Clip-clop. Clip-clop. Clip-clop. Bails of hay sit in a wheelbarrow. A man in jeans and a black cowboy hat points to his worn, leather boots and says about a young man, “These are thirty years old! He can’t know what he wasn’t around for!”
Most people would think they stumbled upon a scene out of a John Wayne or Gene Autry film, but the sound of horseshoes can be heard at Lynn’s Riding School in Forest Hills, Queens.
For nearly a decade, Pat McLaughlin has stabled her horse at Lynn’s. Unlike most New Yorkers, McLaughlin prefers her dusty, riding school T-shirt to a night home on the couch. “Pat is always at the stable. She’s there early on the weekends and on most weekday afternoons,” said her husband, Dennis Vellucci.
Taking care of a horse requires a great deal of dedication. McLaughlin’s horse, Magic, a chestnut-colored gelding, needs to be fed five times a day. His stall needs to be cleaned once a day, and the gelding needs to be exercised and groomed daily. The stable provides some care for Magic, but much is left to his owner. While petting Magic’s handsome, white face, McLaughlin proudly said, “This is what I spend my time doing.”
Her commitment to seeing her horse owes itself, in part, to the location of Lynn’s. “Fifteen minutes [from the subway] and I’m here.” McLaughlin added, “…much to my horse’s horror. He’s probably thinking, ‘Oh no! She’s back!’”
McLaughlin grew up in rural, northern Westchester County, riding horses all her life. She currently lives in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, and teaches at Cathedral High School in Manhattan. After experiencing both city and country life, she prefers stabling her horse in Forest Hills, in the city. The watchful owner said, “Magic gets such good care here… Out in the fields, horses get into trouble… they can get a cut or bruise when left to there own devices.” More importantly, stabling her horse in the country, or out East, would put distance between her and her buddy. “I could stable my horse in Long Island. I have friends that do… but then it would only be weekend riding.”
Magic’s main form of exercise comes with McLaughlin on his back and provides important bonding time for the horse and his owner. “My nervous system talks to his nervous system… we experience things together,” McLaughlin said. Forest Park, one of the largest parks in Queens, located down the road from Lynn’s Riding School, serves as their playground and sanctuary. “When riding down a trail, there is a connection with the animal. When we’re in the park, just moseying, it’s that ‘ah,’ that relax we both feel.”
Sometimes outside conditions don’t allow the duo to hit the trails; but luckily, Lynn’s Riding School comes equipped with a riding ring adjacent to the stables, outfitted with bleachers, a hayloft, and an observation room. “The riding ring is a great feature [we have],” McLaughlin commented. “Most bigger barns that have the space, don’t have the ring right next to the stable. The two can kick up dust inside the ring whenever they want, but the equestrian owner slyly added, “…Magic and I prefer the park.”
For McLaughlin, one of her best moments with Magic came on the trails of Forest Park. She went out riding with her friend, Shelly, when a few policeman training soon-to-be police horses approached them. “They asked if they could ride with us!” McLaughlin exclaimed. For a while, the foursome, along with their horses, enjoyed the gravel trails of a New York City park.
The park, the stable, long weekend meanders, and even McLaughlin, weren’t always a reality for Magic. The first seven years of his life was spent on a ranch in Missouri. Like many ranch horses, Magic got put to auction at the end of the ranching season. These auctions tend to attract buyers from all over the country, even from New York City. With the help of Lynn’s Riding School (and some not so subtle hints), McLaughlin’s husband bought her Magic as a 25th Wedding Anniversary present. McLaughlin laughed and pointed out, “Now, Magic is a big city horse… with a busy retirement!”
Magic impatiently stomped his hooves, letting his owner know it was time to stop talking and get moving. “He’s devious,” McLaughlin said. “Sometimes he can be a real pain… but he is my child, my one thousand pound child.”
Magic, the chestnut gelding with a handsome, white face.
