I was born horse crazy," 19-year-old Vanessa Gleason declares, plopping her size-three figure into a seat at a sunny Santa Monica eatery. "I rode seriously from the age of 12 to the age of 16. I did the horse shows. Then I discovered boys, and I had no time for horses!" Horses, boys, surfing, modeling. Lately, the ebullient Mexican American, who grew up on the beach in San Diego, has had many options on her plate, and given her I-can-do-anything attitude, we can't wait to see what she does next.
Q: Is it still your dream to work with horses?
A: Oh, yeah. I'd love to have my own stable, be a trainer, give riding lessons, compete as an Olympic rider.
Q: And this dream led to animal rights activism?
A: Yes. I used to be hard-core vegan. I belonged to an animal rights group. I resigned because I was tired of people arguing. Plus, I was weak and thin. All I ate were raw foods. I like a round body, you know? With meat on the bones.
Q: Your mom is Mexican, your dad ...
