Wanting to be with thousands of others who are what she calls "horse crazy," Joy Mahler drove nearly five hours yesterday from her home in southern Virginia to the seventh annual Maryland Horse World Expo at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.
"This is a very serious disease that you can't get over," said Mahler, owner of six horses ages 4 to 22 years. "And, this is the only place you can come where everybody is as crazy as you are, where nobody laughs when you say `how beautiful' while looking at a horse's face."
Mahler is certain the condition is genetic. Her 4-year-old granddaughter has fallen for a pony named Domino and has her parents building a stable. In her four trips to the expo, Mahler has not brought along a horse, but she hopes to take her 5-year-old stallion to an expo clinic next year.
The four-day event gives thousands a chance to ogle horses, learn the latest in equine care and shop for trailers, saddles, vitamins, minerals and herbal treatments for common horse ailments such as brittle hooves, nagging coughs and runny noses.
"My horse is my soulmate," said Cheryl Volkmar of Elmer, N.J. "My Sonny has to have everything that is top of the line, and I go to every expo to make sure of it. I am a shopaholic when it comes to horses."
Those who didn't arrive in a Stetson, fringed suede jacket and snazzy cowboy boots could easily find such attire among nearly 400 vendors spread across three buildings. For those not ready for the real thing, $10 would buy a battery-operated racehorse.
"There are a lot of different exhibits, good speakers and great educational speakers," said Cheryl Ay of Jarrettsville.
In the main arena, standing-room-only crowds watched a lively game of kid-friendly, slow-paced polocrosse - a blend of polo and lacrosse - a show of bridleless riding and the parade of breeds.
"I come to look and listen to lectures so I can learn," said Volkmar. "I have my overnight bags in case I miss anything today. My husband is at home taking care of the horses."
Debbie Horsey of Baltimore said she finds the expo exhibits inspiring and the audiences exhilarating.
"I love seeing these magnificent horses and all the people who love them," she said. "It is like one big party."
Just give Horsey an opening, and she will whip out pictures of her Diamond, a Friesian walker cross. She decided to buy a horse and learn to ride when she turned 40. She found a good trainer and now rides on Diamond at least once a week.
