Owner Brooks Cushman’s homebred three year old Connemara x Irish sport horse, Gallow Glass, was foot perfect hill topping on his first fox hunt today! Conditions were soggy and he didn’t miss a beat, bravely crossing many bogs, marshy areas and moving water. He thoroughly enjoyed getting to ride out in the field with a group of new friends, standing on a hillside listening for the hounds, or watching them get on a run. Gallow has been thoughtfully produced with the future in mind and his soft slow foundation of riding outside and hacking has confidently set him up for outings like today. He is available to be tried in Staunton, Va. A huge thank you to Glenmore Hunt for a gorgeous and safe day of hunting!
Brining in the sunset aboard Muunie, a 2020, 16h Anglo-Trakehner mare who is rounding out her first month under saddle.
Brining in the sunset aboard Muunie, a 2020, 16h Anglo-Trakehner mare who is rounding out her first month under saddle.
Gallow Glass
Three year old Connemara / Irish Sport Horse gelding, Gallow Glass, had a super weekend competing in the Region III Connemara Show at Lexington this weekend. We’ve had the pleasure of starting Gallow this summer and are very pleased with his confidence and performance at his first show under saddle. He even pinned two thirds and a second in his open division yesterday! If you’re shopping for a Connemara don’t hesitate to reach out about this guy!
Vishnu, 16.1h, 6 year old Oldenburg gelding.
16.1h 6 year old Oldenburg gelding
Thank you to my friend JW Wright for helping me get my hands on one of his saddles. We discussed how this saddle was built broader to fit the style of backs more commonly produced these days and that it would be wider than my other saddles. It sure makes our cutting horse bred, Beau, feel a lot more freed up through his shoulders. His stops and turns feel heaps better and his canter feels much freer where he can settle the base of his neck and raise his back.
The process of outfitting your tack and equipment to suit the large variety of horses is a never ending endeavor, especially when you work both English and western horses. Thanks JW for helping us better fit these types of horses.
Brody - a short film
In honor of Brody turning 4 yesterday and “graduating” the program to head home today, I thought I’d put together his time here over the last 2.5 months. A little bit of his adventures while here as well as all the places he likes to nap. The colt program is one of the most rewarding pieces of the business and it’s a joy to watch these youngsters come along.
Brody was a 3 year old, coming four, Connemara gelding from New York who came to be started under saddle in March. He was a bit of an anxious kid with very little confidence and experience. Throughout his time here he learned the nuances of ground work and becoming sophisticated on the hatter, worked with a flag and rope, was worked from horseback by other horses, traveled to different farms, ridden almost entirely outside, almost entirely solo and opens all the different gates from horseback.
Understanding what the horse’s life will look like once it leaves your program is, I believe, one of the most important steps in being a horse trainer. You have to know who and what you’re preparing them for because you’re not making a horse for yourself! To me, a colt has to get ample exposure to the variety of life in order to feel confident, safe, and ready for an amateur owner. I try not to gather them up much at all, rather let them learn to travel loose and adjust to carrying a person without being over managed. I strive to put all of my focus on understanding their personality, how they like to learn, what pieces of them are really important to themselves, and using that to build their own self confidence through independent freedom rather than confinement. It is difficult to articulate all the subtleties of managing emotional health in horses and how important that roll is to their daily success, but the colt program is the coolest place to get to watch it play out!
It was a pleasure showing Brody what riding life is all about, getting to work with his owners and to help facilitate their goals an
Vishnu having a nice school around 🖤
Spring is in full swing 💫
A tremendous thank you to Bitterroot Saddle Co for the support of the program for the last decade! It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years!
Groundwork is the foundation of our program and having the best equipment makes the process seamless. Julie is a delight, such a huge supporter and has built a wonderful company. Whether you need halters, lead ropes, saddle pads, snaffles; she’s got the best. Give Julie a call, tell her Brie sent you, and she’ll get you set up!
Thanks Julie for being part of the team!
I am so proud of Vishnu, owned by Nicole Connolly, for braving the busy environment of his very first horse show and completing his intro CT at hunt club farms. He did such a great job navigating the environment and finding a bit of focus in the work. It was such a confidence boosting experience for him!
Getting a first ride covered on this coming four year old Connemara gelding with our friend Randy Brown. It always feels like spring to me when we start getting the youngsters started!
Training, sales, + coaching focused on pursuing horsemanship with the intention on creativity, positivity and empathy.
