Photo By Jack Adamyk | Sergeant Amy Polachek, stableman with the Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard, shares...... read more read more
Sergeant Amy M. Polachek has been a horse-person for nearly her entire life, which makes being a member of the Marine Corps’ last Mounted Color Guard aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California her ideal job.
“I had been trying for three years to get assigned to MCLB Barstow as a member of the Mounted Color Guard,” Polachek said. “This is my passion. It combines everything I love, being in the Marine Corps and riding horses. It’s my dream job.”Polachek arrived at the base October 1, from her previous duty station at Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, where she worked as an administrative specialist.
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and raised in nearby Dallas, Pa., she has been a horse enthusiast since childhood.
“Ever since I was ten I wanted to own a Shetland pony,” she said. “I would go to the library and get everything I could about horses. So my mom asked around and got me a job at a local barn where I worked on weekends mucking out the stalls.”
“Eventually, that turned into a paying job,” she explained. “I would get five dollars for mucking out however many stalls. I saved up my money and bought my own horse when I was 14. I still have that horse, Jubee. He’s a Quarter Horse and he’s 26 now.”
In high school Polachek worked for multiple trainers "catch riding" and competing with show horses. She then went to school at Pennsylvania State University where she worked for their breeding program while also attending school at University Park.
"I began working for nationally and internationally known hunter and jumper riders as a groom, manager and exercise rider," she said. "I traveled for horse shows all around the United States for a few years prior to enlisting in the Marine Corps."
Because the process of being assigned to the MCG has changed, assignees to the unit are carefully screened for their horsemanship abilities, said Terry Holladay, base farrier.
“Three years ago you were assigned to the MCG just like you were to any duty station in the Corps,” Holladay said. “You could never had ridden a horse ever in your life. Our job was to train you to ride, or if you did have some riding background, I would usually have to untrain you from bad habits and then retrain to ride the way the Guard needed you to ride.”
Although her mother was a bit apprehensive about her joining the military, Polachek said her parents are now “incredibly happy” with her newest duty assignment with the MCG.
“All of the other members of the MCG I’ve met have been extremely professional,” the sergeant said. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about this entire crew since the moment I walked in.
“Even when I was checking in everyone told me they’re a good crew.”
Her goal as a member of the Mounted Color Guard is to get “all of the riding skills I can in my toolbox,” and to improve her horsemanship as much as she can.
“My philosophy of riding is to listen to your horse. If something goes wrong it may be because you weren’t listening or you weren’t asking questions in a way your horse understands. You have to learn the correct way to communicate with your horse to become the best rider you can,” Polachek concluded.
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.09.2020 12:51 |
| Story ID: | 380674 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | DALLAS CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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