Girl time on the trail
Horseback-riding lessons bring families together
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

PHOTOSBY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Wilhelmina (c) and Mary Elizabeth (r) Horzepa rein in the mothers and daughters they give riding lessons to on their family's Millstone Township farm on July 25.

MILLSTONE - Local mothers and daughters are enjoying a powerful bonding experience with the help of horses.

The Horzepa family has brought four pairs of mothers and daughters together this summer for riding lessons at their Millstone Township farm.

Bob Horzepa said both of his daughters, Wilhelmina, 16, and Mary Elizabeth, 13, started riding horses at the age of 3 and went on to become national champions in the sport.

"I feel we have been given a gift," he said. "If we can help someone else with their child, we're glad to do it and it feels good."

Kathy Heller, of Millstone, said her 4-year-old daughter, Kathy Springer-Heller, kept asking her for horseback-riding lessons. Heller said she was happy to learn that the Horzepas offer lessons to young children and that she could be right there beside her daughter to supervise.

Millstone's Sarah D'arcy-Irwin (l-r) and Kathy Springer-Heller learn how to ride horses with the help of Mary Elizabeth Horzepa at the Horzepa family farm in Millstone on July 25.

"I never thought I would get on a horse, but it's fun," Heller said. "It's something that we can do together, and it's part of our girl time."

Unlike Springer, Dawn Baeszler, of Sea Girt, is no stranger to horses but had not been on one in years. Her 8-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, convinced her to ride at the Horzepa farm.

"It's fun to ride with my daughter and to be around people who love horses," Baeszler said, adding that Wilhelmina and Mary Elizabeth have been her inspiration for getting back in the saddle.

"I see how artfully and beautifully they ride and all of their ribbons," Baeszler said. "We are quite proud to ride here."

Wilhelmina was the United States Equestrian Federation's (USEF) leading Pony Jumper Owner in both 2005 and 2006. Her pony, Exhilaration, was named the 2006 Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year National Pony Jumper Champion and placed first at the 2006 North American League Finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, Pa. In the Western arena, Wilhelmina was crowned the Garden State Youth Barrel Racing Champion.

Mary Elizabeth rode her Welsh/Arabian pony, Nobody's Fool, to the 2006 Farnam/Platform USEF National Reserve title in pony jumpers and placed in the ribbons at the North American League Finals.

Trish D'arcy, of the Perrineville section of Millstone, said she hopes some of the Horzepa girls' ambition and drive will rub off on her 5-year-old daughter, Sarah D'arcy Irwin.

"They are very good with the kids," D'arcy said. "They are patient and very good listeners. Their riding skills are so natural, and they have such focus."

When asked what she likes about taking lessons, Sarah said, "I want to win a trophy and a ribbon."

The Horzepa girls don't just see horseback riding as a competitive sport, and they talk up the pastime's many other benefits.

Wilhelmina said horseback riding builds self-confidence, improves coordination and provides health benefits because of the exercise involved. Learning to ride a horse can also help a child develop patience and other mental skills that they can use at school, she said.

The animals also help teach companionship and responsibility, according to Wilhelmina.

Before the riders get to take the horses out at the Horzepa farm, they must brush them and clean their hooves. Kathy said that she learned how to clean the frogs, which are the V-shaped spaces in the middle of the horseshoes on the bottom of the horse's feet.

Overall, Wilhelmina said, she sees the horses helping the children open up their inner selves.

"You almost always see them talking to the horses," she said. "The horses give them something to love and something to talk about with others."

Bob Horzepa said horseback riding gives people the foundational skills to be leaders in life.

"All of the three little kids here are unbelievable riders," he said. "They are not intimidated by horses and show an unbelievable amount of natural talent."

He said other facilities might not take riders as young, but since his daughters are national-level champions they have the experience and the expertise to ensure the children's safety.

During a lesson, the Horzepa girls usually take the mothers and daughters over low jumps and around barrels and then on a trail ride.

Participants ride horses the Horzepas trained. Not only was Nobody's Fool out with the mothers and daughters on July 25, but so was Amber, a horse Mary Elizabeth rode to national prominence.

"Amber can jump five feet in the air and can also take a loving mother," Bob Horzepa said.

The Horzepa girls are still competing and have hopes of someday making it to the Olympics. While in between events, they provide riding lessons and also train and sell horses in hopes of building a long-term business.