now he is like the first one out there giving it carrots. He is so supportive and really a driving force behind Trotty. And we just feel really fortunate. It's like all of those Tik Toks and stuff that you see where it's like my dad and the dog, he said he didn't want exactly.
Yes. Oh, that's really special though. It is hard. Emily and I both grew up in families that weren't necessarily horsey or horse inclined. And I think you're always a little bit envious of the families where, it's a full family activity, or at least. At least when you explain stuff to one of your parents, they have an idea of what you're talking about.
So I think that's really cool that you guys get to enjoy that together. Yes, I'm very lucky.
All right, so let's talk a little bit about how trotty by nature came to be And first of all the name trotty by nature. How did that come about? I was going to say my question would have been like, who grew up in the eighties and nineties with all the same music I grew up with.
My dad, We were looking for something fun and light hearted Light hearted to support what we were doing which is as rescuing these big, goofy, dumb animals.
We're not dumb. They're just silly. And they're far from perfect. And so we wanted to have a little bit of fun with it. And so we, in the start, we had no idea how much it would grow. So just a fun name. Yeah, and one of the things I love about the name is whenever you post any of your reels or anything, I love the little hoof prints that come across, at the end of it, I'm like, how did they do that?
It's really cool. My stepdad is the technical wizard, and so he did that, so he makes, oh, maybe we can put him in charge of our merch . We had a little bit of a nightmare experience with our merch company, this, that we tried this year, and so we are, we're looking for a new merch company. We'll get to that.
So how long have you guys been working with off track thoroughbreds and do you also work with other breeds or are you OTTB only? I've never had anything but a thoroughbred and I definitely don't think that'll ever change. I love the drive that thoroughbreds, or specifically off the track thoroughbreds have because mine will do anything I ask.
. For me, I definitely didn't have the appreciation of the reverence when I was young. I I didn't grow up in a horsey family, but just the community I was in wasn't thoroughbred friendly, but they've absolutely stolen my heart. And in fact, I recently had the opportunity to help a friend rehab a warm blood and I'm not going to lie.
I know that they're supposed to be the end all be all. He was a wonderful horse, but I couldn't wait to get back to my OTTB. And so it's just an interesting thing and it's what we're used to too. But I really, we only take OTTBs. Okay. Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, Emily and I talk about this a little bit because she's got a homebred warmblood and I have a quarter horse event horse and yesterday I rode both my young off the track thoroughbred and my quarter horse who's had two months off, but he's very well trained.
And he's just spooking at everything. You'll jump that, but you'll also spook at it. And then the off track thoroughbred who I've had less than 20 rides on is just like afraid of nothing. And it's so cool. It's a nice thing to rely on in a way. [00:06:00] But I have my warm blood. She, her mom was a thoroughbred.
She's three quarters thoroughbred, but it's a totally different ball game than an off track thoroughbred. And there's a lot of days that I love her, but I'm like, Oh, just have a nice OTTB, please.
So what types of disciplines do you both focus on? Do you compete or do you just focus more mostly on the training aspect? So I compete probably showing is my favorite part because. It's just such a cool experience, and it's something completely different. The nerves and stuff just make it so cool.
I mainly do jumpers right now, but I'm planning to branch out and do some hunter and equitation this year. Is there a big community for that out in Montana? Is there a big hunter jumper scene, or do you have to travel quite a distance for that? They actually, it's not bad, but there's not a lot by any means.
We have four rated shows this year, I believe. It's not a big amount, and there's bunch of little schooling shows and stuff, but the Western community is a ton bigger, but it's definitely grown, I feel like, a lot. Yeah. And, Tanya, do you compete, or, I think I've seen some videos of you out there, or am I making it up?
It's really funny, when we first started doing this, I didn't think I would compete at all. I figured I'd just train Kimber's horses, I just, and just wear colts and help turn over colts. And I just figured that would be my role. But one day she was gone and I stole one of her horses and took it to a show.
And one, it was really good for me to put myself in her shoes to help remember. And then, it was good to help me revisit and get the horses prepped in that way as well. But, One, it's a great way to get the cult's exposure. So I enjoy that. But it's just fun right now. I have a really cool gelding and we started doing a venting and I think I might hold on to him this year.
So mainly jumpers. But he has been known to be thrown into whatever happens to come our way because I'm terrible about being like, Hey, we're just sitting around. Let's go to a hundred class. I've gotten into, I've gotten roped into many shows that way. Thank you. Over the years where it's I've never ridden in a Hunter show.
I have a couple of Thoroughbreds you can ride. This one doesn't have a right lead canter. Let's go! Yeah, that's, we really do it for the pure joy of riding and we just love it. And so it's when we find ourselves where we have an opportunity to get out there and not take ourselves seriously, as long as it's appropriate, of course, we're not going to go inappropriate and when we shouldn't.
But we just, yeah, we're willing to throw our hat in and have a good time and really just enjoy the experience. Yeah. I have a feeling too that your positive outlook and energy is probably a nice addition to any show that's going on. Not that there's not plenty of that going around, but I think one of the reasons that I think I've always loved the eventing community is because it's like such a feeling of camaraderie whenever you're at an event like everybody helps everybody else.
Everybody asks you how your ride was and wishes you luck when you go on the ring and I don't know it's just always nice to see fun positive people out there just laughing through the chaos sometimes. I think friends are also , I know I said showing is my favorite, probably my favorite part of having horses, but friends are probably my favorite part of showing because it's so fun to just, Talk to your friends after you're done at the class or while you're waiting and I think it's funny because I have all different ages of friends, yeah, I have people like my mom who are my friends.
They're like, not old, not that old. I have a feeling your mom is younger than I am. So that's fun. Cause like I have friends. Yeah, no, it is. It's like an equalizer, right? It's that's one of the things that we always say about the podcast. It's you could sit down to anybody and like, all of that stuff goes out the window.
Cause it's the thing you have in common is that you all love horses. So it's a conversation through all the ages. And I really. I don't know. I really appreciate that so much. We're gonna switch gears a bit here, but you guys decided to transition your business into a 501c3. What inspired you to start a non profit focused on off the track thoroughbreds?
I think Pretty early on, it became apparent that this fun little hobby would turn into much more. And there's definitely such a need in the horse community for aftercare organizations. And there's nothing like this in our area. So we started looking into how to make it so that Charlie can out more horses, and being a 501c3 was the next step.
Yeah. Yeah, we just did an interview with it'll be coming out soon with Turning for Home, which is actually local to us and it's actually who we get a lot of our horses at our farm through. And it's been really interesting to see how this migration of aftercare organizations is stretching further and into more communities that were a little underserved.
We were trying to figure out where do they race out there and where do they get their horses from? We're going to bring that up later, but Yeah, it's just really exciting to see areas where they didn't have those resources starting to develop those organizations and resources for the trainers at the track and it's really cool.
Running a 501c3 at 14 is impressive. What are some of the biggest challenges and how have you managed to overcome them, Kimber? I think just learning about a business is one thing. And how to run a 501c3 is another. I've got the help from my family, my horse dad, and my mom, obviously.
And learning what to prioritize has been very beneficial, but I'm always working on that. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm sure it's a big learning curve for you. Absolutely. And what do you think sets Trotty by Nature apart from other off the track thoroughbred? Aftercare initiatives. Honestly, we just started with an OTTB and went from there.
We recognized that the horses needed it, and our love for horses just came first and the business followed, so I think just the passion. Yeah. Yeah, and then also that you guys saw a need in your area where there really wasn't anything else, so that's very cool. And then we did many things, but then it just turned into a business. So we would take our OTTBs trail riding, swimming at the river. We [00:12:00] would take them to events. We did ranch work with them this summer. We get to learn about their quirks and. It's just fun. And yeah, I think just the passion of it all.
Yeah. We also have to ask not only about the name of your company, but the names of your horses. For instance, I believe you have one named LL Cool Nae, which we love. How did that transition of naming your horses? Begin. It started with horse dad. When we bought Biggie, the deal was that if he paid for him, he gotta name him.
, that's perfect. Yeah. And Lou was not the biggest thorough red. So when we got Biggie. He seemed huge. And so it was only fitting that we named it Biggie. And so then the Notorious B. I. G. came along and he's still one of the biggest, so it definitely suits him. I love it so much. Yeah. And then our next horse was Snoop horse.
And so then, yeah, it was really off and going. Yeah. Then it's just that's just going to be your trend from here on out. You mean you have so many good people to choose from, but do you have a favorite rapper inspired name or one that you haven't gotten to use yet that you've got like holstered and ready to go. This is my, and it's not just because he's my own, but definitely Biggie's show name, because it is the Notorious B. I. G. And I don't know why, but I just love when I go into the ring and they call that name. I don't know why. It's just something special about the Notorious B.
I. G. Don't know. I just love it. I feel like you'll have a lot of people and they're looking around for this horse that comes in. That's exciting. Yep. For me, I feel like I should say Snoop because he's my kid, but I think I was M are the real Slim Shady. That was probably my favorite.
And it was pretty fun when we were down in Bozeman at a show down there and they would play, as the music, they would play like Eminem. I was going to ask you about that. Oh, that would be even better if you had a little. Intro hype music and they would play some songs. It was really great.
And I was showing both Em and Snoop during that show. And it was super fun because they had really good music. Maybe you should reach out to Snoop. He is into horses. He is? And be a Martha Stewart, so Snoop if you're listening. That would be amazing. But maybe not. We'll see. All right, let's move on to working with OTTBs.
And first of all, you guys are in Montana and we've been complaining about the winter here on the East Coast. It's been a long, cold winter like for us, but can you tell us a little bit of the challenges and maybe some benefits to working with horses in the climate there? So the weather gets very cold.
I think just last week it was negative 37 when we were driving into town in the morning. And I think that we are honestly so lucky to have an indoor arena and enough funds to , get all of our horses and take very good care of them. And so I think just the challenges of when it's so cold going out and throwing on blankets and making grain, extra grain and extra feed that is probably one of our biggest challenges and not getting them sweaty when we ride them.
We don't ride them when it's that cold, but even when it is just a few degrees above zero. It's a challenge. We got to keep them dry, I have been using a lot of coat defense this winter because I didn't clip either of my horses. I usually clip them, but I just to make things a little bit easier this winter.
I just didn't. But I use the coat defense powder and it seems to work really well when. It's dark out and you're about to leave the barn, but you don't want to leave your horse sweaty. And do you guys have anything like that, that you guys use? Yeah, we use coat defense, the powder,
we just put it over and leave it. And yeah, it's amazing. I don't really understand how it works, but it's amazing. Yes, it is really incredible, but that's a lifesaver or we just use, we throw them in a cooler and then if we need to towel dry, we can. Yeah. Yeah. Is there anything that you look for in particular when choosing an OTTB, whether it's confirmation, pedigree, temperament, et cetera?
I know, honestly, I'm not really the one who buys the OTTVs, but I don't know, I think this should be better for my mom to answer, but I know we look at their pedigree, if they have a good look and confirmation we don't really pedigree isn't super important, but, we definitely look at pedigree and I think we look at their trot, we, Reach out to their riders, the barn trainers, see what people know about the horse.
If we can get in contact with the riders or anything like that, so that we can learn more about the horse. how many starts they have, what they place just so we know more about the horse. Do you, either of you, have a preference on a horse that has raced very lightly or a horse that is a war horse?
Do you have any preference there? So being really honest, my main horse, he's Biggie. He has 47 starts, so he's almost a war horse, and he definitely has a lot of wear and tear. He was, Very difficult when we got him. But he's turned out to be an incredible horse I think we definitely if we can find a horse that doesn't have as many starts That's definitely what we look for because less wear and tear It's not so ingrained in their mindset.
They're normally not quite as hot, so we definitely look for ones that have Yeah. Yeah, and I think some of that stuff too can depend if you're talking about 47 starts over four years versus 47 starts over seven years, a bracing. Then I think that sometimes can play a role.
a role as well, but I think a lot of the warhorses come off the track with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder in a good way, where if you can get them on your side, they'll do anything for you. That exactly describes Biggie. He, when I first transitioned on him.
My mom started him because he was a lot. I first got on him a year ago and he put up with a lot. He is like incredible. If I mess up, he's come on, get it together. Let's [00:18:00] go. My mom's first. On the other hand, he's here, let me buck to help you out.
You're trying to get on. Okay. Let me buck. I'll just walk away from the mounting block. Just enough. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think a couple of the things, I do a lot of the talking, once we find one, Jeff Horse dad, he does a lot of the looking to, he's got a little more time, honestly.
And some of the things, confirmation. Making sure that they're trying to get them as clean as possible, but we're not opposed to taking one that needs rehab. If it's disclosed upfront so that we can make sure that we are prepared and have what's needed to give them the right care.
Biggie in his past, he had a broken coffin bone. We had one with a heart murmur, just, some weird stuff, but it doesn't mean that we're not willing to take them. In fact, we really do even try to take the ones. Snoop, my main horse right now, he was on the market I think for over a year and probably was going to go to auction soon if we didn't pick him up.
So we do also try to make sure that we're targeting the ones that aren't scooped up so quick because really that aligns with our mission as well. Yeah.
I can let Kimber tell the story about him if you're interested in hearing that, because that definitely. Yeah. I think this really resembles our mission, which is picking up the ones that need it the most. And Elle was the next day. So they contacted my mom and was like, Hey, we have this horse and it's going to auction to cross the border.
The next day they said if someone hasn't bought it by 5 p. m. tonight. Oh it'll go on a truck in the morning Wow, yeah, and they had another person looking at it, we like to have a little bit longer obviously, but we're gonna We're going to take it if it needs it.
And so my mom was like, okay, tell me at three. And so it ended up, no one was, the other lady wasn't interested in him. So we got him and he, yeah, we bought him and he came he's developing really well. Yeah. And was he, was there anything like that was quirky or, like challenging about him that made it seem like there was a reason that he stuck around there for a while or.
I'm not really sure. I know. So his owner had cancer, so they just threw him in a field and put him up for sale and didn't do anything with him. And then his owner was unfortunately passing away, and so he was like, I need him gone. Yeah, that can be really tough too. And then you have that little bit of a gap of like unknown history.
And a lot of people don't want to take that on because they don't always believe what's being given, the information that's being given to them at face value from the track. But I do think it's worthwhile to take some gambles. I'm definitely, I'm not that kind of person in my regular life, but when it comes to getting horses off the track, I like to buy them in the middle of winter and I'll buy the ones that are only like 15, 2, 15, 3 or whatever, yeah, very cool. All right. All right, let's go back on track now. So can you share a success story about one or more of the horses that you've worked with? Maybe a horse that was particularly challenging but ended up thriving in a new career. So I know I keep on talking about Biggie. I promise you it's not just cause he's mine.
I don't really know. I just love Biggie. But and as we talked about, so he has the most starts out of any of our horses at almost warhorse status. And all he could think about was racing and anything triggered it. But now he's my main horse and he's the most gentle giant ever.
We've done so many things together including going to nationals in Las Vegas last fall and competing in the 80 meter divisions. And he's come incredibly far in the last two years and. He's just, he's really done well and thrived. So I was following your journey when you went to Las Vegas and I was just so impressed by one, the kind of fortitude it takes to take your horses on the road like that.
That's a really big trip. And then also just your professionalism and a really big environment like that with your horses. And I don't know, it's just. From a 46 year old woman who's been riding since she was four years old. You find inspiration in all kinds of different places. And you've got people like me and Emily looking at you being like, she's so inspiring.
It's so cool, so yeah, it was very cool to see you go there and not just go and compete, but you did really well. Thank you so much. That means a lot, and I'm glad. And yeah, thanks for watching, and I think I'm super lucky that I got to go. Not not a lot of people get that opportunity, especially from Montana, so I'm just super thankful for my parents and stuff, so yeah.
What's a typical day like at Trotty by Nature, and how do you balance school, family, and running the organization? Honestly, it's definitely a challenge and I don't ever feel like there's a day off sometimes. But I think my passion for the horses and knowing that they need it, the support of my family, they all keep me going.
And I think that one of my ways of enjoying the work that we do is to make designated fun days where I just jump on one of my horses bareback and enjoy myself instead of having a to do list, or a to do for that day. And that always breaks it up. And doing fun things like that is what makes, yeah, just the work we do fun.
Yeah. Your videos where you're like it was really too cold to ride them today, but here's what we did instead. You're just playing around in the indoor. If we had an indoor, I'd be doing a lot of that kind of stuff. , how can I torture slash train my horse today? It's really fun. And we're super fortunate.
And you're right. And it's one of the things that. differentiates us as well and really helps desensitize our horses. Cause you know, you're just like, so what are we going to do? We don't want to get them sweaty. So you pull out a tarp and start playing with the tarp or you pull out the poles and start playing and doing weird side passing and just weird.
And you can, you learn a lot about your horses too. When you do things, just like a crazy thing where I'm just going to bring this giant ball in here and see what happens. See their parts of [00:24:00] their personality that maybe they only kind of show when they're out with their herd mates and things like that.
So I think that's really cool. Thank you. Yeah. She just jumped on a cold, the other, like a three year old bareback and I still snoop and rode him bareback. And it's just funny cause she's braver than I am. And I think just things like that, when it's like too cold to actually do a real ride, but you just want to do a little walk.
That's fun. And I don't know, I was like, Oh my gosh, you're jumping on him. Emily and I always like to say what's the worst that can happen? I also like to think it's supposed to be fun. At the end of the day, we do this because we love it. And it's. It's supposed to be fun.
It's not always fun when it's negative 37 degrees out, but I know I feel like I can never complain about the cold again. So what are your go to training methods when working with OTTBs? Do you have a particular philosophy or approach that you like to stick to? For me, I definitely wouldn't say that I have an exact approach.
Each of our horses are completely different and are at different stages when we get them to us. We just look at each horse, where they are, what they need, and go from there. But I've found that having very clear boundaries, but lots of positive reinforcement is very beneficial with the type of horse that we work with.
Yeah, I think one of the coolest things about Off the Track Thoroughbreds is that built in work ethic. And I think they love learning and they love, doing a good job, getting an A Even if they get a little frustrated at times, and I think if you can keep the work really creative for them and engage their minds, they'll just give it back to you tenfold.
Yeah, agreed. Yeah, it's really, it's super fun. And it's interesting because right now we boarded a facility where there's other, a lot of other horses with other owners. And I find it fun that he always talks about how friendly our horses are. They are the first to meet you at the gate. They want to come out.
They want to work. They're like, take us. We want to come. Oh yeah. Yeah. We have an off track thoroughbred at our farm right now, and he's retired, but not really, and he's in one of the very the closest to the cross ties paddock, and you can see he's always Me! Me! Me! Can I do something?
It's very cute. Yep. Do you have any tips for listeners who might be working with a horse fresh off the track? Things to keep in mind for the first few weeks or months? I know you talked about boundaries, but anything else that you like to do specifically? I'd say solidifying the basics, specifically on the ground.
Honestly, it's annoying, but I think that's important is solidifying the basics on the ground. And teaching them manners, for example, teaching them manners when they're led. And I've also learned the hard way that having expectations of what they will know or be able to do when you first met them can be very limiting because I would get disappointed or stuck on what they couldn't do.
But I also think that with consistency you can get anywhere, so that's a huge thing I keep in mind from the very first day. Yeah, I think that's actually a really good point, that consistency. And we always talk about how, when you start working with an off the track thoroughbred, it's like learning a new language to figure out how to speak to them and everything.
And I think that the only way you can really get practiced at that new language is by keeping things . Regimented and consistent until they understand and you both understand each other. Yeah.
Yeah, we've often found too It's really interesting the horse that we get and the horse that we have two months later is Oftentimes a completely different horse. Yeah, it's so fascinating how Many times that's the case, you get them fed you get them stabilized you get them healthy And you have a completely different horse ll cool name, the one who I was talking about that we bought him that day that he was gonna go to auction.
He, when we first got him, he didn't have a care in the world. He was so chill. And I was like, this is going to be so easy. Now he is a sassy monster. I don't know anything about that, Kimber. I'm feeling better. I'm Yeah, the better my new horse starts to feel in his body, the more I'm like, Oh, you're really athletic.
Oh boy. Better hold on. Yeah. And it's awesome. It's rewarding, but it can be, like, Oh my, this is a whole new chapter that I didn't write. Where do you guys source your horses from? Are they coming directly from the backside of the racetrack? Honestly, my mom handles all this, so I think that she should answer this one. Okay. Yeah, all of our horses come directly from the track. The, I think the only exception was Biggie.
Someone had bought him in between and then he just was too much for them. And so we purchased him from them. And most of them are from out of state. I guess we've gotten a couple from in state, but most of them are out of state. I think that the process is way different than buying from the regular market, and not really from the faint of heart, and at least in our experience, in the way that we choose to do it, I think that, you could do it in a more structured way.
We've found some really amazing folks from tracts across the U. S. that we work with. We follow their Facebook pages and watch their postings. And then when they have one that we noticed isn't moving or appeals to us for some reason or kind of has maybe a quirk that is going to make it hard to place.
Usually Jeff flags it, sends it to me, and then I start the process of following up. And then generally, I know the people and just start asking the questions. I watch the trot and walk videos. That's usually all you get. You get the confirmation, the walk trot videos,
but I really, I tried to do my homework and read through all of the comments and such, because sometimes you'll have some of the exercise riders will go in there and comment like, Hey, this is my favorite horse to [00:30:00] ride. , one time I had a gal comment in there for Nate, the big gray that we have right now.
Somebody wrote a comment about her kids, enjoyed visiting him in the barn. So I messaged her because I'm just trying to find out any intel I can about them because it usually is very limited. A lot of the times the folks we work with. The only time they've interacted with the horses, honestly, is taking pictures of them.
Yeah. No, exactly. They're just there to do a track listing and they're getting, you might have a trainer that's, trying to run through the horses in his barn and he's got five minutes to give you and that's all you're getting. Yep. So I really, I try to do some just so I know what I'm getting again, we'll take most things, especially if they're not moving or, if they're going to have a not ideal outcome, but I really do to know what I'm getting. And so it's worked out pretty well for us. We've had a couple surprises and, a transport showed up and had a horse be doped and but that's part of the risk you take when you.
because some of them don't even get a PPE. And so it just, it's always worked out okay for the horse. And so that is our main priority. And it's a kind of a fun process and a wild ride. It is. We always say that it's like unwrapping a Christmas present when you bring them home for the first time, you see them go loose in the ring or something.
And you're like, It's so fun. It's really addicting, too. We used to buy horses sight unseen all the time, and, man, you just never know what you're gonna get. Oh yeah, it was, I was told it was 16 2. This one's 15 2. Totally. Totally. When LL Killnay came off the truck, I was like, Oh, he's like a mini horse.
Cause he's the smallest one. He's 52. And he's just, he feels so small compared to our other one. Yes. I can actually touch his back and put my hand up there. That's awesome. Yeah. Having gone from a 17 plus hand thoroughbred to now I have a 15. 3 thoroughbred. , it's really nice being able to actually see where I'm grooming and everything.
Yeah. Also, you like them closer to the ground, the older you get. Yeah. Yeah. I should get smarter that way. But the other thing we found is working with good transport folks. We have super good transport folks. So when Elle came on the market, I got ahold of them and was able to fortunately find because usually when they want, when that comes up, they want them gone like yesterday because they want that small.
And so having good transport folks and we've got actually one. Absolutely. Husband, wife, couple here out of Montana that we work with a ton and I think that's really nice to have people you trust to help haul. That's a really good point, honestly, because we, there was a couple of places that we would try to get horses from I want to say was it West Virginia or Ohio where you would get a horse and then it would get shipped to another track and then they'd have to wait until they had a full load and then bring the full load back to PA.
And so you pay for the horse and then I don't know, I guess it's going to get delivered in two weeks. Yeah. But a couple of instances like that and it worked out, but like you say, it's not for the faint of heart and it's certainly not for the faint of heart if you're like, here's my money.
And then you just don't know what the horse is geographically for 10 days, but you make it work. And I think you're right. If you can develop those relationships with the trainers at the track and show them that you're serious, that, when I say if I inquire about a horse, I already have the shipping pretty much handled on my end and I'll get the horse out of your hair.
I think trainers like to see that initiative and it. makes them feel comfortable as well. They just want the stall free for the most part. Yeah. Looking ahead, what are your goals for the future as far as re homing OTTBs and your organization? This is short, but just to help as many as we can and bring awareness to how incredible they are.
That's kind of it. Yeah. And Kimber, I should ask you this as more of a big picture kind of question for yourself, but since you're starting this and what is a aftercare desert, so to speak, do you feel any kind of. Responsibility or pressure and setting a standard in your area for the aftercare industry as a whole, that was a heavy question.
I'm sorry. Oh no, I definitely, I think we have to set a good reputation for these horses cause they're not always wanted. They're not. A lot of them end up crossing the border and going to places we don't want them to go. We do try and set a precedence on, how incredible they can be and just show that.
They can be so versatile, I think, and we live in such a community of western riders that we're trying to set a precedence that they can be really cool jumpers, they can do ranch work, they can go on trail rides, we took a two year old trail riding and swimming in the river.
We're just trying to show how versatile they are and in a place where they're not really ever considered. Yeah. Yeah, and I think the trainers and owners at the track Would feel like they could sleep a little better at night knowing that they had resources to reach out to when you know when the horses are done racing or the meat is ending So The more people can mimic what you guys are doing in your area and share resources, the better Thoroughbreds are going to be in the long run.
For sure. For sure. And we're trying to help be part of the change we want to see. Yeah. That's really amazing. That leads nicely into our next section about impact and community. So Trotty by Nature has clearly, you guys are clearly making impact. What's that like? What's it like to see your work resonate with the OTTB community and hopefully maybe outside of the OTTB community in your area?
It makes me super excited and proud. And I just hope that we are influencing a few people to branch out and work with them because it really is not even considered to work with an OTTB here. So I think, and it makes me proud to see what Trotty's done to so many horses, because [00:36:00] they've just turned out really well.
for people and that makes me excited to see people loving them, and being passionate about them. How we are.
Tanya, I just keep seeing you, this is not a visual format, but I just keep seeing you look over at Kimber with this admiration and pride and it's just the sweetest thing ever. It's so heartfelt, it just, I'm sorry to point it out.
It's just the sweetest thing. It's really awesome. I think about how that little bit of support and backing just can make the world of difference for somebody that's got a big dream like Kimber does. And I think it's very cool. Have you guys partnered with any other organizations or trainers to expand your reach or help more horses?
Or is that something that maybe you would consider doing down the road a little bit? I think just like you kind ladies inviting us on your show to talk about what Trotty is and what we are doing. There are many other awesome folks that are doing the same to help us reach more horses and people.
Yeah. And we definitely are. We're happy to work with people. That is such a huge component of what we're doing. And many hands make light work, right? And we are finding as many folks as we can. Just yesterday, we met with a local group regarding partnering on putting on a local show to make sure that we can increase That because we just we really we put on a schooling show this winner not because we're experts by any means not because we had ever done it was I mean , I was half panicked the whole time.
I'm not gonna lie, but there's such a need in our area And we know that we enjoy it. So if we want to Have the change we need to be part of the solution. And so we're inviting others and they're seeing that and you know the group that The ladies that asked me to meet with them last night, it's helping also rejuvenate their excitement, she sent me a text last night and said, Gosh, it was so great.
And it's fun to have the energy back into it and the fun back into it because they've been doing it for a few years and it's started to taper off. And here we come like a hurricane. And I think one of my favorite things, like we had our show schedule made a month ago. , that's something that we look forward to.
And so I think it's fun to do that for other people, where they can be like, all right, here's this affordable local show that I can take my horse to and do ground pulls and just hang out with kind people and have fun. And so I think that's the best part. Are there factions out in your area of canter?
The organization. Yeah. 'cause I think they, they partner with different tracks, but I have no idea like how far their reach is. And I didn't actually look to see if there were other aftercare organizations out by you guys, but I was curious about that. Yeah, there isn't, and actually now that you made the connection for me with who they are, Jeff and I were just talking about them and reaching out to them to talk a little bit to them, but we don't have them in our area and really.
You should reach out to it Bev Strauss and Sue Smith, Emily? Bev is Mid Atlantic. Oh, yeah. Sue Smith from Cantor in PA. She's excellent. And then Bev Strauss from. Mid Atlantic. Sue actually took us on the back side of Penn National here and showed us her whole process and how she interacts with the trainers, how they get the listings, and all that kind of stuff.
So they'd be a great resource for you guys to reach out to, I think. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. All right. And so for both of you, what's been your favorite moment or most meaningful feedback from the adopters or, the new homes that your horses get? Just hearing that people love their horses and adventures and stuff.
We have one in. The M, where did he go? Illinois. Illinois, she's a good inventor. And so I'm excited to see what they do, and so that'll be fun because they will make a good team. So yeah, that's really exciting. It's always fun.
, we're in a very horse saturated area, obviously, but a lot of the horses, even that when Emily and I were doing this as a business, we still see horses that we sold. Way back then out and about eventing and it's really cool to see them on a show report and you're like, Oh my God, they're still out there.
They're so happy. Yeah, that is really cool. And yes, it's and paying it forward to and being able to see others. Get joy from the horses that we have received joy from, or, with some of the ones that are maybe a little further along being able to help someone else reach some success. It's really, it's fun and rewarding.
Yeah, definitely. You guys have created some of the best merch we've seen. So we wanted to talk to you about your Trotty by Nature store. What inspired you to start creating the merch in the first place? Honestly, the fun designs that we're gonna make. My stepdad is really into that. And so we get to sit down and make fun designs and be creative.
to help bring awareness, to TTPs. So I think that's the coolest part is the designs and what they stand for. And what are some of the most popular items in your store and how do the proceeds help support your mission? , no one can ever go wrong with a hat.
Those are very popular or a beanie. Cause it's cold here a lot in case you don't remember that. A hundred percent of the proceeds go back to supporting the horses and their care. Oh, that's amazing. All right. So Kimber, what's the biggest lesson that you've learned so far about horses, people or running a nonprofit? Nothing is ever going to be perfect.
No horse or human. And just. Doing the best with what we have I think that is so true. Sorry. I'm just writing this down Remember you are so [00:42:00] profound. She's writing it tanya, what has it been like watching Kimber grow into this role as an advocate for OTTBs? So as you can imagine, I am beyond proud just not only as a mom, but as a partner in the industry. It's really, it's something I'm passionate about, and it's fun to work so closely with someone else who's really passionate about it, and, to wake up alongside her each day and get up and go to the gym, and then we talk about horses, and we talk about what's the plan for the day, and then go to the barn after school, and, we have a few moments here and there where we might not agree on everything, shopping.
And then we usually laugh. Because we're like, wow, we were just getting along really well today. So we hadn't had a moment, but no, it's amazing, and she does it for the right reasons, and it carries over into so many aspects of her life, and I think sometimes it's a challenge, because I see it set her apart from her peers in a way that sometimes makes it harder for her to fit in, and so that's a little bit hard as a mom, but the pride that I have and the future that I see and how I see this driving her as a human being and giving back, it way outweighs any of that. Yeah, and being a 14 year old with a lot of drive and a vision for the future will alienate you from your peers at times, but I wish I could crystal ball this for you, Kimber, but You're going to be so much happier down the road, I think, just in that having that kind of drive and tenacity and focus.
I think also making time for your friends and things like that is important, but it's maybe that sets you apart from your friends in some ways, but it's also what makes you really.
Thank you. That means a lot. Yeah. I think I sometimes get frustrated because no one gets it. I'll be honest. No one gets it. Everybody's I go home and do 20 minutes of homework and then play video games. And my mom brings me dinner and then I play video games and go to bed. And it's it's just a different mindset, but I know that in the end it's going to be great.
And that, yeah. I'll already have a base of success that I can work off of, yeah, you're like one of those young adults that goes on Shark Tank and blows all of the guys away, and they're like, we all want to bid on their program or whatever they have. The only thing, though, about horses is I don't know if I'm ever gonna make money from horses, though.
Yeah, that's the hard part, but listen. As somebody who does a career that is not exactly the most lucrative career in the whole world, I'm a photographer. There is some just great joy from doing what you love, really and truly. And so I think a lot of things will fall into place if you hang on to that passion for sure and I We wanted to talk a little bit about how listeners can help And for listeners who want to support Trotty by Nature, what's the best way to get involved? I think anything helps. Following us on social media, if you have an extra dollar, donating it. If you want cool merch, you can check out our website, cause as we talked about earlier, all proceeds go to their care, but honestly, whatever people can do.
And like I said, even if it's just hitting follow on Instagram or YouTube or any of that. That helps us out a lot. So it's the coolest March.
Can you give us your website, social media handles for our listeners? You can find us. Everything is under just Trotty by nature. Trotty by nature. Awesome. All right. Kimber and Tanya, thank you so much for joining us today. It's been such a pleasure hearing about your incredible work with Trotty by Nature.
I have one last question for both of you. What is one word that you'd use to describe an OTTB?
Awesome. Thank you guys so much. We really appreciate having you on and yeah, if you liked what you heard today, please leave us a five star review on Apple podcasts. You can find OTTV on tap on Facebook, Instagram, or Tik TOK and follow our website at www. ottvontap. com and send us a message. If you have questions or interview candidates or anything like that, we'd love to hear from you.
Cheers. Cheers.