Endurance Riding

I began riding at the age of 5, and horses soon became the one constant in my life. I grew up as a hunter jumper rider on the East Coast, but today, I compete in the sport of endurance on the West Coast.

I work per diem as a registered nurse for a rural hospital, but my biggest passion (thank god I can make some money at it), is teaching horsemanship lessons at my own farm, Lightfoot Horse Farm.

I have been blessed with four beautiful children, three sons and a daughter. Jakob and Declan are grown and out of the house, both currently living in Texas. My two youngest children, Asher and Avani, are still at home and will be for a long time (Asher was born 12 years after Declan). The adventure never ends.

I have eight horses, and each of them makes me a better mother, teacher, and human every day. Horses have taught me one very important lesson — to be present.

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My heart horse, as they call it, is a stunning Palomino Missouri Fox Trotter, a mare I fondly call Asali. She has carried me thousands of miles through the backcountry, allowing me to see parts of the country I wouldn’t have otherwise seen.

She is the reason I possess a coveted Tevis Cup belt buckle. Asali has finished the 100-mile Tevis Cup three times, in 2014, 2017 (with my son, Jakob) and 2019. She has a total of six 100-mile completions on her record.

Asali has been featured on the front page of the Chico Enterprise Record more than once, was on the cover of Equine Wellness Magazine, and was included in an article in Endurance News. She has also been featured in publications from the Missouri Fox Trotter Horse Breed Association, and a short story about her was included in the book Beloved Horses from Around the World.

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This blog was originally created as a forum for me to record my training for the Tevis Cup, a feat I decided to attempt to conquer after accepting a dare from a friend. After a first failed attempt at finishing the 100-mile Tevis Cup back in 2013, this blog suddenly turned into something more than just recording my training for the world’s most difficult endurance ride — I found myself training for life. Today, after finishing the Tevis Cup in 2014, this blog is simply a collection of my thoughts as I stumble through this marathon of life. On my best days, I get to stumble through that life on the back of a horse, which makes everything all that more worthwhile.

ENJOY!

~JayaMae G.

Photo credits: Jo Danehy

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Ten Little Things About Me (in case I didn’t write enough above):

1. I often daydream in the shower, so much so that when I’m done shaving, I’ll forget if I’ve shaved just one leg or both.

2. I once rode a horse while naked. Completely naked (okay, I did have a pair of sheer panties on as the idea of horse hair collecting in my crouch didn’t appeal to me).

3. I have done two things in my life that have made me feel like one hell of a badass super-powered warrior I-can-do-anything-I-set-my-mind-to woman, even though that badass super-powered warrior I-can-do-anything-I-set-my-mind-to woman feeling doesn’t follow me around every day. One was crossing the finish line of the 100-mile Tevis Cup after almost 24 hours in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on one fucking grand horse. The second was giving birth without drugs. I would do both again.

4. I have been trying to write a New York Times Best Seller for the last 10 years, but honestly don’t know if I’ll ever make it to the last page, let alone the publishing phase. I may just stick to this sometimes ridiculous blog, which may or may not contain content you’re interested in reading.

5. I call myself a pacifist, yet I will not hesitate to kick the ass of any aged person who messes with one of my children or one of my horses. Period.

6. I am a registered nurse and I’m proud of that title, especially because I muddled through years of science (not my forte) prerequisites and then 3 years of a brutal bachelor’s degree nursing program. However proud I am of my degree though, I often fantasize about quitting nursing altogether. And not because I don’t want to help people, but because the present state of our health care system in this country baffles me. That, and sometimes, I do like animals better than people, so maybe I should have been a veterinarian.

7. My biggest fear is losing my mind. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease, and it was horrific.

8. I am a hopeless romantic and after turning 40, I am learning to fall in love with myself like I never have before.

9. I don’t believe in dieting. I say I believe in healthy eating, and indulging only if it’s done in moderation. But I don’t know if that’s really true, for it’s not uncommon to find me eating a gigantic bowl of ice cream. Or several chocolate chip cookies. Or the biggest brownie out of the pan.

10. I get my exercise mucking out stalls, stacking hay, riding horses, and chasing after children, along with the occasional trail run or hike. You might also see me dabbling in some rock climbing with my brother.