Skye was bought at auction as a 2yo by her current owner Liz , when it was decided that life as a racehorse was not for her. She then enjoyed living for 12 months in a small herd in her new home, forgetting the racing world and just being allowed to grow, play and - well just be a young horse :)
When my family and I first met Skye some months ago, we were most touched by her gentleness and calmness (apart from her gorgeous looks of course!) Even my non-horsey husband felt so comfortable around her in and out of the stable and was quite happy leading her to and from the field. She really just loves people! During a recent conversation with Liz, she felt that it was time for Skye to re-start her education and that this young horse would really benefit from Straightness Training (ST) (www.straightnesstraining.com). So when asked, I agreed to take Skye on to help her develop her potential.
And so our journey began....
Over the last 7 days Skye has settled really well into her new home here with me in Greater London. In fact she is so well adjusted, it seems like she's been with us forever! She loves her 'deluxe' stable with a great big mirror on one side :) But it was interesting to observe that a couple of days ago at feeding time, she started to treat her reflection as an unwelcome 'intruder' and tried to tell the 'other horse' off!
Although I'm not quite yet greeted with a little neigh in the mornings, Skye and I are bonding well during grooming and our training sessions. She loves a cuddle and a good scratch just at the base of her neck and between her shoulder blade & withers. She's a bright little mare, learning really quickly. She's learning to yield to pressure, rather than going into it, and to choose to do something rather than just to 'be obedient' - which is quite different.
So far, we've had 4 short ST sessions, working on LFS (L=lateral bending; F = stretching forward down; S= stepping forward & under towards to point of mass) standing still and walking on a circle. Skye is finding bending to the left quite tricky, sometimes tilting her head a little (which may indicate tightness in her hip), while bending to the right is a little easier and we are achieving a much rounder shape/bend through the whole body. But it is early days and improvement will come with time and patience - both of which I have in abundance. And what I really like about this little mare is her 'can-do' attitude. She does it all with a smile...well, she would if she could :)
The specifically designed & structured exercises will help Skye to develop balance (physically, mentally, emotionally & spiritually), core strength, rhythm and the right muscles for self-carriage and to carry a rider.
I am really pleased with the start we've made and I'm so excited about what lies ahead of us on this journey we've embarked on together. I will endeavour to post weekly updates on the progress we're making and hope you'll be following us keenly as Skye is 'finding her hooves'...
Have a blessed week,
Bea
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