“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

Georgia trainers Nick and Carmen Mayabb say that’s the best advice they’ve ever been given and it’s reflective of their operation.

Growing up in Dacula, Georgia, Carmen’s mother, Christie Moss, was a horse trainer so she grew up on a farm and at age 4 she got the chance to show for the first time. As soon as she decided she wanted to train horses for a living she joined Michael Colvin’s program and worked for him for 18 months honing her craft.

Meanwhile, Nick was growing up in Ohio where he attended Preble Shawnee and Miami University. There he played football and was also on the wrestling team. He also grew up around horses since his father, Jerry Mayabb, also trained horses in addition to his full-time job. After college Nick went on to work for Brian Craig and also helped Kenny and Ashley Lakins at the Congress. They both started their own training operations from their parents’  property before they met and fell in love, at a horse show of course.

In 2012 they joined forces and started NCM Show Horses in Carmen’s hometown. Their current facility is located just 45 minutes outside of Atlanta and is situated on 17 acres with 35 total stalls, two arenas and lush pastures for turnout. NCM Show Horses specializes in the preparation of futurity horses and all-around events. Nick and Carmen have several youth and amateur competitors that they enjoy helping with all of the events.

“There’s no real tricks or magic to our program,” Nick said. “We just take our time and treat each horse as an individual. We like to teach our youth and amateur clients to ride their horses and become a team with them. Not every horse can do every class and not every person gets along with every horse. So we just like to try to find the best fit for each horse and rider.”

Over the years they have had the opportunity to ride such decorated horses as Peace Out Man, Lover Treat Me Good, Rockn The Blues, Show Diva, Mostly Chocolate, HH Red  Rock, Hot Rockin Potential, Suddenly Best Man and A Cookie For Certain. They have wracked up numerous National Snaffle Bit Association World Champions and Quarter Horse Congress Champions as well as All Around Champions and Honor Roll Champions for both themselves and their customers. Nick and Carmen are members of the American Quarter Horse Association, American Paint Horse Association, Palomino Horse Breeders of America and the International Buckskin Horse Association as well as the NSBA. Carmen is a carded judge with PHBA and NSBA.

Both Nick and Carmen love their jobs but for different reasons. Carmen enjoys the horses, and loves being around them. She has her whole life. She says the rest of it is great too, but just being able to say she rides horses every day is the best part. Nick on the other hand enjoys the traveling aspect and thinks it’s great being able to go so many new and different places.

When they aren’t busy working they are spending time with their 2-year-old son, Channing James.

“We just got Channing a pony,” Carmen explained. “He loves being at the barn, seeing tractors and riding on the golf carts.” Nick also likes to hunt and fish in his spare time and he also enjoys building things. He says there is always has a project at the barn for him.

They both are most proud of what their business has become and grown into the last couple of years.

“We have such a great group of people and horses, it makes going to work everyday a lot more fun. We are very lucky,” Carmen said.

You can get more information on NCM Show Horses by contacting Nick at (937) 533-8533 or Carmen at (404) 408-4774 or by emailing them at Ncmshowhorses@hotmail.com.