Meet Elizabeth “Betty” Adams and JMF Irish Beam –aka “Beamer”, “Mr. BMAN”, “B” or “Beasley”, a 16 year-old Morgan horse. Betty is Absorbine’s Corporate Sales Coordinator. She is responsible for the lion’s-share of the planning and coordination of our sales teams and assists with logistics out on the road. Anyone who has done this type of job knows that it requires a mind like a steel trap and the temperament of a dignitary, all while thinking on your feet. Can you say organized? We are ever so grateful to have Betty on our team – she’s funny, so positive, and has the best energy! It’s great to have her equestrian perspective for the sales team- she can really relate to our customers. Betty is also an avid runner and often runs marathons in her spare time. But really, don’t we all?

Absorbine: What do you do with your horse? Show? Pleasure? Companion Horse? Well-loved Pasture Ornament?

E: When we were both younger we used to show at very competitive Morgan horse shows in hunter pleasure, classic pleasure and classic pleasure driving classes, but now we are kicking back and enjoying the pleasure life of trail riding and learning some Dressage.

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

Elizabeth: I love ShowSheen! – I started using ShowSheen years ago when I was a kid in 4-H and did local 4-H shows where we would have fitting and showmanship classes and be judged on how well our horse was groomed, I would always take pride in how my horse looked and ShowSheen was always my go-to. Then when I got older, I started showing and working for a Morgan show barn where the turn out of the horses was very important. Morgan horses are known for their long manes and tails, and ShowSheen was a great detangler for keeping them tangle-free. I still use it to this day, and the best part is that whether you show or not it is a great grooming tool to have in your grooming box. It can help to remove burrs in the fall, remove mud in the spring, and you can even spray it on before turnout to help repel mud, dirt, and dust!

Absorbine: Any fun horse care tips you’d like to share? Can include tricks or “barn hacks”

Elizabeth: Morgans are known as the beavers of the horse world, and my boy is no exception. If he spends too much time inside during inclement weather, he can start chewing the stalls, so I use a special anti-chewing mixture that includes tobasco sauce and paint it on the wood to deter him and others from eating. Also, use generic mouthwash and a brush to scrub and disinfect water buckets – it kills germs while leaving behind a minty smell horses love!

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

Elizabeth: My non-horsey husband still cannot wrap his mind around how much a bale of hay, or “dried grass” according to him, can cost! I’m not sure how funny that is, but I get a kick out of when he calls hay dried grass.

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

Elizabeth: I have raised my boy from a 2 year-old, so we have a tremendous bond. We trust each other and would do anything for each other. I have tried him in many disciplines through our time together and he always wants to please me, and even when it might not be the best fit for him, he always just wants to make me happy. So I guess to answer the question, the thing I love the most about him is our bond we share together.

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

Elizabeth: I would say my grandfather and my mother were both big influences in my horse obsession. It all started when I was kid and my grandfather would take our family some weekends to the family cow farm up in Cummington, MA where they also had some draft horses. I lived in the city until I was 10, so I cherished those weekends when I was able to experience farm life. My grandfather was also was a volunteer at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA, so we would frequent the horse shows and I loved watching the Morgans in particular, and admired the trainers. My mother always had a dream to someday have a horse of her own, and although she never did get one, she would always support me in any horse related thing I wanted to do whether it was taking riding lessons or wanting the next Breyer horse.

Absorbine: Open field for comments:

Elizabeth: My horse has always had weak stifles and to warm him up before a ride I would rub Absorbine Veterinary Liniment Gel on his stifles, and also use it after a tough ride to relieve any aches he might have.