Here at Wooden Horse Corporation, we do not simply send our Equicizers out into the world and move on to the next order in the queue. We take pride in the fact that our customers become a part of the "Equicizer Family" and enjoy following their journeys through email and social media. Many of our customers become lifelong friends of the staff here at Wooden Horse and it's exciting to hear of the difference the Equicizer makes in their lives.
Take, for example, 22 year old Canadian apprentice jockey Isabelle Chloe Wenc. She is a passionate horsewoman who chronicles her journey as a young aspiring rider on social media. She often uses the Equicizer as a part of her training routine and it was an instrumental part of her return to riding after a back injury. We caught up with Isabelle to ask a few questions about her life, her work, and her passion for horses and riding.
Tell us a little about yourself…
I started out at Marquis Downs in Saskatoon, Sk. I then moved onto Northlands Park in Edmonton Alberta and am currently making a move to Toronto, Ontario to ride at Woodbine/Fort Erie before my apprenticeship is up.
What got you interested in horses/horseback riding? What industry do you have the most experience with?
I have always had a passion for horses ever since I was a little girl and I guess I just never grew out of that phase like most people do. I didn't grow up riding aside from the odd horseback riding camp my parents enrolled me in during Christmas and summer holidays. My mom had a friend who trained racehorses in my hometown and one day offered for me to go feed with her ( I was about 14) and then I spent the rest of my days that summer learning about the ways of the racetrack and what it would take to become a Jockey. I held onto the thought that when I graduated a Jockey is what I would be and so I did. Basically most of my knowledge of horses stems from the racetrack. It's where I learnt all I know.
When and how did you first hear about the Equicizer?
I first heard about the Equicizer from the same woman who got me into the horse racing game. Her name is Maria Stanford. She introduced me to Frankie Lovato Jr and Kayla Jarvinen through Facebook. From there I had conversations with both Frankie and Kayla where they shared their knowledge of horse racing and their product the "Equicizer". I was very intrigued once I learnt more about it and knew that someday I would love to be able to own one. I have been following anything and everything Equicizer through Facebook for at least 6 or 7 years now. I also became more familiar with it when I watched the Animal Planet series called " Jockeys " and saw how these Hall of Fame, Best of the Best group of riders used the Equicizer in their every day lives to help them achieve the amazing things in their career that they have accomplished and that's what really got me wanting one.
What does your Equicizer look like? Does your Equicizer have a name and is there a story behind your Equicizer’s name?
My Equicizer is black and her name is Goofs. She was named after a racehorse we nicknamed "Goofs" who taught me a lot my first full season as an Apprentice and stole my heart while doing it. She's not the biggest filly but her heart and attitude make up for her lack of size. She was just a baby when we first met and I got to teach her everything right from Day 1. Everything from galloping, working, going to the starting gate, and finally her first race. She probably taught me more in the process but holds a very special place near and dear to my heart.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
The best piece of advice I've ever been given was that you should never stop wanting to learn and improve yourself. No matter what you achieve in life you will never know it all and you should always want to do better and improve off that. You should always have an open mind and a willingness to learn because that will take you further than anything else. I apply that to both my riding life as well as my personal life.
What’s your favorite thing about the Equicizer? Is there anything you might like to be different about it?
I absolutely love my Equicizer more than I ever even imagined. I had never been on one before I purchased mine so it was all new to me when it arrived but I wouldn't change a thing.
What is your Equicizer “set up”? (reins, saddle, riser, etc?)
My Equicizer set up consists of thoroughbred racing lines and then I use my own personal Jockey saddle to exercise with it. Racehorses use minimal tack and that is my Discipline of riding so I apply that when using my Equicizer.
What challenges do you face in your progress that you like to focus on while riding your Equicizer?
My Equicizer played a huge part in my rehab when I was coming back off a back injury. I broke my T-4 to 8 in a spill during a morning work out in September of last year. When I was laying in the hospital bed I knew that if I was ever going to get an Equicizer, now would be the time because I was going to need all the help I could get. Immediately after being discharged I got in touch with Frankie and Kayla and made all the necessary arrangements I needed in order to start the process of ordering my very own Equicizer.
I received my Equicizer a month before my back brace was removed so it was like torture just watching it sit in my basement. Finally after a 5 month lay off I was cleared to start getting on it. The Equicizer allowed me to work at my own pace and remain comfortable all while getting stronger and rehabilitating my still very sensitive back. I felt myself getting stronger and stronger with each and every day and with that I was able to lengthen my time spent as well as the intensity of my work outs on my Equicizer.
A month after using it I had a follow up with my doctor and they were thrilled and almost in shock at how well and how quickly I regained strength and flexibility in my back and because of the progress I was able to make on my Equicizer considering the extent of my injury, a month after having my brace removed followed by another month of rehabilitation on the Equicizer, my doctors cleared me medically to start getting back on horses.
How is the Equicizer a part of your training routine?
I continue to use my Equicizer every day. I usually ride it for about 20-45 mins a day working on different skills such as throwing crosses, switching my stick, the motion of pushing on a horse and of course my overall seat. My Equicizer has made me a much stronger rider and helped me improve in so many different ways because I'm able to practice over and over again until I get it. I'm feeling much more comfortable than I have ever felt and feel even better than before my injury.
What motivates you?
My biggest motivation is my desire to succeed and seeing how far I have come and seeing myself achieving things I never thought I would. I am constantly wanting to improve off of that. I want to be successful more than anything and that motivates me every single day because to me failure is not an option.
Who is your equestrian idol?
My equestrian Idol would have to be Emma-Jayne Wilson. She is a female Jockey currently riding at Woodbine racetrack. I have always admired her simply because she is a female in a male dominated industry and has proved that the girls can do it just as good if not better than the boys can. She is my definition of success. She has won more than 1300 races in her career and is one of the best female Jockeys to ever live in my opinion but she has the statistics to back that up as well. She combined her love for horses and competition and turned it into success. I just find her attitude and ability nothing short of amazing. She talks often in articles and interviews about using her Equicizer during her every day training and part of her fitness routines and in my opinion she happens to be one of the strongest finishers on a horse I have ever seen so I'm sure she knows what she's talking about. I recently read an article about her in the Huffington Post where she says " My motivation is becoming the best that I can be" and that accurately sums up the kind of person she is in one sentence and why she is one of my biggest role models in this game and why she is so successful at what she does.
We would like to extend a sincere thank you to Isabelle for the time she gave to this interview and wish her the very best in her career endeavors as a jockey!
Amanda Chicotel
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