Gentle
Giants: Whispery Pines Percherons
By
Gina McKnight
Archived Article from the July 2017 Issue of Florida Equine Athlete
No duplication without permission
“They are my best friends. I cannot even describe how much I
love them.”
Kellie
and Sam Rettinger, owners of Whispery Pines Percherons
in Kingsville, OH, have been involved in the equine industry their entire
lives. I ran into Kellie and Sam last Spring at the Ohio Equine Affaire. Sam Rettinger grew up with
draft horses and began driving and showing at a young age. In addition to
showing, Sam currently trains their horses to work at the couple’s farm and
complete logging projects. Kellie Rettinger grew up riding and showing Quarter
Horses in hunt seat, western pleasure, gaming, and cutting. After meeting Sam
more than ten years ago, she began to drive, ride, and show draft horses in
saddle seat, western pleasure, and Roman riding classes. The Rettingers bring
their horses to several events each year to show in different hitch and riding
classes. They also provide carriage rides with their Percherons for a variety
of events including weddings, birthdays, hay rides, and winter sleigh rides.
Welcome Kellie and Sam!
GM:
With an impressive horse history, your riding resume is amazing. When was your
first encounter with a horse?
KR:
Sam and I both have a family steeped in horses, our first encounters were as
babies Sam with his grandfather and myself with my mom and dad. We were both
hooked and in love with horses before we could talk.
Sam
learned everything from his Grandpa Dick Stasiak. He was an amazing horseman.
He had had and shown draft horses his whole life, and started Sam at two years
old with draft horses. He competed at many fairs and owned Clydesdales,
Belgians, and Percherons. Grandpa was a local legend and known for being a true
cowboy. The knowledge that was lost when
he passed was great.
GM:
Your Percherons are lovely. Describe your stable, your horses, and your daily
routine...
KR:
Our farm is a working farm, we have nine head total. We have about thirty
acres, make all of our own hay, have tie stalls and box stalls and pasture. Our
barn is full of tons of harness and collars.
Describe my horses........??????? lol…well they
are my best friends, I cannot even describe how much I love them. They are
our world. They all have different personalities and make us laugh on a daily
basis. Several of my biggest characters are Tony, Ace, and Hawke.
Tony
is the happiest horse that I have ever met! He is such a willing worker always
aiming to please. He is sweet, loves attention, hates his baths, has a soft eye
and sometimes is mischievous. He is loved by many people and is the leader of
our six-horse hitch. He is the ruler of our pasture even though he is not the
biggest. We do not have favorites in the barn but Tony is very special to Sam.
Hawke
is so funny, he is quirky, loves to play and show off, and buck....A LOT! He has been my long-time cart
horse and has seen me through a lot.
Hawke is also a willing worker, he lets me ride him, and he always has
my back. He loves his baths, is a jack-of-all-trades horse and just fun to
drive. He is in the swing of our six. Sam bought him for me and I fell in love
immediately.
And
then there is Ace... He is quite the legend. He was the first horse that Sam
ever bought me when we first started dating twelve years ago. Ace is the horse
that I learned to drive, ride, everything. He is one of the most beautiful
horses I have ever seen, and still the "man"! He is famous at our
local fairs where people just come to the barn to see Ace. I have put him
through a lot; costumes, riding, accidents, ups, downs. You name it, Ace has
done it. He loves pulling and still
performs like he is three. Ace hates his bath and is also quite mischievous. He
is the wheel in our six. He was our Grandpa’s favorite, and Grandpa is buried
with a piece of Ace’s mane. This horse has taught me so much.
Daily
routine consists of chores morning and night. Working horses, cleaning barn,
and all depending upon the weather, the horses going to the woods to log with
Sam and Dylan. Dylan is the worker. I have logged with Sam before, but I also
work full-time in nursing at our local hospital.
The
rest of the boys are all quite amazing as well, each one of them special in
their own way.
GM:
So big, yet so humble; Percherons have a reputation for being gentle giants.
Can you share an anecdote about one of your Percherons?
KR:
After a long day of showing at the Fair - it was sweltering hot outside - we
went to the midway to get some ice cream, I bought the biggest ice cream cone I
could get. We went back to the barn to check on the horses, a little girl
wanted to pet Ace. So with ice cream cone in hand I opened the stall door so
the little girl could see him. That horse reached right around me and stole my
whole ice cream cone!!!!! This thing was huge!!!!! The little girl thought that
was hilarious and laughed and laughed! Have you ever seen a horse get brain
freeze? Priceless! LOL! His face made us laugh so hard. Needless to say, I am
careful where I take my ice cream cone!!!
GM:
As a competitive rider in state and national events, what is different about
showing draft horses vs. Thoroughbreds, etc.?
KR:
Showing drafts vs. Thoroughbreds. Well I know there is much that goes into
other riding disciplines but...there is nothing like going on the road with a
six or eight horse hitch. I cannot even begin to tell you how much work goes
into what we do. I started over four months to prepare for Equine Affaire!
Organization can sometimes be difficult, but we make it work. We literally
bring everything but the barn out on the road with us. LOL! Because we are
involved in so much we require to have all different types of things. We have a
semi-truck and trailer, camper, enclosed trailer, and a flatbed trailer that
always goes out on the road with us. We have anywhere from six to ten people
who travel with us.
There
is much work that goes into all of this and it is not just Sam and myself. We
have a crew of family and friends to help us. Each person plays a special role
for Whispery Pines Percherons. To get ready for the six, each horse takes well
over one hour of preparation from braiding, bathing, harnessing, grooming, etc.
Without these people, there is no Whispery Pines Percherons.
GM:
Showing in saddle seat, western pleasure, and Roman riding classes sounds fun!
Which is your favorite event to compete in and who is your go-to horse for your
favorite event?
KR:
I love everything that I show in whether it be a ground drive obstacle or the
six or riding. But if had to choose what some of my most favorite moments are. One
of my first would be driving the six. That right there is a rush! I am very
proud to drive it because not many women do. I know Sam also loves driving it,
too. He is completely amazing when he drives, he is just natural at it. He
feels the horses through the lines. It is like it is exactly what he was born
to do. Roman Riding is something I have wanted to do my whole life and was just
downright awesome. You feel like you are riding on top of the world. One of my
favorite horses to show is Candyman. He is such a proud horse and really turns
it on when we hit the show ring. Sam
loves showing Tony.
GM:
Tack. Lots of large tack for large horses! How do you keep it all cleaned and
polished? Does each horse have their own set of tack? What does a set of tack
for each horse include?
KR:
There is so much that goes into tack. Each horse has their own harness
especially fitted for him. Each harness weighs well over 150 pounds. We
probably have well over twenty harnesses - between work and show harnesses.
Each set is used for something different, from work to parade, to wedding, to
show. Much goes into cleaning and oiling the leather and keeping the chrome
polished and shiny. We all take part in the cleaning. Each set includes bridle,
collar, hames, 2 tugs, backpad, belly band, britchen, and chest piece. Not only
that but when you start to hook multiple hitches you have different parts of
harness for the different hitches. And then the lines, single, team, unicorn,
four, six, eight.
GM:
Taking a carriage ride pulled by a Percheron sounds enchanting. You provide
carriage rides for all types of events, including winter sleigh rides,
weddings, and birthdays. What is the best way to schedule an event?
KR:
I love having the carriage business!!!!! We get to let someone experience our
horses on a personal level, and it allows us to bring our love of horses to the
world. We get to share in some peoples most important days in their lives and
help celebrate holidays and birthdays! All events are scheduled through me.
GM:
Let’s talk about Percherons and horse logging. Truly, it is a skill to be able
to tether Percherons to a log and guide them through the forest. There must be
a lot of training involved. Do the other others play a part in training novice
horses for logging? When you purchase standing timber, do you use the horses to
pull the logs out of the forest?
KR:
My husband Sam does select harvest of mature timber. He uses the horses to skid
the logs out of the woods. This method is extremely low impact on the land. It
is quite amazing to watch Sam maneuver through the woods all while the horses
are pulling logs that can weigh up to 8,000 pounds. Dylan Loomis that works for
us also skids as well. I have also skidded before too. Sam and I train these
young horses to begin a career in the woods. You have to have a smart,
attentive, strong horse to work in the woods. The versatility and willingness
to work is what makes the Percheron breed so awesome. They have the grace and
beauty to pull a fine carriage but can also work all day in the woods or in the
plow.
GM:
Do you have advice for those who are new to the horse industry looking to
purchase Percherons?
KR:
Get in touch with the Percheron Horse Association of America. They can refer
you to people who can assist. Go to your local fairs and try to meet people,
check out draft horse sales. Do some research. Check out breeders, try to learn
from everyone.
GM:
What does horsemanship mean to you?
KR:
Horsemanship means to me the ability to earn their trust, build a relationship,
become a team and to truly understand what he thinks. Respect them and never
lose patience. Sam and I love what we do! We love horses so much and feel so
lucky to be able to do what we do. We work very, very hard, but it is all worth
it. I feel like horses make us better people, everyday spent with our horses is
a great day.
One
of my most favorite quotes by Ronald Duncan
"
The horse. Here is nobility without conceit, friendship without envy, beauty
without vanity. A willing servant, yet never a slave."
Connect with Kelly and Sam…
Gina McKnight is an author and freelance
writer from Ohio, USA.
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