October 11, 2016 
It is never a good time to buy a horse. It is even less of a good time to buy a horse when you have been out of riding for practically a decade and the horse in question is a totally green Thoroughbred straight off-the-track with a reputation as an equine bad boy.
Never known for my brilliant decision making, that is exactly what I did six years ago. What a Trippi (by Trippi, Avert Your Eyes, by North Pole) had been my favorite racehorse at Suffolk Downs, and once he got claimed from his original trainer, his career brought him to New York and the barn of Mike LeCesse. Determined to keep tabs on the quirky bay gelding, I reached out to LeCesse with my contact information and told him to call me when What a Trippi needed a new home.
And, he did. I got a text message that said if I wanted him I could have him. Without having laid eyes on What a Trippi in over a year, and with no plan in place, I jumped head first into horse ownership.
Luckily, LeCesse is one of the good guys. The horse that stepped off of the trailer was exactly as I remembered—big, bay and beautiful with clean legs and in good weight. However, he was also exactly as I remembered temperament-wise as well. I learned quickly that this Thoroughbred was not for the faint of heart. What a Trippi had a deep bag of tricks, a stubborn streak to match my own and an opinion about everything.
There are plenty of stories on the internet about the OTTB that turned into a superstar just weeks after leaving the racetrack. Horse shows, trail rides, hunter paces—all no problem! This is not one of those stories. With What a Trippi, everything was a challenge from the beginning. There were many days in where I would leave the barn with a bruised ego, a bruised backside and wondering what I had gotten myself into.
The next couple of years of our training involved a lot of baby steps forward only to then take a flying leap backwards. There were hints along the way that deep down, there was a quality and fun horse in there but Trippi peppered those in just enough so I could not totally give up on those days when our rides mostly consisted of me calling him names, and him squealing and bouncing around the ring.
This past summer, everything turned a corner. What a Trippi, bad boy racehorse extraordinaire, found his calling in the hunter ring, of all places. After years of working on the most basic of basics, a quiet and willing partner emerged. As we walked out of the ring after our first flat class together (and, for the record, were not last or excused), I was overwhelmed with pride for how far he and I had come together.
“This quirky ex-racehorse has turned me into a real rider and has taught me that there is no substitute for patience…”
That is not to say that I deserve all (or really any of) of the credit for this. It takes a village with a green horse and we could not have gotten to where we are without the support of an extraordinarily talented and patient trainer, good friends and all of the other people who help Trippi feel his best on a regular basis like his masseuse, chiropractor, farrier and veterinarian.
There has been nothing glamorous about our journey and there have been some days when it has taken literal blood, sweat and tears. However, this quirky ex-racehorse has turned me into a real rider and has taught me that there is no substitute for patience, among other things.
Five lessons my Thoroughbred has taught me
1. Horses are a direct mirror of their rider
On the days I got on Trippi with a defensive attitude and expected him to be terrible—he was. He would give me exactly what I gave him every day and I have learned to approach our challenges with a quieter, more thoughtful demeanor. If I make something a big deal, it will certainly become one and that responsibility falls on me.
2. Patience, patience, patience
It can be terribly frustrating watching all of your friends go off and have fun with their horses, especially when trotting in a circle and keeping all four feet on the ground is difficult. Rushing things and cutting corners does you no service in the end.
3. There is a difference between results and progress
For a stretch, I had a difficult time understanding the difference between results and progress. We were jumping and could get around, but it was far from pretty and not really fun for anyone. I confused the result – jumping bigger jumps—with progress—doing it well. Taking a step back and focusing on little bits of actual progress was critical to our success.
4. Give them the benefit of the doubt
Sometimes bad behavior is not simply for the sake of being naughty. In Trippi’s case, some of his worst behavior was his way of communicating that he was not well. After a particularly terrible stretch of behavior (rearing, bucking, spinning—the trifecta!), we looked deeper and found he had severe case of Lyme Disease. Once that was treated, he was back to being his normal level of naughty.
5. Believe in your horse, and yourself
Years ago, someone told me that Trippi was too much horse for me. They may have been right—we had our fair share of real struggles that may have been easier had I been graced with more natural talent or more experience. Instead of being discouraged by that, it motivated me to be a better rider, work harder and have faith that eventually Trippi and I would figure eachother out—and we did.
About the Author
Jessica Paquette is the Director of Communications for Suffolk Downs and Starlight Racing.
