Wild at Heart Horsemanship

30/07/2024

This morning was exceptionally lovely for a ride.

15/06/2024

I’m sure you guys have been wondering about and
I have slacked on my posting as things have been pretty crazy around here lately. Officially I have contacted Tinia and have withdrawn from showcasing both horses. They have been sent back to Heart of Phoenix and will hopefully go on to work with someone else. As of the time of this decision, Tennyson is still quite reactive and questioning of people. He does calm down and does accept a halter, brushing, massaging, and general grooming/loves. He plays hard to get unless you have a bit of food for an offering. He does seem to have a high regression rate, as long as I worked every day multiple times a day he would retain what I was trying to teach, however if I missed one session, or a whole day… heaven forbid two days he would revert back to the beginning. I feel he needs a quiet barn with a quiet and patient person to dedicate time to him. I also feel that for training purposes it might be in the trainers best interest to have him as a single horse and become his herd member. He attaches fiercely to other horses and uses it to his advantage to ignore you. I feel if he gets this kind of attention he will bond with his person and find it easier to learn. He adores massages and will melt under your fingertips. He loathes any kind of spray and reverts on that easily. He also despises de wormer/ulcer guard squirted directly into his mouth. It’s been a bit of a struggle on that front… if you are not quiet and quick about it he catches on and escalates in his response.
Sandra Dee however is so friendly and lovey. She really wants to be with her people and do a job. Knowing that she rides , her work has been more focused on ground poles, light hill work and confidence around all the hubbub. She has actually thrived in the busy atmosphere and has learned to love it. I really think she would (in time) really enjoy a lesson barn type atmosphere. She is a dream to be around.
I really hope to see these horses continue on and get the chance they deserve to shine and find a home of their own.
I would like to say Thank you to those that have sponsored our short journey.
Affordable equine
Red Castle Horsemanship
Debby Rose with-
EspanaSilk Grooming Products
Smoke Rise Ranch

25/05/2024

is feeling the love and enjoying massages provided by Affordable equine and Red Castle Horsemanship. He has been quite the nervous fellow and has really been benefiting from quiet moments and good touches. Tennyson holds a lot of tension and is built quite wonky so he overcompensates in numerous areas. These massages are so wonderful in many ways, this horse gets the help he needs, gets good interactions from lots of people to help his nerves, miss Ida can assist Scott in learning the muscle groups and the massage techniques he needs in order to further his education to help even more horses in more ways than before!

15/05/2024

Manes and Tails are getting some love around here! EspanaSilk Grooming Products are really a godsend when it comes to de- matting, de-tangling, de-burring, really just de-grossifying any kind of grooming mess you can come across! Sandra Dee was already pretty smooth and tangle free, but her hair was a little on the stringy side so a quick spritz of the detangler and a quick brush through really helped her mane and tail soften up and look gorgeous! Then Tennyson had some rough matting in his mane, he did not appreciate the spray bottle and so we worked on getting him to accept the spray and then worked those mats out with some detangler spray. Both HOP ponies are looking much better after their grooming sessions.
Thank you so much to Debby Rose for sponsoring us with espanasilk ! Be sure to contact her to get your espanasilk grooming products!

14/05/2024

I’ve been slow to post this year… every year I’ve gone into ATFO with a horse in mind that just “calls” to me… this year really wasn’t like the other years. I went in with a handful of picks that I wouldn’t mind bringing back, but also they were just that… I wouldn’t mind bringing them back. I wasn’t drawn to any of them like all the horses before. So I waited, all of the trainers chose their picks and then I waited even longer, until all the trainers that wanted extra horses chose them as well… then I asked Tinia who she thought should come back with me. She gave me plenty of options honestly I could’ve packed the trailer with them all. In the end though we agreed that Tennyson and Sandra Dee were the two that would benefit the most from coming back with me. Tennyson is a late teens paso fino with minimal handling from what little I gathered on pick up. Sandra Dee went through the ATFO last year with another trainer and simply is not adopted yet. She could use some work fine tuning her gait and could use some confidence out on the trails. Which is perfect because I have needed some trail time.
Maybe this year isn’t about what horses I am drawn to in order to help them… maybe this year it’s about the horses no one wanted helping me find my way back to where I belong. In the saddle and on the trails.
Here’s to this years showcase horses and
Stay tuned for more posts in the coming weeks!

06/03/2024

Some progress on this guy. He’s much more relaxed. Settling in nicely. Learning a few small tricks that will help me and him out later down the road. He’s smart and picking things up quickly and enjoying his work time.

02/01/2024

24/10/2023

The ranch is slowing down for the year and that means I can steal my wranglers away to help work training horses. Check out some of the ponies getting worked right now!

19/08/2023

Miss Stiorra will be the 15th one to go through adoption auction this evening! Her starting bid will be $1,500. She will adopt out to the highest approved bidder. If she doesn’t adopt out tonight we will take her home and continue her training until she finds her person. ❤️

18/08/2023

Come on out to the ATFO! Meet Miss Stiorra and all the other ATFO ponies. Maybe your next equine partner is here.
Miss Stiorra is **not an arena horse*** she very much prefers to be out on the trail and in the woods. In the arena she is a bit more forward and excitable. Do not allow this to deter you from thinking about making her your next trail horse. I have taken her across some of the roughest terrain I can find and have ridden her through some of the trickiest natural obstacles with ease. This mare is absolutely wonderful out on the trail and has no quit. After our 100 miles through the Virginia highlands she was ready to continue on another 100. She has been all over our trails, the surrounding local trails, has carried different levels of riders through sketchy terrain, has completed numerous cattle drives and has been tied to high lines over night. She has proven herself out on the trail to be competent and willing, sound and sane. Come out and meet this gorgeous girl, if she’s not for you I’m sure there’s another amazing horse here that could be!

09/07/2023

Miss Stiorra is still proving herself out on the trail everyday!
Today miss Ida rode Stiorra during the saddle up Sunday event Smoke Rise Ranch put on at Burr Oak state park. I don’t have the epic pics because well I was riding another special pony today and was more interested in paying attention to him and my survival. However, the first half of our day was spent traversing the red trail at burr oak, this trail is steep, muddy, and chock full of natural obstacles… like brush, logs, slick rocks, ditches, single track trails, low low branches, deep deep sticky mud, huge drop offs into mud holes, big step ups, off trail navigation due to weather related tree fall. All of this was nothing new or bothersome for Stiorra even with a different rider. She is still doing all of this in just a simple bit less set up. Come ATFO this pony will be a trail riders dream!

05/07/2023

Random Hero update. We joined in on a guided campground ride full of kids. He did fantastic. He’s still not sure why he has to have a job and work… but he tolerates me and my silly human requests…🤣

15/06/2023

Miss Stiorra would like to thank Emily for her gifts! She definitely appreciates the spa day after her long trip in the mountains!!

10/05/2023

is so Thankful for the EspanaSilk Grooming Products being sponsored this year through Debby Rose! I fell in love with this line of products with my first ATFO pony, and have never looked back! Even if you don’t have a mostly white horse this shampoo and conditioner will knock your socks off with how clean your horse will be. The best part is all the products are all natural, safe to use on all your critters and yourself. If you are looking for products that work, and want to see the proof in the pudding, just ask… I can show you just how effective this stuff is. When you make the leap into Espanasilk, be sure to see Debby Rose for your orders, you won’t be disappointed.

10/05/2023

Hey everyone! Just wanted to send out an update on Stiorra and let everyone know she is doing great! We are slowly but surely making progress on her fear of mounting with a saddle.
She also shows quite a bit of anxiety inside the arena, she gets really tense, really forward, and makes a beeline for the nearest gate. So we’ve been working on relaxing in the middle of the arena, and working hard at every gateway.
I have found she is really happy outside on the trails. She relaxes and gets into a good work rhythm. She is a princess pony currently though and will avoid mud at all costs. She currently does not appreciate dogs, or bikes, or cars. We haven’t come across much wildlife yet, but the cattle surely caught her attention and she appreciated having an emotional support horse for her first encounter.
Miss Stiorra is not in the worst shape of the ATFO ponies this year, but she does need to gain muscle and fill the rest of the way out. If you would like to help us with her feed while she is here we currently have her on D&D feed. She’s currently needing about 4 bags of Magnify a month and 1 bag of OMG supplement per month.
Along with her feed she could also utilize some items to help with training, stress management, and fly control, I’ve put together a wishlist on Amazon with items that would assist with all of this.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/GEDLKN6Y00KJ?ref_=wl_share

Thank you all for your interest in Stiorra and for your support throughout. I can’t wait to see our little star SHINE!

07/05/2023

I had a feeling this girl was something special…. I just didn’t have any clue how special she actually is. We started this weekend out clumsy, distracted, pushy, not really interested in actually trying to navigate these obstacles gracefully…. But after a few trials and errors and slow deliberate work we have all of these cool obstacles tackled… and our first ride in the books. All out in the wide open, with nothing but trust and a rope halter and lead. keep your eyes on this one… she’s definitely going to be a star.

04/05/2023

This sweet soul is Stiorra. She has settled in nicely here and is definitely interested in everything that is going on around her. So far I have spent some time just hanging out with her in her stall, petting her, seeing if she’s interested in me and in working. She hooked right on and was absolutely ready to get out and start seeing things. After walking her around the arena and checking her ground manners, I decided to start playing around and see what this little girl might already know. So I walked up to the mounting block and checked how she felt about someone above her, movement and a little weight over her back. She seemed almost bored. So I grabbed the saddle pad, flopped it on her… still bored. So I grabbed the saddle and tacked her up. She stood perfectly and walked off perfectly. We played around some and she took everything in stride, until I went to put my foot in the stirrup to start the process of mounting. That’s when she started darting. Which tells me that one of three things is likely the culprit. 1. That’s as far as she’s been messed with and I’m hitting on new territory for her. 2. Whoever has been working with her has had something happen to make mounting scary for her, so she feels the need to move off… or 3.whoever has worked with her has consistently gotten on and then asked her to move off immediately and now she’s anticipating moving off fast when someone gets on. Since I don’t know her past I can only guess at what it might be. However, like with any horse it doesn’t matter what has happened in the past, what matters is we meet the horse where they are at each day and progress from there. Today Stiorra showed me her discomfort with mounting, so that’s where we worked. I worked with her until I could pick my foot up and place it in the stirrup without her walking off. After that we called it good and hopefully she will be that much more comfortable tomorrow.

02/05/2023

Gibbs' Rule #39: There is no such thing as a coincidence.
Each year as the atfo comes around there is always one picture/horse that captures my attention. Each year that particular choice is “out of my range”… being either a wrong division… or me not competing then relying on the horse being a leftover… I usually have other options for “just in case” or to abide by the rules.
This year I have been saying no… I won’t do atfo… I have too much on my plate.
But for the last year I’ve also had my attention on one horse in particular.
James left the trailer at the house in an attempt to keep me on track with not bringing a horse back this year.
Well… there are no such things as coincidence’s. Each year the horse that captures my attention is the horse that comes home with me. I said there’s no way that I’ll be coming home with the horse that caught my attention this year. So that was in my mind… as I listened to the trainers call their picks out I waited for my pick to be called and to affirm that I didn’t need a horse to come home with me this year. That didn’t happen. My pick was left over.
I then went and said, I’ll take Stiorra as a showcase. I’ll have to come back and pick her up. They agreed.
I’ve always had gut feelings when it comes to picking critters through pictures… the atfo picks I’ve had are no exception. Each and every horse that has come to me through the atfo has needed something from me, and I have needed something from it.
I’m not sure what I will learn from Stiorra this year… but I am absolutely positive that this year is going to be incredible. Too many ”coincidences” for it to be anything less.
Pictures to come later when I have picked up the pony I wasn’t expecting to bring back. 🤣

02/11/2022

Been awhile since I’ve posted anything…there have been some big changes around the ranch and I have been much busier lately. That has crunched my play time down but hasn’t stopped it entirely. I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to post, but please bear with me as I tackle the challenges that come with change.

03/08/2022

Still working on ground driving and going straight. This pony is incredibly willing to do as I ask, she just hasn’t quite figured out that she doesn’t have to be a wiggly pony while traveling. Working on confidence while driving and understanding that while in harness the answer is forward, straight, and calm. Currently when she loses confidence she tries to turn and face me, which in a round pen or on a lead would be fine… in harness it can be dangerous. So, we are getting these basics down pat before we hook a cart to her. I am however introducing the cart during tack up and untack. I have been rolling it past her, lining it up, and bringing the shafts down along her sides then lifting back up and rolling away to get her used to seeing and feeling the cart. She is a little unsure, but not terrified. Definitely curious and tolerant of my shenanigans.
Under rider (I’ve not saddles her yet as my weight has been a bit much without the additional weight of a saddle) she has been spunky. She will accept a rider, but not without expressing her opinion on it. She will walk fine. Asking for a trot (which is absolutely beautiful btw) will result in head throwing and shoulder rolling but if you stick with it and don’t let her bluff you she will trot around and it’s not your average choppy pony trot, it is smooth and fluid. I have yet to ask for a canter as I’m trying to build muscle and manners before moving forward.
Overall I love the personality this pony has. She is FUN. Now, she’s not for a beginner… but someone who likes a bit of fire in their steed and who can laugh at the little things this is a cool pony. Honestly I wish I were smaller or she were just a touch bigger because if that were the case she would be home already. Unfortunately I don’t think I can shrink or get her to grow like that… so she will be looking for her home with someone who has a sense of humor and a taste for adventure. Someone will be getting a really cool pony.

13/07/2022

Anse has an approved adopter lined up, so HOP has sent another showcase pony my way… is getting settled in and we are starting to figure each other out. She definitely likes her personal space and takes a minute to warm up to new places and people. So far she has had a farrier visit, which she was very pony attitudey over. Then she’s had numerous visitors to her stall to offer pets and neck scratchies. As of today I have hopped on her ba****ck in her stall and just let her walk around and get a feel for my weight on her back. She did great. Then I got to thinking that I’m really on the heavier side for her… so I’m going to try to keep my ride time fairly minimal… enough to get some buttons and make sure she’s safe, then pass on ride time to some of the smaller folks I know once she’s ready. But I think she would be a cute harness pony… so I’ll work quite a bit to get her going in harness and driving. That way she won’t be limited to just small riders, she could potentially go to a driving home pending on how she continues.
So far she has been lovely to work with.