Alicia's first show ever! Reserve Champion 🏆 Alicia has worked very hard for this, and I am so proud of my Sizzle for taking care of her ❤️
#arabianhorse #halfarabian #arabiansporthorse #hunterjumper #horsetrainer
Baby Sirocco coming back to jumping well 🥹 he was really rushing jumps when he came back home in spring. So we took some time off and have started him back, emphasizing his relaxation amd rhythm. Lots of trot fences and baby jumps in his future.
He turned 7 last month and I do think he needed the time in his 6 year old year to grow up both mentally and physically.
#arabianhorse #arabiansporthorse #hunterjumper #horsetraining #horsetrainer
A bit of working with Kat. She's moving much more comfortably after getting her feet done.
Huge improvement on working on a loose rein.
Earlier in the month she really needed to be held constantly, and if you let the reins out an inch she would want to scoot off. So working out on the buckle and maintaining her pace and rhythm is huge for her.
Still needs to be held together a bit in the canter, but she is just not strong enough yet. She prefers a light seat in the canter as well.
She is really such a stellar sport horse prospect, and I believe she will be super amatuer/junior rider friendly.
TL SIZZLE and Parker Dolan in the .70s last month.
Wishing good luck to Parker, Alicia, and Grace this weekend!
Credits to mbrwnphotography
Long overdue updated on Shadow the baby warmblood:
He is living the life in Ohio with my best friend/business partner Alissa.
This is a gelding who was given up on several times, as he would behave explosively during any attemp to start undersaddle.
We were not exempt from that behavior, but with time, consistency, and patience, he has truly blossomed.
Even though this has taken a lot of time, we have always seen the potential in him and know he is well worth it.
Alissa ended up doing a lot of the work with him thanks to my broken pelvis, and fell in love with him, of course. He is now her personal horse rather than just a project. Our goal is to make him a hunter!
🤩 Hayley, a long time student, and her new mare Dakota. This was their first lesson after she was purchased and spent some time in training.
When we went to try Dakota, she had a very good start but was stuck and unwilling to go forward, and dead to leg pressure and spurs. I said give me a week of training, a change of tack, and the start of a diet and just look at her strut! NO SPURS!
Hayley and Dakota are a wonderful match, and I am so excited to get to be a part of their journey!
Some highlights from their sporthorse class ❤️
Parker on TL Sizzle, Hazel on Vertuous Fire AMT, and Alissa on Nobody Does It Better
So proud of everyone this day!
Hazel's second time on Sirocco, Sirocco's 3rd or fourth time back jumping after the summer.
We tried to jump Rocco a couple times at the beginning of summer, when I brought him back from lease. Nothing crazy and it was doable, but he was either backed off of the fences, or grabbing the bit and trying to run to the jumps. Even if they were little and plain.
I decided he could take the summer to focus on flatwork, groundwork, liberty, and trails - and then we could try again and re-evaluate.
I personally wasn't too concerned. I want him to be my fun all-rounder personal horse, and especially I want to do some more endurance with him, so not jumping was not a hardship.
Our first one or two jump schools back were not pretty, he was overexcited, but just a couple of exercises to ask him to come back down, and we have reached a nice place. He's still in his smooth oval baucher.
He has become much more relaxed and steady. I was not overly concerned if he started cantering half-way through the line, since the goal for those were to canter out of the first cross rail anyway. He is a very cautious horse and gets backed off easily, so we have to balance encouraging the forward momentum, while also not allowing him to rush. He's well in front of the vertical, on a soft contact, and maintaining a steady rhythm in, through, and out, so I am quite happy. We will do plenty of only trot lines and fences as well.
There is a lot more work to do, but definitely a major improvement!
First canter with Pandora! She cannot hold herself together well, as she has a lot of strength to build, but we are so proud of her try.
She is quite the strong horse, as many Haflingers can be, so our primary focus now is getting her light and responsive to the aids, especially downward transitions, halts, and backs.
And hopefully finding a saddle for her 🤞she is still on a weight loss journey and is so wide currently that our only option is to ride her bareback 😅
Older video of Sirocco and I from the beginning of the summer. He was lovely this ride.
We've taken a break from much of any jumping this summer to really work on flatwork basics. We will pick up endurance rides and jumps schools again when it cools down.
A little bit of fun after baby Pandora's 3rd ride 💓
Equine Training and Riding Lessons focusing on the development of the green horse and rider.
