TALES FROM THE TRAILS
Monica Lalama’s life has turned out just the way she wanted. “Training horses is a job I love,” she said. “It’s my life.”
Originally from Perth Amboy, N.J., her family moved to Cooper City in Broward County many years ago.
“My little brother was sick, and the doctors suggested a warmer climate would be better for him,” Monica recalled. “We ended up near Davie, and there were a lot of horses around. I started riding English pleasure and got a two-year-old Quarter Horse named Pretty Boy Floyd.”
She still has him. He’s 28 now.
Even though she was riding English, Monica started working with a trainer who was into barrel racing, so she gave that a try.
“I was hooked on the adrenaline rush and the speed,” she said. “I started barrel racing every chance I got.”
She also acquired another horse, a 4-year-old Standardbred mare that she adopted for $250 from the Miami chapter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Fannie Mae had once raced at Pompano, but now she was thin and going blind in one eye. Not only did Monica rehabilitate her, she started barrel racing her.
“That was pretty unusual,” she said. “No one had seen a gaited Standardbred running barrels before, but she loved it. Even though she went completely blind in her right eye, we won seven saddles and a lot of awards together. She was even profiled in a book called Beloved Sport Horses by Sharon Miner.”
Fannie Mae is now in her 20s, and Monica still has her as well.
“Training her, especially because of her vision problems, taught me the best ways to help a horse overcome obstacles,” she explained. “People were impressed and asked me for help. My career sort of grew from there.”
Monica moved to The Acreage in 1998 so she could have land to keep her horses at home. She named her facility Running Acres Ranch and started giving lessons and clinics at her home and at what is now Nicole Hornstein Equestrian Park. She currently owns six horses and is boarding and training four more.
“My training technique is part natural horsemanship,” she explained. “Some Parelli, some Chris Cox, useful tips I’ve borrowed from their videos, and part me. Each horse is an individual, so I don’t always do the same thing. I assess their strong points and weaknesses.”
Typical problems are shouldering barrels or blowing turns, she noted.
“First, I evaluate the horse and rule out any physical problems, like painful teeth or misaligned vertebrae,” Monica said. “A horse in pain can’t use himself correctly. Once that is ruled out, I start with groundwork: lots of circles, bending, flexing evenly on both sides, pivoting on the hind end. I also determine which bit the horse likes best. Then we work under saddle on the barrel pattern.”
Monica gives lessons on her horse or a client’s horse, and she’s willing to travel to a client’s barn.
Teaching a horse a solid pattern takes three to four months. She backs green horses and also teaches the basics of Western and English pleasure, reining and some jumping.
Alexis Wilson has worked with Monica for almost three years. “She really cares for the horses,” Alexis said. “And she can teach anyone, beginner through advanced, kids to adults. She is really good with problem horses. My little sister, Mackenzie, who is 11, rides with her as well.”
Alexis likes Monica’s flexibility in scheduling lessons. “She’s easy to talk to and willing to take time to explain things,” she said. “Her farm has a real family feel to it. We go on trail rides, and when we do barrel shows, we’re all a team, supporting each other.”
Robbie Partain is another loyal customer. “I’d watch her barrel race, and she was amazing,” Robbie recalled. “I wanted to be like her, so I had her train my horse. She did an outstanding job. I like how she takes her time and doesn’t push horses too far too fast. She is trustworthy and knowledgeable. She is also very patient in lessons, and goes as long as it takes for you to get where you need to be.”
Monica noted that she teaches the owners along with their horses.
“The right way to cue a horse is to sit into a turn, not use a big, nasty bit,” she said.
Monica’s big on using the least-severe bit possible. As a matter of fact, she has done exhibition rides of bridleless barrel racing — no bit or bridle at all! She did a demonstration at Horse Show by Appointment’s Western to Wellington show in June. Monica helped organize the event, which was staged at Polo West.
“I had seen other people doing different things bridleless, and I thought it would be fun to try barrel racing that way,” she said. “So I taught one of my horses, Mystic, to work off my body language. In less than a month, I could ride her anywhere completely bridleless.”
Monica also runs a business called Twisted Tack.
“I make halters, dog collars, saddle bags, breast collars, belts, saddle pads, all custom-made and blinged-out,” she said. “I work in Hermann Oak leather and some exotics like stingray, gator and ostrich, and add Swarovski crystals… Whatever you want, I can do it.”
She also embroiders and embellishes apparel such as jackets, raincoats, riding shirts, hats and more. “I can do designs, monograms, logos, even clip art,” she added.
For more information, call Monica at (561) 662-6490.
