Candi K has the following reflections about her recent time spent with Mabel:
“This past weekend, I had the joy of partnering with sweet Mabel during the Joel Conner Clinic in the Groundwork class. From the moment she greeted me each morning with a soft nicker, I knew I was in for something special. Mabel is the kind of mare who is calm, kind and always wanting to connect.
Because she has limited vision in her left eye, one of our main goals was to help her feel more comfortable changing eyes and staying balanced in her movement and confidence. We spent time bending while standing still, asking her to engage her hindquarters and rewarding every try with timely releases. By day three, she was beginning to reach toward me literally and figuratively as my hand moved toward the lead line. That subtle “try” felt like a little victory each time.
We also explored bringing life up and down through feel alone. Mabel could walk a unified circle at a snail’s pace, then transition to a light trot just by a lift in my energy and come right back down again with ease. It was a dance of intention and feel. She picked up the rhythm beautifully.
Backing was another area we refined. At first, she was a bit sticky, but with gentle persistence using both the lead line and light asks under the chin she started to respond to the softest feel. Each day, her try grew stronger with quicker, smoother steps.
Through it all, Mabel stayed steady, forgiving, and present. You could say she was my “Steady Eddy”. She gave me grace when my timing was off and rewarded the right moments with licks, chews and soft eyes. She’s a true partner in learning: patient, willing and full of heart.
Mabel has so much to offer. With continued time in the horsemanship program, she’s going to shine bright—a gem in the making, ready to build a lasting partnership with someone who wants to grow right alongside her.”
