BY SUSAN JAYNE
Another Zippo, known to us as Zippy, is an American Quarter Horse mare foaled on March 11, 1997. Her breeding tells part of the story of who she is. Her grandfather was Zippo Pine Bar, one of the most influential stallions in American Quarter Horse history.
As quoted in the American Quarter Horse Association Magazine, the sweet-tempered “Zippo” has been described as having “created an industry.” There are many great stallions in AQHA history, but only a small handful redefined an entire discipline, and Zippo Pine Bar was one of them. He was known for being gentle, smart, and willing. He consistently passed that disposition on to his foals. It was said that if a Zippo Pine Bar-bred horse knew what you wanted him to do, he did it.
Zippy is certainly an example of that breeding success. She is quiet, calm, smart, and happy. She has always wanted to please her people.
I once discussed Zippy’s breeding with a fellow AQHA member and equine appraiser. He remembered riding Zippy’s sire, Zippo Award, in August 1997. “His sweet disposition and soft flowing lope made for the most enjoyable ride I believe I have had in almost 60 years as a professional horseman,” he said. That sweet disposition became the foundation of Zippy’s long and varied career.
Zippy came to live with our family when she was 8 years old. She was a birthday gift for my daughter Ellen, who was also 8 at the time. They have literally grown up together, and Zippy has been an amazing and important member of our family ever since.
Ellen and Zippy are both 29 now. Even in her later years, Zippy maintained the energy, stamina, balance, endurance, and soundness of a much younger horse. We hunted with the Massbach Hounds and Fox River Valley Hounds for 17 years, until November 2022, when we donated Zippy to an amazing children’s therapeutic riding program in Wisconsin.
During her final three seasons of hunting, Zippy safely and confidently carried me through extreme conditions with the Massbach Hounds. We hunted approximately 25 to 30 times per season. The country is picturesque, but it is also complicated to ride through. A day’s outing was often four hours long and covered more than 20 miles.
Zippy was a calming force for horses new to the sport. She was unflappable under pressure and could lead the field through complex obstacles. She calmly led horses through creek crossings and cattle pastures. She could lead over fences or patiently wait while others jumped. She was asked to chase down loose horses and pony them back to the trailers. She could also stand quietly at a checkpoint and help another horse settle.
It has been said that if you can hunt with Massbach, you can hunt anywhere. What made Zippy’s accomplishments even more notable was that these demanding seasons came late in her career, at an age when many hunt horses had already retired.
Zippy’s career included many other important roles. She safely carried Ellen to earn her Buttons with the Wayne DuPage Hunt when they were both 9 years old. She later carried me to earn my Colors with Fox River Valley and Massbach Hounds.
For more than 10 years, Zippy served as my Mounted Steward’s Horse at the Rolex and later Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. The event is the only CCI5* competition in the Americas and draws crowds of up to 80,000 spectators.
Zippy’s responsibilities included crowd control and escorting eliminated competition horses back to the barn. She also stood patiently while spectators petted her and took photographs. Horses chosen for this volunteer role must remain calm among stressed horses and people in crowded and sometimes dangerous situations. They must also be able to help settle other horses. Zippy was ideally suited to the job.
She also served for four years as my Mounted Judge’s Horse for Junior North American Field Hunter Championship qualifying meets. Her calm and reliable nature allowed me to judge junior riders in a live hunting environment.
As a First Field Master’s Horse, Zippy regularly led large groups of horses and riders across varied terrain, including roads, ditches, creeks, jumps, cattle pastures, crops and areas bordered by barbed wire fencing. She also served as a Mounted Volunteer Polo Ambassador’s Horse at the 2019 LeCompte Kalaway Cup, walking calmly among more than 1,000 spectators while wearing polo tack and wraps. Zippy also competed in more than 15 hunter paces with Ellen and me and also competed several times at the Dunham Woods Horse Show.
Much of Zippy’s longevity can be credited to Katie Hawkins and Unbridled Equine. Zippy became one of Katie’s earliest clients in 2017. Katie began with a regular massage schedule, not because Zippy was injured, but because we wanted to keep her feeling her best. As Katie expanded her services, Zippy was introduced to water tread, red light therapy, and MagnaWave. She later spent three to six weeks with Katie each winter under daily “PreHab” care. Zippy loved her time there. From my perspective, these years of consistent care helped her continue enjoying her job as a hunt horse until the age of 25.
Today, Zippy has begun another important chapter. Her new role is helping children with special needs learn, grow, and heal through the Midwest Therapeutic Riding Program. To be selected for this work, a horse must be calm, quiet and tolerant in all situations. Zippy has already worked with children with a variety of needs, including encouraging a non-verbal child to talk about her ride. She also helped promote World Down Syndrome Awareness Day with one of “her kids.”
Zippy has spent her life taking care of people. She carried a young girl, led hunt fields, steadied nervous horses, worked among thousands of spectators and gave us years of unforgettable experiences. Now, she is helping a new generation of children find confidence, connection and joy. She remains a cherished member of our family, and she now has many new friends who cherish her too.
Susan Jayne has spent a lifetime caring for and enjoying horses, earning her colors with three hunts and riding with 11 different hunts across the United States. Her recent adventures include a 98-mile ride through Spain’s Gredos Mountains and a 73-mile trail ride through Utah’s national parks. A professional life coach specializing in career and life transitions, she is also a passionate conservation advocate and shares her love of horses and the mountains with her two amazing daughters.
