by Patty Baker
APHA Xtras save our members well over $100,000 on John Deere products every year. Curious about how the program can work for you? We could brag on and on about one of our most popular program partners, but our members say it best. Here is Patty Baker’s story.
I’ve been a professional trainer for 37 years and run Baker Training Stable LLC with my two daughters, Monica Webb and Kara Whitsell. We have trained and owned Paint Horses for 15 years. We are also Markel APHA Professional Horsemen.
My husband Mike and I own the 15-acre facility where we operate our training business in Olympia, Washington, an hour from Seattle. Living in the Northwest has its challenges. It rains a lot here, but it’s beautiful with the green foliage. We have lots of green pastures, and that means lots of mowing. That is my husband’s job, and it’s never-ending.
We have an indoor arena, but we love to get the horses outside to practice their trail and Western riding patterns and graze in the pastures. We have a five-acre field that Mike mows and keeps in top condition to practice their pattern elements.
Our riding lawn mower really gets a workout, and we’ve had to replace it several times in the 20 years we have owned our facility. We added up how much we’ve spent and felt it would be a better investment to buy a quality mower which would last longer and do a better job. Bouncing around on the cheaper mowers can be hard on a person’s back, as well.
We have a 13-year-old John Deere Gator that we bought eight years ago after I had hip replacement surgery. I like to feed the horses yet I couldn’t use the wheelbarrow any longer because of the weight load. I feed about five bales of hay per day, and that Gator has been a godsend. It’s really made my job easier and sold us into looking for a John Deere mower.
I attended APHA Convention, and there was flyer with the APHA Xtras Program advantages. I went online when I got home and saw that as a professional, I could qualify for a large percentage off a quality John Deere mower. I signed up while Mike went shopping at all kinds of dealers of other types of mowers, too.
Mike loved the engine on the John Deere mower. He read reviews and asked friends. The John Deere Z540M ZTrak Residential Zero-Turn Radius Mower looked like it would cut down his mowing time and get into tight spots that he was having to mow with the push mower. We did our homework, received an email and confirmation number for our rewards.
I printed the email and took it to a huge John Deere dealer in our area. We wanted to look at many different choices and ask an experienced salesman lots of questions. We got everything we were looking for at Washington Tractor, Inc. in Chehalis, Washington. Steve Wilbur was familiar with the APHA Xtras Program, and they had a sale going on as well. He gave us the sale price plus an additional $400 off for the APHA Xtras Program. That was better than any deal we could find—anywhere.
I would definitely recommend this program to every APHA member. I have run my horse training business for 37 years and I have an accounting degree. I watch every penny and do my own bookkeeping. I know this is the best investment in a quality product.
Patty Baker
Washington State Paint Horse Club President
APHA Director
Markel APHA Professional Horsewoman
Managing Member of Baker Training Stable LLC
If you haven’t already, click here to join or renew your APHA membership. And take a minute to check out all the APHA Xtras offers. It’s just our way of saying thank you for being an APHA member.
Do you have an APHA Xtras success story to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email Desiree Heath or call her direct line at (817) 222-6404.
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[Reprinting all or part of this news release is permitted, so long as credit is given to the Paint Horse Journal and a link provided back to apha.com.]
About APHA
The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association, registering more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded in 1962. APHA’s mission is to inspire, nurture, promote and provide meaningful experiences to generations interested in preserving the versatile Paint Horse.