You love your horse, and we love that! Every month we’ll be asking one of our friends from social media to showcase their horses and share a few words in our Absorbine Spotlight.

This time, we’re interviewing Lindsay Barrack, Absorbine® Ambassador with her 12 y.o. OTTB Vinny. Lindsay and Vinny compete in eventing, which encompasses dressage, show jumping and cross country elements. You can follow the adventures of Lindsay and Vinny on Instagram: @mfeventing

The Interview

Absorbine: What do you love most about your current horse?

Lindsay: Vinny is the “cat weasel” of the barn. He’s always getting into something mischievous and constantly needs to be the center of attention. Although green and off of the track, he gives 100% of himself in every ride and can be quite the overachiever (see pic.) He rarely says “NO!” but rather asks “How?”

Absorbine:  Name some people who’ve had a big impact on your horsemanship.

Lindsay: My base of support is forever growing and expanding. Narrowing it down to just a few is quite difficult. My first trainer Erin Mcduffie-Chomat for taking on me and my first crazy OTTB “Mel” and never giving up on us when everyone else did. I must also thank the amazing Darren Chiacchia for being my tough love. Helping me to focus and have a deeper understanding of the true training, technique, and balance required for every aspect of our sport. Not just constantly pushing me, but actually allowing me to discover my own true potential. Most recently the biggest impact on my horsemanship has been from my trainer and friend Hilda Donahue. Through persistent patience and complete trust, she has led me to be a better trainer, rider, student, and human being. Always with something nice to say and a huge smile on her face. No matter how awful the lesson, or how terribly the horse acts, Hilda will find something positive and powerful for you to take away from your ride.

Absorbine:  What Absorbine® products do you like, and why did you start using them?

Lindsay: My favorites are all of the Absorbine® Liniment products, Showsheen®, and the Bigeloil® Quilted Poultice Wraps. Constantly being on the road for competitions and clinics can make it difficult to keep my horses comfortable and clean. Showsheen® has made my horses repel dirt while keeping an incredible shine to their coats and tails. The Liniment products are a HUGE part of my training horses’ programs for prevention of sore or stiff muscles and joints. I also LOVE the simplicity and no mess cleanup of the quilted poultice wraps. At competitions I can keep my horses legs comfortable when needing to spend extensive amounts of time in a stall.

Absorbine:  Any fun horse care tips you’d like to share?

Lindsay: I have found that the poultice hoof wraps when wrapped across the FRONT of the hoof can actually help draw out an abscess quicker. A random “barn hack” I use is a piece of chicken wire folded over and zip tied to a pitch fork gives you the BEST quick pick manure stall fork for fine flake or sawdust type shavings!

Absorbine: What’s the funniest thing non-horse people ask you about horses?

Lindsay: “Why is your horse wearing blinders?—How can he see where he is going?” (Fly Mask) or “Isn’t he hot wearing a blanket in the summer?” (Fly Sheet)

Thanks for the fun interview Lindsay & Vinny!