John Greenan has only been to one AQHA show, but he had an impact on the show world before he ever even stepped into the arena.

In many ways, John is a typical horseman. He enjoys showcasing ribbons and show photos in his Orland Park, Illinois, home, and he spends many hours working at the barn. John, however, faces challenges that many others don’t. He suffers from lupus, multiple sclerosis, a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

John is also passionate about dogs. He serves as the public relations director for K9s for Veterans, and his service dog, Buggs, a 7-year-old chocolate lab, is always by his side. When John took up events such as halter and showmanship, it wasn’t a question of whether or not to include Buggs but, rather, whether AQHA rules allowed for Buggs to accompany John as he showed competitively.

Being the first to raise the question didn’t deter John. He saw it as paving the way for himself and others with similar situations.

Bonding With Buggs

At only 9 months old, Buggs was surrendered to a shelter to be rehomed. Luckily for him, John was one of the first faces he saw, and the two connected right away.

“Buggs had bad separation anxiety the first day he was brought in,” John says. “He was actually adopted out to new homes and brought back five separate times because of it. He was destructive when left alone. He ate a few couches and even ate through some drywall at one point. He was in danger of hurting himself if he was left alone for long periods of time.”

Because of his rocky start with new families, Buggs was deemed unadoptable, a label no shelter dog wants to have.

“I was on the board of directors for the shelter at the time, so I got to know him really well,” John says. “From Day 1, Buggs and I had a special bond. If there were 20 people in front of me, he would walk past each one to come and sit by me. Every time he returned back to the shelter, I was there. The other board members and I decided that we needed to come up with a better plan for Buggs, rather than keep sending him off to new people.”

Determined to find a solution, John decided to reach out to a local training kennel for help.

“I explained to them that this could be Buggs’ last hope, as we couldn’t place him in an adoptive home,” John says. “Luckily, they donated a year’s worth of training for Buggs. We started with basic obedience, and then the head trainer did an evaluation and decided that he would make a wonderful service dog. She said that the separation anxiety could be used to our advantage since he would be with a companion all of the time.”

John volunteered to walk with Buggs through the process of becoming a full-fledged service dog.

“We decided to train Buggs to be a service dog and find a veteran who was deserving and in need of a companion to help with PTSD,” he says. “Since I already suffer with PTSD, I understood what would be asked of him in that role.”

John and Buggs continued to develop a bond that was obvious to everyone around them, and soon, separating the two was no longer an option.

“The owner of the training kennel said to me, ‘I’ve been training service dogs for 15 years, and I’ve never seen a dog and person need each other as much as you and Buggs do,’ ” John says. “They thought the best thing would be for Buggs to be placed with me as my service dog.”

As it turns out, having a 72-pound lab at his side was the best possible outcome for John, too. Buggs assists with day-to-day needs such as anxiety and mobility. When John is off balance, Buggs sticks close to his side to help keep him on track. Buggs also is able to read John’s mood. When John is suffering from nightmares, Buggs is quick to help. He also uses a tactic called “redirecting” when John’s anxiety level rises. He climbs into John’s lap or paws at him, taking John’s attention away from his thoughts.

“We are going on our sixth year together,” he says, fondly. “It was the perfect partnership all along.”

Into the Arena

Two years ago, John decided to fight back against multiple sclerosis with a new form of therapy: horseback riding. That’s when he met Lorri Ebeling at Nova Quarter Horses. Lorri, a well-known trainer, had been investing in a therapeutic riding program and was recently certified to begin adaptive riding.

“I became certified by Eagala, the governing body of equine-assisted psychotherapy,” Lorri says. “I was able to start an adaptive riding program here at the farm. In the past, I had dealt with programs such as Partners in Progress and had worked with veterans. I enjoyed being able to help others since I knew that I have 30 head of lesson horses that were bombproof.”

Lorri was enthusiastic about bringing John into her program, and she knew Buggs was part of the package deal. She taught John halter, showmanship and western pleasure. More than that, she also taught Buggs. While John was in the arena, so was Buggs.

“It’s a three-person team now, not just John and his horse,” Lorri says. “When you’re doing, for example, a 360-degree turn, it’s hard. You’re moving that horse around, but John also has his dog on a leash beside him while doing that turn. That added a new element for all of us.”

John, Buggs and the horse he shows, “Cappuccino,” registered as Terms On The Moon (Good Terms-Storyteller Maggie by Story Man) and owned by Olivia Rydzewski, competed in a handful of open shows. The response from judges, trainers and other exhibitors was overwhelmingly positive.

“There is such a supportive community at horse shows,” John says. “People at the shows we went to would even say that if they hadn’t been told there was a dog in the arena, they wouldn’t have known he was even there because of how well behaved he is. Bugg’s attention is focused on me and the horse alone. That’s his job.”

John and Buggs successfully completed their first shows in the non-pro division, but as they refined their patterns, they set their sights on a new goal: competing in AQHA’s Equestrians With Disabilities classes.

AQHA’s Equestrians With Disabilities program offers individuals with certain cognitive and physical challenges the opportunity to show an American Quarter Horse in competition. John and Lorri viewed this as a platform for John and Buggs to showcase their unique partnership. The only problem? A horse, exhibitor and service dog team had never before competed in an AQHA show.

A Big Ask

John never shied away from the challenge of gaining approval to include Buggs in the arena. As a matter of fact, he took pride in crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s. He began by submitting a request to the AQHA Show Committee.

“I wanted the ability to compete just like anyone else would,” John says. “AQHA gave me the chance to explain my story in more detail. I was really blown away with how well this was handled and AQHA’s final decision. I wanted to make sure that going forward, myself and others like myself would be able to compete to the best of our ability.”

After research and deliberation on AQHA’s part, Buggs was given the green light. John was provided a letter from AQHA granting him a medical dispensation to use a service dog in EWD showmanship.

“Originally, I had asked for Buggs to be with me during halter,” John says. “I never dreamed showmanship would be an option, but I love showmanship. We are the first service dog and companion pair to compete in AQHA’s history.”

A Three-Man Team

Once given approval, John and Lorri selected the cap Gun Quarter Horse Circuit in Madison, Wisconsin, in June for the team’s debut. That meant putting in extra work to refine the flow of their showmanship pattern, but neither John nor Lorri hesitated at the thought.

Lorri began working with a dog trainer, and John’s job was to focus on his footwork. When time came for the show, they were ready.

“Since we had the AQHA ruling behind us, it was a dream to do that show,” John says. “When we got to the show, we had so many people coming up to us to meet both Buggs and myself. I was a little nervous because we had so many people watching us.”

Despite some early nerves, John, Buggs and Cappuccino successfully completed their show weekend.

“It came together at the horse show,” Lorri says. “John stepped up, the horse stepped up, and the dog stepped up for that show. Now, that doesn’t mean that we don’t have work to do. We want to improve the flow of their pattern, the three of them working together. You can absolutely see a difference in John when Buggs is with him in the arena.”

Now that John and Buggs have one AQHA show under their belt, they aren’t slowing down. The team has several shows lined up and more goals in mind.

“Lorri had confidence in us and pushed us every day to reach for goals like this,” John says. “She taught me to put in the work if this was something I really wanted to do. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has dreams of accomplishing big things. I only started riding as a small piece of my therapy, but now, showing has changed things for me.”

John is quick to thank the long list of people who have helped him along the way.

“I wouldn’t be able to do these things if it weren’t for such a supportive community,” John says. “I really am thankful to AQHA for their willingness to work with me and Lorri for being the phenomenal trainer that she is. I also wanted to thank three individuals who helped me, Tony and Jessica Martinez and Erin Rhea. I wouldn’t be able to do this if it weren’t for their help.”

While John and Buggs are new to the AQHA show scene, they are sure to become a fixture.

“Before all of this, I was the type of person who would hold everything in and shut down,” John says. “My service dog brings the best out in me. I always say, ‘Show big or go home.’ ”

Showing an American Quarter Horse is a thrill – and one that should be accessible to anyone. Since 2003, AQHA’s Equestrians With Disabilities classes have provided opportunities to people with a range of cognitive and physical challenges.

There are 20 EWD classes, ranging from reining, ridden independently at the walk, jog and lope, to supported walk-trot classes, where riders can be assisted by someone leading the horse and side walkers. Showmanship can be walk-only, or walk-trot.

Exhibitors are allowed to hold onto the saddle without penalty, and adaptive equipment is also allowed to ensure safety and success. That equipment can include saddles with raised pommels or cantles, hand holds and special reins or stirrups. Other accommodations can also be made, including audio communications for those who are hearing impaired and helpers using sign language or cue cards.

Learn more at www.aqha.com/ewd and read the full guidelines in the AQHA Official Handbook of Rules and Regulations, available at www.aqha.com/handbook.