Recently we embarked on an 8 horse journey over to Ellensburg for the Buck Brannaman clinic. Annika brought Harissa into the morning Foundations class, and has the following to say about their experience together:
“I had the privilege of taking Harissa into the foundations class taught by Buck Brannaman in Ellensburg. It is truly a privilege learning from him, and this was a big step for both Harissa and me.
This was only my second clinic with her, so there was still some connection to build. The weekend started with a long trailer ride and plenty of excitement in the new environment. The corrals were connected through narrow paths surrounded by other horses. Leading her through to the arena was challenging at first, and she wanted to push past me. But by the last day she was ready to match my pace and stop whenever I stopped.
One of our goals for the weekend was to work on saddling. For her, it means standing still, and she can get very tight. But even with all the commotion of a clinic, she did better every day and was able to endure the whole process without walking off on our last day.
During class we spent a lot of time on “hooking on” and “changing eyes.” Both exercises have been on our to‑do list for quite some time, but especially with Buck’s help I developed a deeper understanding of the movement and timing. I was able to help Harissa through it to where she could step her front end through in a soft rhythm and change bends calmly.
Harissa still has some miles to go on her journey to becoming a riding horse, but she made meaningful strides this weekend. She learned to better handle pressure and look to her humans for support. And I learned how to be clearer, steadier, and more present for her. I’m excited to see what her future holds and where her riding journey will take her.”
