Robbie Spatz has worked many jobs, but somehow he always found his way back to horses.

“I’ve been told that I’m a natural with horses,” said Spatz, a groom at Two Swans Farm in Wellington, Fla., where his primary focus is caring for top grand prix show jumper Babalou 41, winner of the $130,000 Adequan Grand Prix CSI*** in February with rider Todd Minikus. “I love interacting with them and getting to know them, and when they connect with me, too, it’s just so much fun.”

Spatz has formed a special connection with Babalou, whom he has nicknamed “Princess.” The mare was known to be difficult with her handlers, kicking out at grooms when she first arrived at Two Swans in 2014, but when the mare is around Spatz, you would never know it. She does not take a step without looking in Spatz’s direction for approval, and when Spatz caresses the tips of her ears with his fingers, the mare practically dozes off, her eyelids gently closing in submissiveness.

“It’s hard for me to say whether she was hard or not, because I just get along with horses,” he said. “She’s got her opinions—opinions about people and opinions about the things that go on around her. It took a while for us to get to know each other, but when we did, we clicked. She’s been fun to take care of.”

Robbie Spatz and Babalou 41

Spatz, who also cares for the Two Swans Farm-owned I Am Nala, who is climbing the ranks in the 1.40-meter division (The mare finished seventh out of 77 entries with a double-clear round in the $6,000 Illustrated Properties 1.40-meter Classic in Wellington March 2.), grew up around horses, but he never rode competitively. Instead, he learned all his riding lessons by going on bareback trail rides through the woodlands of the Philadelphia (Pa.) suburbs of his West Chester hometown.

“My great-grandfather came from Ireland, and he had horses there, and my grandfather had horses,” Spatz said. “He rode and showed, and my mother and sister both rode and showed. I had a pitchfork and always took care of horses and would get on their back with a halter and a shank and just ride around. I would ride bareback—and with a saddle every now and then, too—through the fields. I would just go trail riding out across the country, and I’d jump logs out on the trail.”

Spatz’s mother Shirley Fox is a well-known U.S. Equestrian Federation judge in the Mid-Atlantic region, and while she had ties to the horse show industry, Spatz did not begin his horse care career on that track. Instead, he worked with Thoroughbreds at the late Anne Thorington’s Maple Leaf Farm in Malvern, Pa., after graduating high school. Spatz spent seven years at the 96-acre facility, working with broodmares, foals and yearlings; he also spent a summer working at the Aiken Training Track (S.C.).

“[Maple Leaf Farm] was just down the road, and I knew a lot of the people there,” Spatz said. “We stood stallions, and I helped deliver foals. It was really fun working with the babies.”

Spatz is a true outdoorsman, and nature often led him to other endeavors. He spent a period of time backpacking through the Shannondale Mountains (W.V.), and he also worked with predatory birds.

“Growing up, I would catch and train hawks for falconry,” he said. “You need a lot of patience for that. I guess that carried over into the horses.”

He also worked in carpentry, and that is what led him to the horse show industry. While working a job on a Mid-Atlantic farm, a client, aware of Spatz’s background, asked if he’d be interested in working at a friend’s farm. Spatz jumped at the opportunity, but he couldn’t stay still for too long, and he eventually took another job grooming dressage horses at Iron Spring Farm in Coatesville, Pa. While Spatz enjoyed the horses, he still wanted something more. 

So after four years with Iron Spring, he took a job caring for jumpers at Two Swans Farm and made another career switch. Working with a horse like Babalou was everything he was looking for.

“I learned about this job and came over and got this wonderful horse to take care of,” he said. “She’s just a lot of fun. You’ve got to get past her meanness in the beginning, but she’s mellowed out. What I couldn’t do with her in the beginning is now so much fun to do when I’m grooming her. She just loves it.”

Spatz with Babalou and Shasta the Great Dane, one of Babalou’s four-legged companions

Spatz travels with Babalou everywhere. He accompanies her to FEI stabling, rides with her in the trailer to horse shows outside of Wellington and travels with her overseas for European competitions. At home, the two go for long walks and explore the nearby sights.

“I’ll walk her around and take her as far as I can go,” Spatz said. “When we’re stuck in FEI stabling, we don’t get to go many places, but I’ll take her out a couple times a day for an hour or so and try to scout out any grass we can find and look at the birds and the gators.”

Every now and again, he even goes on a bareback ride, though he hasn’t done so on Babalou.

“Last time I had to ride a horse from [the farm] over to one of the rings [at the Winter Equestrian Festival], I rode bareback,” he said. “[When I got to the ring], we switched and I took one of the other horses home.”

Combining his love of nature, traveling, excitement and, of course, horses, Spatz has found his calling.

“In spite of the long hours, the travel is fun, and I just love working with animals,” he said. “I did other jobs, but I always ended up coming back to the horses. I really love working with them. I get along with them, and they get along with me.”