Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE -ÊFamilies can bond in numerous ways.
They can hike together. They can sit down to a big meal together one day a week. Or they can take trips to Florida together.
John Conley and his family ride quarter horses. Every night, John says, his yard looks like a parking lot because the entire family is there, riding horses.
They ride not only for fun, but also in competition. They compete in 50 to 75 shows a year, taking in as many as two or three shows a weekend. In the winter, there are indoor shows. This weekend, in fact, they will be competing in Kendallville.
"It's just good clean family fun," said Jason Conley, John's oldest son.
"It's fun," said John Jr. "It's just fun."
Even John's grandson, Ethyn Bradley, who's only 3 years old, rides horses. He's been riding since he was 2.
John's wife, Neva, has been riding for just a little longer than Ethyn. "I've been riding a year and two months," she said.
However, "she's already training colts," said John. He says she is good at training the colts because she is patient, kind and understanding. "That's what it takes to train a colt - patience."
As for when the family began riding, John said, "We had ponies when I was at home and it naturally progressed to horses. I love them."
John Jr. guesses he was about 8 years old when he began riding. "I've been riding so long, I forget," he said.
What he likes best about riding is the challenge. "It's kind of a challenge to get to know what a horse is going to do," he said.
Jason added, "They've got a mind of their own."
Jennifer, John's daughter and Ethyn's mother, has been riding for the last 14 years. "I got my first pony when I was nine," she said. "I started 4-H when I was 10."
What she likes best is "the adrenaline rush. When you do barrels, you get a rush." She said when she's in competition, she doesn't see anyone but her horse and the course. The crowd and judges are all but forgotten.
She also loves the horses themselves. "I have a lot of respect for them - tons of respect."
Since she and her husband, William, are teaching Ethyn the proper way to take care of a horse, she said, it's important that they themselves have respect for the horses. They have to treat the horses the way they want Ethyn to treat them, she said.
"You need to develop a bond (with them)," Neva said. She said riding a horse teaches Ethyn responsibility.
"Ethyn - it keeps him out of trouble because he's always with us," said Jennifer.
Horse-riding also provides a little friendly competition between the Conley siblings.
Jennifer said after Jason returned to competition riding after a year off due to injury, "the first time I raced against Jason, I beat him, time-wise." Jason didn't like that his "little sister" beat him. In the following competition, Jason beat Jennifer by just tenths of a second. She said he then told her the "heat was on" her now.
It's not all fun and games. Horses require much attention and the Conley family puts in hours of time and care with them.
If a horse gets sick or injured, the family works together to find out what the problem is. "When you have this many horses," said John, "you got to be your own vet." They give the horses shots and whatever else is needed. If the collaboration of the family can't resolve the problem, the horse may then be taken to Purdue University.
The Conleys have 18 horses. Half of them are at John's place while the other half are at Jason's, just down the road. They have babies, yearlings, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds and older horses, some of which are older than some of the members of the Conley family. All the horses are of the same bloodline, except one.
There's a horse nicknamed "Babe," who's 27 years old; "Bud," 13 years old; "10-4," who's only 3; and then there's "Polly," who at 2 years old is being trained by John's wife, Neva.
John said, "We've got some of the best looking babies we've had in a while."
"10-4" was raised by the Conleys after its mother died when it was only 17 hours old. The family had to bottle-feed it. "It was quite a challenge," said John.
The Conleys have their horses on a five-year program, which is now in year three. At the end of the fifth year, they will have three to four 2-year-olds for sale every year following.
