Untacked

Ahh, the holidays. For some equestrian professionals, they're a rare excuse to book a flight, get as far away from horses as possible, and gain a fresh perspective on life. For others, 'tis the season to give the staff time off and take on the work themselves, or to decorate the barn and let the kids spoil the ponies. And for a handful, it's simply business as usual, just like any other time of year. >> We caught up with some horsey families across the country to ask about their favorite memories, current traditions and future plans for the holiday season. 4 SOMOGYVARI/ISTOCK.COM PHOTO Two Religions, Two Celebrations Pan American Games dressage team gold and individual silver medalist Lauren Sammis and her partner, Melanie Summers, celebrate the holidays in a unique way with their 5-year-old twins, Aidan and Ryan. "Melanie is Jewish, and I'm not, so we have all holidays in our house," says Lauren. "We have the Christmas tree on one side and the menorah on the other side. The Hanukkah Moose comes with gifts. It's all about being with family and being together." Lauren and her family stay in South Orange, N.J., for the holidays, as "you need a chimney for Santa to come," but they don't usually incorporate the horses into their holiday celebrations, since "we don't know their religion. They haven't told us!" The family usually packs up and heads to Florida for the season right after Christmas, so Lauren says they get their Christmas tree immediately after Thanksgiving in order to enjoy it as much as possible. She jokes that Melanie is usually more excited about getting a tree than she is, since she grew up celebrating only the Jewish holidays. "We've always had ornaments that have been passed down from our family," says Lauren. "It's fun to see [the twins] take out the ornaments and remember them from the year before. At this age, it's far less about religion and far more about the vehicle to get presents! They're 5, so it's all about wrapping paper and ripping open boxes." Lauren says the family also observes a pajama rule—everyone gets to stay in their comfy bedclothes until after breakfast—and that her favorite part about the Jewish holidays is the food. "I've never eaten so much food in my life than during the Jewish holidays," she says with a laugh. "The whole thing about the Jewish grandmother telling you to eat is so true! I've made myself sick over eating." >> C H RO N O F H O R S E .CO M W INTER 2013 59

• Cover