"The quality goes in, before the color
goes on!
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Photo Album 1
'Pay It Forward' |
If it hadn't been for a friend of the family bringing up a horse for me to ride for the summers, I would
have never been introduced to horses. The mares were 1/2 walker, one half?. That is how I found
the Tennessee Walking horse. I grew up in the mountains of Northern California and had miles of
forest to ride in, thus was born my love of trail riding.
So, one way I "pay it forward" is to share my horses with others, especially children. Many cannot
afford to have/board a horse, and what are young people to do with no agricultural contact? The
anti-horse movement grows stronger and if we don't counter it with understanding in those to follow
us, I fear for the future of horses.
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With this in mind, I hire young people to do the clean up and teach them horsemanship from the ground up. How to read equine body language, dominance through space control, the "give" so critical to safety with horses. Once they have a good working relationship with the horse on the ground, we start some riding with a halter and bare back. How the horses' movement feels under them, which leg is moving, how that feels. How NOT to balance on the horses' mouth. How to direct the horse with the seat and legs, with the reins as an adjunct to body/balance guidance. |
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Shania has been working with
me for a year, she started at the age of 12. She is in Westonaires, but
she and her parents wanted to learn more about horse keeping and
handling. What/how/why I feed what I do, how I arrange the horses the
way I do, barn design considerations, fencing, you name it, we talk
about it. I am teaching her mom to ride, he dad to do ground work, and
Shania to work with
Handsome
Dun Roadster and
Champagne Dun Darlin' in their training. She is working to start
Darlin' under saddle and Handsome with his leading/feet/grooming
manners. |
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She attended
Showcase's Braveheart's incredibly difficult birth (link to
the story here). As you can see, Handsome and Darlin' love her to death.
She rode Darlin' bareback for Darlin's second ride and with a saddle for
Darlin's first ride. Helmets are mandatory here. |
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The next young lady just
turned 7 years old, McKenna. She had to have
Reactor's Glorious Lady's
complete co-operation on the ground before ever getting on her back. She
listens valiantly to everything I say and does her best to follow my
instructions. She just lights up around the horses and her parents help
her with the clean up. |
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Lady got very pouty about why she had to have the
kids always ride her and not me: I told her only the very best horses
were trusted with Young Children and beginning riders. It is an honor
and she is the only one who can do it. Lady is
Champagne
Shadowfax's dam. |
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My granddaughter,
Isabelle, also rides but is on the fearful side. She doesn't
have a passion for it, but likes occasional short rides. She
rode behind me in the saddle buddy for years. She just turned 7
also. |
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