“It’s not common in a lot of show barns to have grass turnout, but I think it’s important for the horses to be horses.”
grass turnout for a relaxing equine environment between competitions. “It’s not common in a lot of show barns to have grass
turnout, but I think it’s important for the horses to be horses,” she says. “We try to take really good care of them but we also have a relaxed feel and all of the horses enjoy turnout. I think it’s interesting that most Thoroughbreds are typically born in the middle of the night when things are quiet, but most of our Thoroughbreds are born around dinnertime while we are still here. I think that’s testament to what a relaxing environ- ment we’ve created.” Amenities include large indoor and outdoor arenas, as
well as miles of trails along the Old Erie Canal. (Agatha likes to take her horses out for relaxing trail rides now and then for the horses’ and her own mental health). The farm also boasts an exercise walker and a wide range of therapies for the show horses and the Thoroughbreds, particularly those with train- ing and racing injuries. Their farm uses a variety of therapies to help the horses
stay sound and happy. “We use a TheraPlate [vibration plate therapy, which purportedly increases circulation, bone den- sity and muscle mass and reduces inflammation] on most of the horses, as well as laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, hydra ice boots. We also have a Centurion magnetic blanket with a neck attachment and hoof pad—it’s relaxing and stimulates blood flow for natural healing. We also use Back on Track products for increasing circulation and blood flow,” Agatha explains. “We try to let the horses stay horses and at the same time
formulate a program to keep them in top shape without burning them out. I believe it shows: they all have dapples in their coats and are happy and healthy,” she adds. Agatha recently signed her first two sponsors: Elite Equine
Veterinary, a mobile practice near Cortland, New York, and Cavalor, a line of equine feed and nutritional supplements. “Elite Equine is Dr. John Cooley’s clinic. He’s one of the
few vets in the country trained in the U.S. and in Europe for equine chiropractic and I think he brings a lot to the table with his experience here and abroad,” she says. “He also has a great ‘bedside manner’.” The 20 horses at Trade Winds Farm include a variety of
breeds and disciplines. Besides Thoroughbreds, her Warm- bloods include the breeds KWPN, Selle Français, Holsteiner, Zangersheide, Hanoverian, Westphalian and Oldenburg. Ag- atha has five Grand Prix horses in her show string and there are a few Thoroughbred broodmares in residence at the farm. There are also several retired show horses and Warmblood broodmares and several young horses that Agatha has hopes will be her future show horses. Rounding out the list is a min- iature horse that she picked up at the Camelot auction. With an eagle eye for detail, Agatha oversees the care of every horse on the farm, along with her staff. “When the
Warmbloods Today 33
horses are born here I like to handle them and get their early ground training done,” she says. “I usually break the Thor- oughbreds at the end of their first year before they go off to a trainer to keep them going at the racetrack.” Her passion for animals also extends beyond the many
Thoroughbreds she has rescued from auction and re- schooled. Before her riding career became all-consuming, Agatha was volunteering with Whiskers Cat Adoption for about two years, cleaning the litter boxes and feeding and playing with the cats. When her career took off, she focused her limited time on rescuing one animal at a time, starting with shelter dogs. But this didn’t work out quite as she had planned. “I rescued a dog from the Miami kill shelter—my goal was
to nurse her back to health and find her a home, but unfor- tunately my passion for animals got in the way and I couldn’t let her go to another home!” she says with a somewhat sheepish laugh. “I ended up keeping her. I try to promote awareness of animal rescue and get friends involved in rescu- ing animals, too.”
Dream Career Managing the farm is a dream come true for Agatha. “I feel
like I can never turn my phone off or be disconnected from anyone but it’s so worth it. I love these horses so much. Even if I didn’t have competitive aspirations I’d still be involved with horses somehow. I don’t have as much traditional schooling—I gained a lot of experience from top profes- sionals by throwing myself headfirst into the industry. A lot of it was trial and error and comes with experience, but I’ve worked with some of the best in the world.” “Running the farm can be stressful and sometimes it seems like if something can go wrong it will,” she says. “But at the end of the day there is nothing I would rather be do- ing with my life. It’s a lot of weekends and holidays, but I’m chasing my dream and excited about it. I have a great staff at home and on the road who are like family. We spend so much time together we’ve become pretty close and we’re all on the same page about putting the horses first.”
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