"I've spent my entire life with horses."
I didn't choose horses—they chose me. For more than five decades they have been my teachers, my livelihood and my passion. In this first blog, I share how a lifetime with horses ultimately led to the creation of Parkmore Supplements.
I Didn't Choose Horses — They Chose Me
People often ask me how I got involved with horses.
The truth is, I don't really remember a time when they weren't part of my life.
I sat on my first horse before most children learn to ride a bicycle. By the age of three I was riding by myself, and from that point on horses became more than a hobby. They became a way of life. In truth horses are where I fit in, they gave me purpose and helped me find who I was meant to be.
Over the years I have bred them, foaled them, started them, trained them, competed them, coached riders and travelled thousands of miles helping people solve problems with their horses.
I've put the first halter on foals I helped bring into the world. I've watched them grow into competition horses. I've ridden stallions, trained young horses and spent countless hours trying to understand what separates a healthy, happy horse from one that struggles.
One lesson has remained constant through all of it:
The horse is always telling us something.
Sometimes it shows up in their behaviour.
Sometimes it shows up in their condition.
Sometimes it shows up in their performance.
And sometimes it shows up long before we are willing to listen.
That lesson is one of the reasons Parkmore Supplements exists today.
The products we create were never designed to follow trends or chase marketing opportunities. They were created to solve real-world problems that I repeatedly encountered while working with horses and their owners.
When a horse struggled to maintain weight, like my brother, I wanted to know why.
When a horse's immune system seemed compromised, I wanted to understand what was happening.
When owners were frustrated because nothing seemed to be working, I wanted practical solutions rather than complicated theories.
The result has been a lifetime of learning, testing, observing and refining.
I still learn something every day.
The horses continue to teach me.
My goal through this blog is simple.
I want to share some of those lessons.
Some posts will be about nutrition.
Some will be about training.
Some will be about business, life and the challenges of building Parkmore.
Most importantly, they'll be based on real experiences, real horses and real people.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
— Fleur Bryan
Founder, Parkmore Supplements