Funderburg Farm

08/21/2026

Mikki showing off her bridling skills 😄💕

She did so good today!

08/19/2026

08/19/2026

What a wonderful last ride at home with Mikki today. 💕
We practiced our technical pattern and I could not have been happier with any of what she offered me. Afterwards we took a stroll outside and I made sure to be present and grateful for the opportunity to ride her and educate her this summer. I thanked her for keeping me safe and being open to conversations with me and learning.

I thought back on our first trail ride and our first canter... it really wasn't very long ago, but the horse I sat on today is very different from the one in May.

No matter what happens at the competition, I am calling my ride today my prize for the 100+ days we have spent together.

We hit the road tmw and hope to see some of you there! 💕

Last minute sponsors to help with travel costs and last minute freestyle costs are always welcome!

08/12/2026

Aw, Mik...

I am hopping on a plane in the morning and going on a quick family getaway. Mik will have a few well deserved rest days before our big ATFO week. That leaves 2 more rides at home before we go. I wondered if I would feel stressed about not riding her for a few days this close to the competition, but I truly couldn't feel better about where she is in her training, and a rest will only make her better.

I talk a lot about her gaits. I bother my mentors and friends a lot as I obsess about her gaits 😅 and I love what it teaches me. We had a great ride today where I used a lot of diagnolization to help her stay in a 4 beat gait, Flat Walk, instead of falling into a stepping pace. It's the same with any horse... they need the stability and balance of a strong diagnol balance. Mikki has executed a lot of shoulder in and counter shoulder in, and renver this summer. It's made her trot stronger and softer and more true... its made her better (not perfect yet!) at maintaining a flat walk that will eventually be a stellar running walk, (or something 😆) and her canter departs are 🤌.
In the end, she's solidifying and teaching me another layer of what I already know to be true and is proving again that classical principles absolutely apply to every horse and to simply stay the course.

Thanks Mikki, it's been such a pleasure to be your student for the summer ❤️

08/11/2026

A lot goes into bringing these horses along all summer and planning for the big event. There are a lot of behind the scenes people who help bring to life our freestyle ideas, and offer support in so many ways. Carina Colvin and I are so lucky to have the best people helping us in all the ways!

1st Freestyle run throughs are done!

08/10/2026

We all know saddle fit is important and I know I try my best to make sure my horses are comfortable saddled. Sometimes, though, the horse will really tell you when they like a particular saddle better than another. Look at Mikki gait in the Alegany saddle I tried on her yesterday. The speed and freedom she immediately offered was so different than ba****ck or the saddle I've been riding her in! (even though it appears to fit and a saddle fitter friend OKd it)

Looks like we will be borrowing Clover's saddle for the next couple of weeks!

🤩

08/09/2026

Working that 4 beat and having fun with Mikki in the final days before ATFO!

Who's signing up for a test ride at ATFO? 😁

08/06/2026

3rd REQUIRED POST (the last one!)😳
Where did the summer go?! It's amazing how quickly these 100+ days go by and how much these ATFO horses can blossom 🌸

Mikki
5 years old
14.2
Gaited mare

Mikki is ready to find her person! I am listing her at Advanced Beginner with a trainer or Intermediate level. I do think most people will get along with her and enjoy her under saddle, but I want her to stay that way!
Her perfect human partner will be someone who wants to do some trail riding and also learn about how to continue to help her move and carry herself the best that she can.
I think she can go on to do just about anything someone wants to teach her...keeping in mind her conformation and way of going. So...maybe not barrel racing 😄

One of my favorite things about her is the way she can pick up and go and then come right back down and walk on a loose rein. You can see that a couple of times in this video.

Mikki wants someone who will be aware of her feelings and confidence. She doesn't always show it much if she's worried, and isn't a reactive horse...but appreciates some reassurance when I notice the little things like her nostrils wrinkling or her eye widening. I believe that the relationship with a trusted human is important to her, along with good leadership and consistency.

Come meet her at ATFO!

08/05/2026

I always think it's curious when people talk about gaited horses being so much easier or so different to train than other types of horses.
I believe it is so important to understand healthy movement in horses for any training, but definitely gaited horses! Maybe that's because we see so many going around poorly...
I'm sharing a video that I made with clips from today's ride on Mikki. In just the last couple of rides she is throwing out a stepping pace at times. A stepping pace is when the left legs move forward together and then the right. The difference between the stepping pace and a hard pace is that in the stepping pace the hinds land a tiny bit before the front. She has discovered that she can go faster with less effort (meaning without correct movement and engagement) if she falls into this stepping pace. I say fall because when she does this she falls forward into her shoulders and tightens her back. The whole movement feels different and more side to side...but still pretty smooth, so it can be a tricky thing for riders to identify. I learned a long time ago that "if they are pacey, they are bracey!"
Can you spot the clips of a good balanced 4 beat gait and the ones with the stepping pace? One giveaway is that her head stops nodding up and down and she speeds up (and tightens up) when she is in the stepping pace.

My go to for fixing this is to slow down. She is not strong enough yet to gait as quickly as she can do the stepping pace so I need to keep her a notch slower and in balance where she can add speed as she is able. I also play with some lateral work to break up the pace as needed.
I find these puzzles and conversations really fun and look forward to continue helping her find the speed she is offering in a better and more healthy way. These horses that have all the different gaits and gears give us a lot to play with!