Erickson Acres

06/13/2025

Working with Lyra has been a pleasure and a challenge. I have enjoyed the puzzle box she is. Every piece moved unlocks another layer of her history.

She has great ground manners and is willing to play my silly games.
Lyra has a lot of endurance. She looks for things to jump.
She used to sidestep when I would brush her head and neck now she enjoys beingng pampered.

We have been on her back. However as soon as she moves she bolts (FAST). Sitting still she will almost fall asleep. Riding will come, just not as fast as I had hoped.

She has many layers to work through and I am glad to be part of her journey.

See more video / pics in comments

05/24/2025

Apollo is cool calm and collected at his first show. Intro B is done next ride about 11:40 arena #2

Come see us at Washington co fairgrounds
🦄

05/22/2025

Ride times 9:00 and 11:40

05/16/2025

Apollo
6 years old (2019)
Dutch Harness Horse
Gelding
15.1 hands
$6500

Come see Apollo May 24 at the Washington County Fairgrounds (MN) - Northern Lights dressage show.

Apollo has shown a lot of talent in his dressage training. He has 3 lovely, smooth gaits and phenomenal leg action, prompt transition, and a soft mouth. He is showing improvement with balance and collection. Apollo is a quick and eager learner. He is advancing quickly in maneuvers and is an elegant prospect for the show ring. Apollo has been ridden in indoor arenas and outdoor arenas alike and enjoys being out on the trails. He handles time off well and will easily tack up and ride off without issue. He lunges exceptionally well with/ without side reins and is very responsive to voice commands. He is easy to go and responsive to stop. It is easy to handle him on the ground or on his back. He quietly stands cross-tied or at the trailer, and also stands patiently at the mounting block. Apollo loads on the trailer and stands quietly while trailering. He LUVS being pampered with baths and groomed. He is good for the farrier and vet.

Apollo will get along best with an advanced rider where he can continue to excel in his training. Apollo’s fancy style will easily catch everyone’s attention with him being your Stead!

Apollo does well when stalled or pastured. He prefers to eat alone instead of with others. He will assert his dominance when new horses are added to the herd.

Apollo loves his freedom and it will do him well with a routine and bond to be easier to catch.

Apollo is looking for HIS riding partner. He will be shown by a Junior Rider May 24 at Washington County Fairgrounds - Northern Lights Dressage show in Intro B and Intro C.

Apollos Recent History
Apollo is owned by Lucky 7 Rescue out of Isanti, MN, and was rescued from the “Auction Cycle”. He came out of an auction barn in Michigan. While we don’t know his full history; he is assumed to be an Amish horse.

While in training at Erickson Acres, working in collaboration with Lucky 7 Rescue for their first Battle of the Best Training Competition (BBTC) in 2024, Apollo came to Erickson Acres for about 2 months, doing our best to unlock his past and give him a new start to a better life. After the BBTC sale, Apollo did not find his home, so he went back to the rescue. He was then sent to Dawson Alme Horse Training (Alma, WI) to work on some of his trauma responses (they have been worked out). There he was, trail ridden and Dawson told me that Apollo loved that, too. Apollo then returned home and had continued training with K&K Horses (Isanti, MN) but had most of the winter off to let him reflect on all of his positive training time. Apollo came back to Erickson Acres in April 2025 (I really enjoyed working with him) to continue his Dressage training and start jumping. He shows great potential in both disciplines; he is eager to learn and learns quickly.
Follow his progress from BBTC to today:

05/15/2025

Come see Lyra

04/07/2025

Year 2 in BBTC. I picked Lyra a quarter pony. She is very athletic.
7 years old
About 14 hands
Will be available to a new home after July 26 completion.

10/02/2024

Apollo has been a great horse to work with, I will greatly miss him at my barn. He is a try-harder. Anything I ask of him, he will try. After letting him think on what he has been working on, he will come back and do it; getting better every time he does it. He is a bit lazy, I like to carry a whip but he doesn’t like it on his left side- my daughter can carry it on his right side. (I’m left handed and my daughter is right handed) If he is unsure of something he will stop and look at it. I have not had him run or spin when he is scared, he plants all 4 feet, stares at the thing, arches his neck after processing, then takes a step towards it.

I would suggest an intermediate with a trainer. As I said before, Apollo is lazy so having a knowledgeable person on his back and on the ground would benefit his progress the most.

What I’ve seen in him that will require thought about him:
-He is still very much the boss gelding and will take after other horses, his go-to is to bite the other horses’ backs.
-Since getting him comfortable, I have gotten his personality to come out. There was some trauma in his past. With working him for 5 weeks and having no bad behavior, he has recently been cow-kicked only on his left side 2 times with no provocation. I was walking past him to put a bridle on the wall as I turned and he caught me, fast. My daughter went to put something by him about a week later and he did the same. Both times we were talking to him to make sure he knew where we were. I did all the previous work (see week 2 video - posted August 26) with his hind legs and he never kicked out. This is a newer behavior.

What I LOVE about him.
-He saddles from both sides
-He has a soft mouth
-Respects and moves off the legs
-Try-harder
-The trust I’ve gained
-The confidence he has gained
-Bridles easily
-He is the same horse on Monday (having time off doesn’t affect his behavior)
-He loves his baths especially when it's hot.
-He loved playing in the river
-Aware of his surroundings
-Knows where his feet are
-Has become easier to catch (I had to use a bucket of grain until this last 2 weeks)
-Kind eyes
-Stalls great
-Quiet in the trailer
-Cross ties and straight ties
-Curious
-Stops when “scared”
-He thinks
-Lunges GREAT (working on canter but that is coming)
-Knows WHOA

He is a great package as a horse, and will make an amazing partner.
(I am working on videos from weeks 4-8. —I’ve been busy)

10/01/2024

Battle of the best training competition
Order of go for 10/3/2024

09/17/2024

09/09/2024

Apollo
6 year old Dutch Harness Horse
15.1 hands

Herd placement: Apollo is very dominant. He will need to have a horse put him in his place in the pecking order. He will chase underlings relentlessly.

Temperament: 4/10 he is usually pretty calm but will have his moments of panic. When he does panic (I’ve seen 3 times) 1. he did a quick kick then moved away. He didn’t continue to kick. And this has only happened once. I have worked him through what we were working on and he hasn’t even threatened it again. 2. He bolted forward 2-3 steps. As of now the only thing that makes him “scared” is a white half pad. I don't know if he was attacked by a sheep. But I continue to work with him on that and it gets better every time. 3. His go to “spook” is that he will side steps away quickly, one step.

Since picking up Apollo on September 1, I have been doing a lot of groundwork. He lunges and we have worked on walking through obstacles. I have taken him slower to make sure he is having a good experience and he is learning to trust humans. Apollo picks up all 4 feet easily, I have trimmed his front feet and am working on getting him to hold his back feet longer so they can be trimmed. He likes to SLAM them down as soon as I’m done cleaning them.
He cross-ties and can be left alone without any fit. He is slow to load into the trailer as he is process loading. He does not fight to go in, just slow and cautious. Our latest adventure brought us to the local park that has a river crossing, Apollo walked right in. He wants to please me so much!

We are assuming Apollo was trained to drive based on his breed - I haven’t looked into working with him on driving yet. I wanted to give him new things to learn and not bring up potentially bad memories. We are trying to get him to canter, I can get a few strides then he will hit the end of the lunge line and stop. If you say Whoa he will stop and stand Immediately.

Apollo has been saddled and has sat on. He is good with mounting. I have not asked him to move with a rider yet.

Right now, he needs a quiet confident person. His twitchy reaction could make a nervous rider more nervous and in turn make him nervous. He needs a patient person, he takes a minute to process what I’ve asked him to do and if I give him a moment to think he usually quickly accepts what I ask. His processing time continues to shorten as I gain his trust. He will follow a bucket of grain anywhere so I use that a lot when introducing new things, he won't eat from my hand which I’m ok with. As time goes on and he learns to trust humans, I think he will make a great horse for a beginner.

I think Apollo will make a great riding horse. He is a try-harder soul who WANTS to please. I ride English, with his gorgeous knee action and easy extensions; I think he would be suited for dressage. He loves obstacles so trail or competitive obstacle courses - he lifts his feet and avoids hitting ground rails. He enjoyed his outing to the river; with more riding experience I think he could make a confident trail horse.

I look forward to riding him over the next month and preparing for his next forever home. I will miss him so much. He is so fun to work with and he loves his cuddles.

see comments for videos and photos

K&K Horses

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08/26/2024

08/26/2024

Week 3 part 2