In preparation for mounting we teach the horses to move towards the “rider” and stand quietly. Boomer is a fast learner and will be accepting a rider in no time! This adorable pinto pony gelding is with us for training from Bagaduce River Equine Rescue.
Lewis has a herd! Lewis has officially joined one of our gelding herds and couldn’t be happier. This handsome 6 year old grade gelding is with us for training from Gerda’s Equine Rescue.
Not every horse that comes through our doors eagerly looks for connection with their handler. It takes months and months of time and patience to build their trust, this is especially true of the Standardbreds we work with. They often come from a life where they had a job and were treated as such, little time was spent building a horse-human connection. Once they finally let their guard down and embrace that connection though, the end result is beautiful. World has slowly blossomed physically and emotionally into an amazing partner over the last 8 months. This beautiful 4 year old Standardbred gelding is with us for training from Futures for Standardbreds.
Lewis’ first time in the indoor arena and he had to inspect EVERYTHING. We are so proud of this sweet boy for conquering his fears and giving it his best effort all the time. Lewis is with us for training from Gerda’s Equine Rescue.
Lewis was a terrified, untouchable stallion only a couple of years ago. With the hard work and dedication of Gerda’s Equine Rescue he was gelded, halter broke, and started the gentling process. For the first time since his rescue Lewis is approachable enough to be let out into the big pasture and he is absolutely thrilled with his new found freedom. We are so happy for Lewis and proud of the strides he is making towards being ready for a home of his own.
PLEASE SHARE: Paris is ready to go home! Paris is a 15 hand, 17 year old TB/ Warmblood. She would do best with an intermediate rider who likes a forward thinking, sensitive, but sensible ride. She has great ground manners and will tie, cross tie, clip, bathe, trailer load, etc, She is great for the vet and farrier. Paris was likely no stranger to the show ring in her previous life as her movement, head carriage, and training suggest she had a job. At 17 years of age she has recovered from starvation, and a serious injury to her right hind. She has held up to W/T/C work 4-5 days a week and is super fit and getting stronger with every ride. We think Paris would enjoy a life with a purpose and would probably love to continue to do ring work as well as some trail riding, though the arena is her favorite (you cannot say that about too many horses😉) This amazing mare just needs to find her person, could it be you? Paris is with us for training from Bagaduce River Equine Rescue.
How is Dory still here? This amazing little Hackney pony mare is still waiting for her perfect home. She is smart, friendly, and willing. She is great for the vet, farrier, and dentist. She trailer loads, clips, and bathes. She makes a great companion and is okay being left alone while her friends are off working. Please help us find Dory a home by sharing this post❤️
Before we introduce any sort of surcingle or girth, we often do rope work with a horse to get them used to the sensation of moving with something around their rib cage. Boomer handled this step like a champ and settled into it very quickly. Boomer is with us for training from the Bagaduce River Equine Rescue.
When your humans won’t let you stop for a snack, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hooves…Just ask Shadow😂🤣😂
There are no shortcuts or magic solutions to dealing with trust issues in any animal…The only way to overcome these obstacles is through time, patience, and consistency. Sweet Penelope has never had her feet done fully without full sedation, nor has she ever learned what to do with pressure on her halter. She was likely barely handled before being rescued, except to have unpleasant things done to her. So with humans, her trust bank is pretty empty. It is our job to start to lay a foundation of trust and positive experiences, to prove to Penelope maybe humans aren’t so bad after all. It will be a long slow process, but we are certainly rooting for her. Penelope is with us for training from Gerda’s Equine Rescue.
Those fireworks kept KT up way too late last night! Lucky for him he has someone to tuck him in early tonight❤️ KT is with us for training from The Dorset Equine Rescue.
In our latest “Baby Steps” video you can see Grace working on moving her hind end in both directions, as well as responding to forward and backward pressure from in front. It is important when moving her hind end that she steps under with her “inside” hind leg, which means she is bringing it forward and towards her center of gravity. You can see that she still needs a little help getting in a position to allow this to happen. Grace is with us for training from NEER North and will be looking for a home with draft horse and training experience to keep her heading in the right direction as she continues to grow and mature.
Paris is looking great and is getting to the point where we are going to start working outside of the arena. She is looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday at the Open House!
Our Annual Open House is less than a week away, and everyone is resting up for the big day! We hope you can join us on Sunday June 30th from 11-2:00 at 38 Grassow Loop in Hope, ME.
While Grace found an effective (and hilarious) way to stay cool the last couple of days, we hope everyone else was able to find some reprieve from the heat!
World continues to gain strength and confidence under saddle with each ride. This handsome Standardbred gelding was struggling with ulcers as well as chronic Lyme disease, and since being treated for both has shown tremendous improvement in all areas. From his way of going to his willingness to try new things, we cannot get over how much he has grown. World is with us for training from Futures for Standardbreds.
KT is one of the sweetest boys we have ever met, however he struggles with confidence. We use obstacles as a way to build a horse’s confidence in themselves and their handler. KT is with us for training from The Dorset Equine Rescue.
Running into the weekend like…. Hope you all have a good one!
The next step in Grace’s education was teaching her to yield her forehand away from pressure. This is very hard for her as she is a big girl and naturally very heavy on her forehand. We had to teach her to shift her weight back so that she could then freely step over with her shoulder in either direction. Grace is with us for training from NEER North.
Some days you just get the zooms and cannot help yourself…With Shadow, it’s most days😂 Shadow is a yearling mini gelding that is with us for training from Gerda’s Equine Rescue.
