Abby Pacheco riding a bay horse around a pole in an indoor arena

March 2026 Real Rider of the Month · Colorado Springs, Colorado

March took the scenic route.

We checked our 2026 Real Rider calendar and found a missing month. That one is on us. To make it right, we held a random make-up draw among March applicants who had not already been featured. Abby Pacheco’s name came out.

So, announced fashionably late in September, meet our March 2026 Real Rider of the Month: Abby Pacheco of Pacheco Performance Horses. No time machine required.

Her application arrived on March 7. The story below comes from what she shared then: more than 20 years with horses, a varied training program, and a barrel mare with enough personality to fill the calendar herself.

Meet Abby and the horses behind her program

Based in Colorado Springs, Abby primarily barrel races, but her riding also includes ranch versatility, backcountry trails, and training. In her March application, she described a group of AQHA and APHA horses ranging from 3 to 12 years old, including mares, geldings, and one stallion.

Abby also shared that she is a certified equine massage therapist. Alongside her work as a trainer, that background informs the attention she gives her own horses and her clients’ horses.

Rita brings the personality

One horse stood out in Abby’s submission: Bug In My Rita, known around the barn as Rita. Abby described her 2026 barrel-racing futurity horse as competitive, athletic, and quirky.

“She’s like riding a stick of dynamite!”

Abby Pacheco

It is an introduction that tells you plenty about how Abby sees the mare: a talented individual with a personality all her own. Her account is full of affection for Rita’s antics and the daily work of keeping up with her.

A routine that follows the Colorado seasons

Cold, wind, and snow shape winter horse care in Abby’s part of Colorado. In her application, she explained that hosing horses off is not always an option during those months, so liniments and sprays fit more readily into her routine. Summer brings more opportunities for hosing and using poultices.

Abby described Draw It Out® Liniment Gel as a daily part of her program for her own horses and client horses, and named MasterMudd as her preferred summer poultice. She first noticed Draw It Out® at local feed stores, where the green and white logo caught her eye.

When other riders ask what she uses, her standard is straightforward:

“I only recommend products I trust and use personally.”

Abby Pacheco

Different work, different scenery

Abby’s approach to riding includes sufficient warmup and cooldown time, consistency during the week, and variety. Her examples include circles in the arena one day, a trail ride the next, and maneuver work on another day. She values giving horses different work for both body and mind.

When she heads for the trails, Eagle, Colorado, and the Rocky Mountains are favorite destinations. Closer to home, she named Douglas County Fairgrounds as one of her favorite arenas. She also shared her support for NBHA and local horse rescues.

From a futurity prospect to a mountain trail, Abby’s submission gives us a look at a horsewoman whose days cover a lot of ground. We are glad to make room for her story, even if our calendar needed a little remedial training.

Congratulations, Abby. March is officially yours.

Follow Pacheco Performance Horses on Facebook or Instagram.

Meet the other 2026 Real Riders

Based on Abby’s March 7, 2026 application. Selected in September 2026 to fill the missed March feature. Product mentions describe her personal routine.

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

Start here

Reading first? Here is the clean path.

This article gives you the background. If you are ready to put the idea into a real horse care routine, these are the next places most riders should go.

Daily recovery

Liniment Gels

Explore the Draw It Out® liniment gel lineup for everyday use, post-work routines, and targeted recovery support.

Shop liniment gels
Find the fit

Solution Finder

Match your horse’s workload, age, routine, and care goals to the Draw It Out® products that make the most sense.

Use the finder
Routine first

Prehabilitation

Learn how riders support soundness, comfort, and consistency before little issues become bigger problems.

Read the guide
Simple rule: read the article for context, use the Solution Finder for direction, then build the routine around the product format your horse will actually use consistently.

Real Barn Proof

What this looks like in real barns.

Real riders. Real horses. Real routines. These clips rotate automatically so the proof stays fresh without weighing the page down with a long feed.

Random rider clips

Why this matters: good horse care should make sense outside the ad. These clips show the kind of everyday use that builds trust one barn at a time.

Further Reading

Keep building the routine.

Horse care works better when the next step is clear. These related reads help connect today’s topic to better daily decisions in the barn.

Horse health news

Start with the principle, then build the habit. The right article should make the next barn decision easier, not more complicated.

Next Step

Keep your barn dialed in.

Simple care guides, practical product paths, and rider-trusted tools built for real horses and real routines.

More care guides View all products

Good care gets easier when the next step is obvious. Read the guide, match the routine, then choose the format that fits how your barn actually works.

Recovery Routine

Build a complete recovery routine.

Want a smarter way to think through post-ride care, heat, swelling, leg support, and daily recovery decisions? Start with the Performance Recovery Hub.

Visit the Recovery Hub

Better recovery starts with a repeatable routine. The hub gives riders a clearer path from workload to product format to aftercare timing.

Rider Favorites

Always in the kit.

Four core Draw It Out® staples riders keep close for daily recovery routines, wash rack use, targeted support, and quick barn-side care.

Core barn staples
Draw It Out® 16oz Horse Liniment Gel | Daily Care

Stay-Put Gel

16oz Liniment Gel

The everyday liniment gel format riders reach for when they want targeted, no-mess application.

View product
Draw It Out® 32oz Horse Liniment Concentrate | Spray, Wrap & Soak

Mix Your Way

32oz Concentrate

A flexible concentrate for riders who want to mix their own routine around workload and barn needs.

View product
Draw It Out® RTU Spray 24oz | Ready-to-Use Liniment Spray

Ready To Use

24oz RTU Spray

A ready-to-use spray format for quick application after work, travel, turnout, or daily care.

View product
CryoSpray® by Draw It Out® 24oz | Cooling Body Brace for Horses

Cooling Brace

CryoSpray

A cooling body brace spray for riders who want a fast, practical option after hard work or hot days.

View product

Format matters. Gel, concentrate, ready-to-use spray, and cooling spray each solve a different barn problem. Pick the one your routine will actually use.

Where To Go Next

Turn the idea into a routine.

If this topic connects to what you are seeing in your horse, these are the three cleanest next steps. Start with direction, then choose the product format that fits the way your barn actually works.

Next steps
Find The Fit Find the right product Answer a few practical questions and match your horse’s workload, age, and routine to the best Draw It Out® path. Use the Solution Finder
Daily Recovery Shop liniment gels Explore stay-put liniment gel options built for targeted application, daily recovery routines, and real barn use. Shop the collection
Routine First Build a prehabilitation routine Learn how riders support comfort, soundness, and consistency before small issues start steering the program. Read the guide

Best next move: use the Solution Finder first when the issue is unclear. Go straight to the liniment gel collection when you already know the format you want.