Happy New Year everyone! (better late than never...😏😄)
Winter is definitely here, and I think we all need a little extra motivation and fun to keep us going! There are lots of winter challenges out there involving counting rides and logging hours. Here on the Funderburg Farm page I want to have our own challenge! Anyone is welcome to become inspired and participate, and I hope to see lots of my students playing along and joining in!
Here's how it works.... I'm going to post an exercise or challenge every so often over the next few months, and I want to see lots of people trying it and doing it their own way. These challenges can be on line or at liberty...on the ground or riding..Ridden challenges can be with or without any tack. Get creative! If you can, post about your results, or even post a video or picture if you can of you and your horse playing.
Here's our first challenge.... Figure 8! Here's Axle demonstrating a Figure 8 with a jump.
What can you and your horse come up with? Post in the comments! 💞🥶😁
3rd Required Post...
Well, here we are with 17 days left until we head back to WV for the Appalachian Trainer Face Off. We have done a lot of things since pick up day on April 30th.
Trail partner extraordinaire for someone who enjoys a comfy ride cruising down the trail.
Siobhan has grown a lot in our time together, but most of the great things about her came already installed. She just has a good mind and a calm demeanor that made it easy to layer skills on top of. She really made me look like I know what I'm doing this summer, but really the credit goes to her. She has taken good care of me, and gone along with the program easier than I could have hoped for. She is the kind of horse that people dream of having, one that feels safe and will soak up your love and enjoy your company all day long.
I can't wait to see her happily ever after unfold later this month!
#hopteamsiobhan
Remember when I said that I thought she was gaited? It's been a summer of finding the gait on a low energy trotty horse, but I think we have turned the corner with the help of feedback from videos from Ivy Starnes and David Lichman here and there to keep us on track.
Siobhan is the most giving and forgiving horse anyone could hope to find. She will try all day and let her rider fumble and fail...over and over...and never say no, even if she has plenty of reason to. What a gal.🩷
#hopteamsiobhan
I do not consider myself a super brave rider. I won't get on just any horse and go down the trail. I don't ride on extreme or treacherous trails regularly. I do think getting horses out on the trail is extremely important for their mental and physical development. It is really fun to feel a horse get more confident and balanced and enjoy going down the trail.
Siobhan did another 5 mile loop this morning and was absolutely perfect. She led the whole way and was such a pleasure to ride. A good and steady trail horse is a treasure, and what so many people are looking for and need.
#hopteamsiobhan
Sorting out the 4 beat gait....
This video clip shows us working into and finding steps of gait. She feels very gaited in her walk and it would feel like a disservice to not develop something that is a natural ability for her. That doesn't mean that it's easy or that she knows what to do yet, but it's coming together more and more. Again, I want her reaching forward and down some with no tension. Gaited horses are fun!
#hopteamsiobhan
Facebook will only let me post one video per post on this page so I am posting some of Siobhan's trot work here now and will post another video of her gait work. I like them versatile and make moving correctly and in a healthy way the priority. Telescoping forward with a swinging back here is what I'm looking for, and she has some nice moments where you see her ears flop forward a little and she gets more consistent in her posture and in her trot. Someday, with practice and time and strength she will lift her back and belly more, and that area behind the saddle known as "the pit of despair" will lift and fill in.
🌸
#hopteamsiobhan
Siobhan had the weekend off, but today was back to some work before the worst of the heat sets in. We played with finding some different gears in and out of flat walk and waking up the hind legs a little bit. The more we play with different gears and gaits and transitions the better each gait gets in quality.
Her favorite gait is a relaxed mosey, and she often asks if we can do that instead 😄
She would try all day long for me though, and I am so pleased with her progress.
#hopteamsiobhan
