Will O Faith "Willow"

25/02/2024

Willow was nearly named “Scar Face” permanently! I referred to her several times as “Scar,” but the mark on her face wasn’t permanent. So, she did not get a theme song from Disney’s Nemo…

It was so close, but it didn’t scar or last 😅

24/02/2024

24/02/2024

Wonderful moonlight ride on Willow! We had tons of fun with our lateral work! And we even changed from haunches in to haunches out on a straight line (for a beginner horse and rider 😅) off the fence lines! I may have gotten her body a bit too soft — tomorrow we will do more stair steps to help straighten out.

20/02/2024

And we are back! After a LONG winter break for rain, cold, work, school, and insanity, Willow and I enjoyed our second ride!

We reviewed all our lateral work at the walk to find only the haunches left was broken! Everything else was there, just a bit stiff to start. The trot leaves a lot to be desired, but this and the haunches left will come as we both get back into shape.

Willow is naturally curved left when she isn’t supple and asking haunches left not only requires her to leave her haunches left, but straighten through the shoulder and neck. She really had to try hard to take contact on the outside rein and step through rather than bend and cheat.

Haunches right was BRILLIANT and I was able to just ride with an outside rein and inside leg 😍

Leg yielding is getting better! And we did our first haunches out, straight, haunches in today all on the short side of the pasture! And leg yielded through the trees which requires a change of leg coordination to change directions.

Super thrilled with how excited Willow is to be back at work! Nickering to me, eagerly bridling herself and taking the bit herself. And of course ending with some epic scratches and the bridle off!

She was also so excited that she defaulted to “picking me up” aka side passing to the mounting block before I asked. And we checked the fenceline embracing our working horse side — she was so good ground tying while I fixed the wire several posts down. God it’s nice stepping off a horse, fixing a fence, and stepping right back on without them ever walking away.

So many blessings with her that I take for granted too many days. 🤦‍♀️

08/01/2024

Willow and I were lucky enough to ride under the direction of Sandy Osborn yesterday (S level judge)! It was a great experience all around, hosted by a welcoming crew!

Take away messages:

1. Willow is indeed running down onto her right shoulder and swinging her haunches too far right. Hence, her very unbalanced canter.

Solution: Leg yield drastically to the outside of the circle. Think haunches out leg yield to keep bringing her hips back over. Shoulders should stay on the circle. (walk and trot)

2. Willow is not yet confident in the contact, and I keep giving away my outside rein.

Solution: Leg yield into the outside rein and only transition when her haunches are in good alignment.

3. Willow's human is defective :)

Solution: Sit way further back then sit even further back. Do this while posting as well.

The next goal is to perfect the ability to bring Willow's haunches into alignment. Haunches out on the right is far harder than haunches out on the left... Is it me or her? TBD

Brightest Moment: FINALLY feeling Willow trot in a semi-reasonable balance and not falling over and diving onto her shoulders!

03/01/2024

Practice makes perfect, so I buttoned up and braved the rain to practice with Willow. First time ever loading in the dark, rain storm (with a leaking roof), and with the rest of the trailer closed up because of rain.

She loaded right up in the trailer no questions asked. She actually went in by herself when I pointed her towards the trailer 🤣 the hardest part is getting her to stay out now… she may be addicted 😬

I’ll get a video in daylight soon.

01/01/2024

I’m so proud of how far Willow has come! She used to refuse to let me touch her when she was at her threshold of stress. Now she actually comes to me for fist bumps to diffuse stress and have a conversation!

Even during the neighbors across the fenceline shooting massive fireworks (not the cheap ones sadly) she was solid. Fist bumps all around to celebrate the New Year!

29/12/2023

It’s a MIRACLE! Willow gained so much confidence with the fit of her new saddle in only 2 rides that she is back to being round and lifted! I always knew she tried so hard and understood what I was asking (we did it ba****ck after all), but just wouldn’t handle the pain of an ill fitting saddle!

Today we stayed at the walk because we need to rebuild back muscle slowly. We lost a lot due to poor saddle fit and time off because I wouldn’t ride her in an ill fitting saddle (and didn’t have a saddle to ride in!).

But, today was 90% of a stretching walk reaching into my contact so much so I was able to consistently give her an extra 2” and still feel the same frame and contact! So happy she is elongating her stubby neck and rounding up again ❤️

27/12/2023

Second ride back on Willow in a saddle in a few months. I asked her to elongate her frame and boy did she get long! We are doing a complete restart to our riding knowledge now that we have a saddle! Both Willow and I need work on our biomechanics so we will be going slow for a while. Today we started with a stretchy walk and trot!

She delivered! First time we have ever gotten a consistently stretched downward walk where she overtracked! (1 year ago, sit was not physically possible for her to over track due to such tight back muscles and biomechanical issues)

21/12/2023

Preventative hoof maintenance day for Willow! Third time to have bags on her feet! Not bad at all! Although she is nervous about walking in them and has some creative steps/strides/leg lift combos 😅

For now she will always get food while waiting for her timer to go off. It makes the time more pleasurable and plastic bags = positive rather than scary.

12/12/2023

Willow and I test rode another saddle today! This one had a very different seat than the others we tried. And holy cow! I think my seat is staying closer to where it should be!

30/11/2023

No new Willow updates. It’s been cold, windy, and I have been side tracked working on a project! I hope to have it road ready by the time our Feb clinic rolls around! (Pun intended)

I had put the project to the side for a while, but now it’s crunch time and all the parts have FINALLY arrived!

25/11/2023

Just a night walk on the street to see some Christmas lights up close and personal! You never know if you may find Willow in a parade. Plus, she had a MASSIVE fear of lights — they dmid not appear in her pasture for the 6/8 years of her life before domestication.

23/11/2023

Giving thanks for the small things with Willow. There are so many things that made this mare special to me. Friends always told me that a good mare will change your life… and I now believe it is true. I took so many things for granted with Luca and was kindly reminded that they come with time and learning. However, Willow has some inherent qualities that make me even more thankful for her:

1. She can tie anywhere, and when I mean anywhere, I mean anywhere. And you can just toss her rope over something like a twig and she will be there when you get back. No tie even needed.
2. She never paws, weaves, or shows any bad habits when tied. Darn this one is so so nice!
3. She is infinitely patient waiting for her food. When feeding horses she will wait for me to feed her rather than crowding me or picking a fight with other horses. Is an alpha in the herd? Not a problem - she just goes to stand by her food bowl.
4. She opens her mouth for the bit. A LOT of horses do not willingly take the bit. I think this is a huge indicator to their opinions about their rider, equipment, or handling style.
5. She runs purely off trust rather than confidence. This used to seem like a disadvantage to me, but now I don’t have to worry about my mare being desired by others. I know she has my back and she knows I have hers. One person horses are really rather nice, if you are that one person.
6. Her TAIL. she is my first horse to ever have a naturally long and full tail. It has always been a dream… and I don’t even have to work for it!

16/11/2023

We are over do for a Willow update!

She has been getting a break with all the cold weather and my insane work schedule. But on the bright side I’m learning more massage and stretching techniques…

Willow appears to approve. Enjoy her face after a huge release of tension by her poll and down her neck.

08/11/2023

Willow and I are back to riding. We are focusing on light transitions in the walk, trot, halt sphere. She really likes to elongate onto the forehand. It’s a task to keep her organized, but allow her freedom to keep her neck long without elongating her underneath.

Today was magical as we hit each transition and improved on the last. I’m so proud of how hard this mare tries and her will to please. ❤️

03/11/2023

So, Willow got her name 3 months or so after we first met. As soon as her barn name was confirmed her show name developed "Will O Faith."

It combines all of the faith that was necessary to believe Willow could become a partner. And all of the will the mare showed to survive alone and triumph in the human world of domestication. Since then, Willow has blossomed and become a bigger and different type of heart horse compared to Luca.

Fear not, Luca approves of his new girlfriend and they are bonded through more than my love for them. They groom each other and spend every moment possible close together. Willow has grown from a mare hidden in the shadows to a confident pony who has traveled the state more than most equines today!

This page is to celebrate Willow's journey including the good, bad, ugly, exciting, depressing, and most important moments of her growth!

01/11/2023

Mark had the "black mare" for 30 days, and now it was time for her to come home. Mark hauled the "black mare" they called Velvet down to one of the ranches he works out locally. It was time for me to come see her and meet my new partner in life's adventures.

Would I be able to connect with a mare when Luca -- my heart horse -- was still living and breathing?

So I went to see this black mare and touch her for the first time. Not only was I able to touch her for the first time, but we shared our first ride together. It was amazing! She was green, but showed no funny business and really trusted Mark. She had 0 trust in me... Fair enough, I hardly trusted myself with my first ever horse to work with from scratch.

All was well and Mark hauled her to the boarding facility where Luca was and Willow came from. He pulled his big rig up on the road and unloaded there. He could not fit in the gate. This meant the "black mare" had to walk down the driveway to the eager crowd gathered. She walked as calm as a seasoned horse and straight into her stall.

Over the next 3 days, we spent 3 hours a day just grazing, grooming, hand walking, "rode" in the arena etc... I wanted to bond and get to know the "black mare's" body language before we did too much. Then it came time to turn her out...

Could I catch her? Would she come back to me? How would the herd accept her? Would she crawl through the fence back to the 15 acres with all my hopes and dreams of a new partner? It was time to have faith that everything would work out and what was meant to be would happen....

31/10/2023

As I sat in the pasture with Luca, I listened to Mark's honest evaluation of the "black mare."

It was good news! He was full of compliments even going so far as to say she was one of the best rescue horses he had worked with. I asked all my typical questions to evaluate a horse's demeanor under stress: did she pull back when tied? Did she kick, bite, rear, strike? How was her mind set? Did she crow hop when saddled for the first time?

What was his honest evaluation of the mare? Was she worth it, or should I run her through a sale and cut my losses?

He said she was brilliant! Luckily, it appears Mark and the "black mare" made an excellent pair. Having faith in my friends' opinions and the will of the universe worked out for the better! He had set her up for success in every case and she was able to succeed and learn!

I had planned on giving Mark 60 days with her, expecting the first month to be full of ground work. I wanted her to be safe on the ground if she came back to the boarding facility. No one had time to be injured or handle a terrified recently domesticated mare. And I knew we did not have the facilities to retrain her if she reverted back to being wild.

After 30 days, Mark was able to take a scared, frozen in fear "black mare" and turn her into a willing riding partner. He told me after only 30 days he was confident she could come back home and succeed. I was not so sure... I had previously hear of mustangs were were "gentled" and reverted when returning back to their homeland.

Would the "black mare" stay on this side of the fence? Would she be able to be caught when turned out? Would she like me at all? Would she remember me? Was everything Mark said true? -- I had never met him and had no idea if his word was true other than some promising pictures and videos.

But, well timed pictures and videos can make any horse look like a million dollars.... After all, I had helped create those pictures and videos of many horses...

31/10/2023

While I was doing research across the state, Roper was helping Mark load up the "black mare." Mark took Willow to his training facility and began to evaluate the "black mare."

I liked her brain when I was working with her, but what would an experienced horse trainer think? I did not see any major structural issues, but what would a professional horseman see? I didn't think she would be dangerous because she didn't try to hurt us the entire time we had been around her thus far, but what would she do when touched? What would she do when haltered for the first time? How would she even handle the travel from the only place she ever knew?

So many questions swirled in my brain. Then, I got a call... the call I had been waiting for. Mark agreed to send updates and let me know what he thought once he started working with her... Would she be a good partner? Or was all this risk in vain and she would never be able to survive in a domesticated realm?

28/10/2023

So trusting the weather was going to hold out, Roper and I were headed north into icy conditions with this feral horse and no idea what awaited her future... No paperwork, no bill of sale, just the phone number of the sheriff, and a lot of faith.

We couldn't think about "what if we don't make it?" That was not an option. But, we were prepared. After the longest, slowest, most stressful haul of our lives the "black mare," Roper, and I made it...

Roper's family graciously took the "black mare" and I in despite the lack of health papers, ability to even touch the horse, and winter storm. Over the next few days, I spent at least 6 hours a day with the "black mare" during the worst winter storm in years... We spent time sitting, eating, working at liberty, and learning to trust each other. Then after 1.5 weeks the ice cleared and I had to head back to the real world...

No more Heartland saga for the "black mare" and I... I had to go back to graduate school and push forward in life. I had faith that Roper would take care of her, and hope that Mark would be able to continue Willow's training and start her domestication.

But, would this "black mare" be worth it? I had not even really touched her in the 2 weeks we spent together! She would come close, but never made the leap to physically connect...

27/10/2023

1 hour and counting on frozen fingers we were on borrowed time... Enter Eli, the boarding facility manager's now son-in-law. He had previous cattle experience and leaped over the fence into action after watching us struggle.

We had been 1 man short to cover all needed posts for a successful run into the trailer. I was guarding the hole in the panels separating the herd from the mare. Roper was corralling her towards the trailer covering 1/3 of an acre of space. Eli covered the last spot, the trailer door and extra pressure to get her into the trailer.

With Eli's epic cow sense (or hippo sense in Willow's case), the "black mare" was in the trailer with less than 15 minutes left on the clock until time was up. Roper headed out and I followed behind in my car... What awaited us on the road and in the weather, no one knew...

But, we knew one thing the "black mare" was on the journey of her lifetime towards a new future and away from slaughter.

27/10/2023

Of course, as any person does, they call their best friend for advice (or to come to the rescue as it happens)! Enter my best friend, Roper. She answered my call and thought I had lost my mind -- to be fair I 100% did. After convincing her I was serious about having acquired a feral horse, she came to our rescue.

Despite the largest winter storm in several years arriving in 36 hours, she dropped everything, hitched up the trailer and drove 6 hours to come help me catch this mare. 10 hours until the roads would be impassible due to ice, we started trying to catch the "black mare." After 3 hours of scooting panels inch by inch across 2 acres to corral her near the trailer, we made a decision. We had 1 more hour to get her in the trailer, or my friend headed back home without us and we weathered the storm -- weather and problems included...

26/10/2023

Willow LOVES her podium… so much that even after we conclude our session, she walks all the way back across the pasture to ask for more…

Now that it’s staying in her pasture, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her stretching by herself, without me 😅

25/10/2023

So now I had possession of the "black mare" and all the responsibility to relocate her out of the pasture where she was and didn't have permission to be.

So I made some calls to my connections in North Texas. First up, a trainer with experience gentling older horses in a very calm and supportive manner. No luck, he only had training slots in April and it was February... In the middle of the winter storms... He sent me to call his mentor, Mark Lyon, who has extensive experience starting colts, gentling all manners of horses, and instilling confidence in his horses. I had never met this person, and had only the word of my friends to go on. Luckily he had a training slot, but it was in 3 weeks... and the "black mare's" time in the pasture had 1 day left and a massive winter storm was moving in...

24/10/2023

My what big ears Willow has!

Willow was the last of her herd. I had always seen a black horse in the shadows of the trees. The horse never came for attention, never had company, but seemed to really like my gelding Luca. He was boarded at a facility neighboring the black horse’s pasture.

So of course, when I heard the black horse was in a pasture in the light I went to check it out. I trespassed on the neighbor's property, attempted to feed her some treats, and tried to touch her. Right as I gained her trust enough for her to try a treat, the sheriff and her owner show up. After learning Willow had never been touched by a human before, the sheriff helped me convince Willow's owner to sign over custody to me. So Willow and "all the problems that come with her" were mine... (Had I lost my mind!!!!????)

24/10/2023

Many people do not know where Willow got her show name: "Will O Faith." Over the next few posts, I will be sharing Willow's story in celebration of her three? (I lost count 🤦‍♀️) year anniversary (marked by the first winter storm of the season). Follow along as the meaning behind her name is revealed.

22/10/2023

Well, from a belly flopping hippo into a flying hippo! Someone learned how to jump 😱 not bad for the first jump attempt in a year!

Biomechanics proof of concept at its finest! ❤️

20/10/2023

Despite being shy, Willow is quite affectionate. She really has grown and now allows hugs!

We have been working on a variety of stretches to help her neck "grow" while we work! This is a stretch we did during the shoot to help Willow find some comfort and confidence.

Please ignore my cuffed pants to prevent nasty mud! :)

19/10/2023

Willow had her first official photoshoot! She was in full "stranger danger" mode and was incredibly shy. This picture captures her personality during the shoot. Special thanks to Aaron for wanting to branch out! It was a great low stress warm up photoshoot to push her boundaries without overwhelming her.

Photo spam warning over the next few weeks! This is the first one of many!