Our industry is full of many types of people with diverse backgrounds who all share one thing, a love of horses. But there is so much more than meets the eye to many of these people.
Dr. Candice Hall, a small animal veterinarian, shows her her two gorgeous futurity horses, Made By J and Hawaiian Honey, both sired by her stallion, Machine Made. Candice just returned from showing Machine Made at the 2015 AQHA World Show and finished top-15 in Amateur Western Riding.
In August, 2015 Hylton Maiden Champion Made by J won the NSBA World Championship in the Intermediate Non Pro Three Year-Old Western Pleasure with Candice. Under the guidance of Gil Galyean and Denton DeBuhr, the team was also reserve NSBA World Champions in the Open Non Pro class. Dr. Candice Hall and her husband, Dr. Cory Seebach hail from British Columbia and they are passionate about their horses. Candice was kind enough to do this fun article for us. Check out her answers below.
10 Things I Love
1. I love hiking with my dogs. They are always so excited to go on adventures in the woods, jumping in creeks and swamps, sniffing out squirrels and sometimes a bear. It’s so relaxing for me and let’s me sort out my thoughts and put life in perspective.
2. I love chocolate peanut butter ice cream from Baskin Robbins. A close second is their rocky road. Every time we are driving and I see a Baskin Robbins, I act like a dog that has just seen a squirrel, bouncing around and pointing.
3. I love my barn mates – Galyean peeps, McCann peeps. These people are my family. They celebrate my accomplishments and feel sadness in my misfortunes, and I do the same for them. I value my friendships more than anything else in the horse industry.
4. I love long hot baths – even better with candles and bubble bath. One time at Congress, I was soaking in the tub….. unbeknownst to me there was a hole in the bathtub. If I think back, I may have heard water running out of the tub, and I may have had to refill it once or twice. Well I managed to flood out two floors of the hotel. When we came back from the fairgrounds later that night, there were workman, cords, suction pumps, hoses and dryers everywhere. Needless to say, we’ve been scared to go back to that particular place.
5. I love Las Vegas – the shopping, the gambling, especially three card poker and Let It Ride, the slushy drinks, the NFR, the crazy people watching, the energy of the whole place. We go to Vegas at least 3-4 times a year just for fun. Every time we think that we should visit New York or some other city – We say, “Nah, let’s just go to Vegas! Guaranteed good time!”
6. I love Banana Cream pie at White Chocolate Grill in Scottsdale, Arizona. Yes I know, I know. I hate bananas (see #3 of my hates), but it’s covered in white chocolate shavings and tastes like custard. If you’ve never tried it, it’s a must!
7. I love Congress. The marathon of horse shows, the endless futurities to watch, the smell of Bourbon Chicken and Sweet Shop, the late night rides, the crisp fall air, the shopping, the Congress Super Sale, puppy alley, the incredible quality of horses and riders in the warm up pens to watch. It’s the best horse show all year!
8. I love being a veterinarian. I love taking care of people’s pets, suturing up their boo boos and making them feel better when they’ve eaten the garbage or their owners medications. I really love delivering wiggling squeaking squirming puppies. Caesarians are fun too.
9. I love foals. Their big sweet eyes and velvet soft noses, watching them play. I love imagining their potential and wondering which may become a World or Congress Champion someday.
10. I love Machine Made, also known as M&M, Hershel, and The Squishy Bug. He is that one special horse. The one that changed my life. He is a joy to ride and show, to brush and feed treats to, to stand around and hug. He introduced me to a completely new facet of the Quarter Horse industry, the breeding world. He forced me become less shy, putting myself out there to meet new people and visit about their wonderful foals. I can’t imagine what I would have done if the Rosciti family hadn’t been willing to part with him.
On that note, as part of my #10, I also love my amazing husband Cory for so many reasons but mostly for leaving the toilet seat down so I don’t fall in and bringing me hot chocolate in bed and eating the leftovers and loving Machine Made as much as I do. I couldn’t imagine this crazy adventure called life without you!
Things I Hate
1. I hate scary movies. I watch them under duress, with both my hands in front of my face, eyes squinted shut, and I keep asking, “What’s happening? What’s happening.”
2. I hate when my dogs (the hooligans) roll in bear poop, dead fish and other nasty stuff. Driving home from a hike with all four windows rolled down, gagging is not my idea of a good time. Then, the walk of shame out to the barn with the offending border collie for a bath in the wash stall.
3. I hate bananas. If someone peels a banana in front of me, I run before I can smell it.
4. I hate brain freeze, like when you drink a slushy drink in Vegas too fast!
5. I hate leftovers. I feed them to my husband. He loves them. Once something has gone into the fridge in tupperware, it loses its appeal. The exception is leftover pizza.
6. I hate lost luggage. This happens all too frequently with all the traveling we do. I have learned (the hard way) to keep an extra set of underwear and my toothbrush on me at all times. One time at Congress we had to wear the same clothes for three days until our luggage showed up.
7. Beer. I tried and tried and tried to like it. It’s so easy and it’s in everyone’s cooler. I wish I could drink it, but I just can’t stand do it. I say, bring on the coconut rum!
8. I hate saying goodbye to my pets before a trip; horses when I’ve sold them; to my friends at the end of a long horse show. It’s emotional and I suck at it. The worst is the final goodbye to my animals at the end. As a veterinarian, I find peace in helping others say goodbye, when needed, but I completely empathize with people’s sorrow.
9. I hate being cold. I wear polar fleece to bed, and hoodies in August.
10. I hate middle of the night “emergency calls” because someone wants to talk about deworming their cat because it just puked up a worm. Seriously people! Deworming is not a 2am discussion.
Thanks Candice!
