Veronica

Veronica has a mane nearly as long as she is tall, with a forelock that practically tickles her nostrils. On hot days, she loves to splash in her water trough, both front feet fully in and pawing, giving herself a two-for-one pedicure and face wash. She loves a good roll (the length and severity of which corresponds directly to how clean she was just beforehand), and playing around with her friends (she has become quite the boss of little Frosting).

She is also coming along, slowly but surely, under saddle. From that initial saddling where she was practically climbing into the rafters, to those first fractious rides, Veronica has always been one we expected to be a bit more challenging to bring along. And while it will likely be a while still before she is ready to hit the trails, she has really transformed into a soft little riding horse, these days in the round pen out in the big arena.

Check out one of her more recent rides below:

Where do ‘grandma’s horses’ come from, what are their origins? Just as all grandmas were once young women, some surely more wild than others, such must be the same for the horses who earn this moniker.

Continuing the metaphor, on the ground, Veronica is closer to middle-age. Not quite ready for grandma, but with that in sight. She is, these days, quite easy to catch and lead. She stands well for grooming all over and tolerates long braiding sessions, she’s cooperative with the farrier, and she no longer considers a blanket as something that might very well eat her. She went from a practically feral horse, skittish and shy, to one we use to teach newer volunteers how to be around horses.

But under saddle, Veronica is in the earliest phase of the grandma’s horse pipeline, the amount of life she has terrifyingly electric in her veins. The touch of a rope against her hocks is still sometimes enough to send her into a tizzy, that sense of self preservation which exists in her fighting against all the tools we have tried to instill. But we believe in Veronica. She has made such astounding progress already, it just will take a while longer before she’s ready for the grandkids.

Aside from our standard groundwork, we are trying to excavate any and all hidden spots in Veronica, and help her find comfort through moving her feet, even in situations that might spark fear. Recently, a lot of work has been done with Veronica and a tarp – such an innocuous object, but one whose terror really knows no bounds when it comes to horses. It can flap! It can drag! It can crinkle and crunch! Walking over it is, for some horses, akin to traversing the deepest of oceans. Having it wriggle in a man-made breeze conjures all sorts of terror-inducing thoughts. In short, it’s the perfect object for training.

Veronica has spent a lot of time recently getting to know the tarp. It has been on her back, under her feet, above her head, against her side. It has been dragged on the ground around her, and tossed casually around across her. We are trying to invent new and unique ways to expose Veronica to the tarp. Why? Because there are still moments when it bothers her, and if we are looking for Veronica to be grandma’s horse in the future (like, distant future) then a little tarp action shouldn’t be any worry to her at all.

In the below video, Terry discusses how she utilizes the tarp in her work with Veronica:

Ultimately, each wave of the tarp is a step towards this special mare’s success. And while it may be some years yet, we hope to give Veronica the best possible chance at one day being grandma’s horse.

Veronica loves dogs! Not only if they just happen to be walking by her as she snoozes next to the fence line, but when she spots them, she comes right over and wants kisses. Our Saturday Barn Staff, Trudy, brings Titan her adorable husky to work each weekend. Trudy goes about her busy day with Titan always in tow or sometimes towing her along. Since he was a wee puppy, he has grown up at SAFE making him very accustomed to all the “large dogs” on the property and apparently Veronica is quite fond of him.

When Trudy recently shared this little unknown fact with the staff and we had to share the cuteness that is Veronica and Titan. It looks as though our Veronica may love a future home with not only fellow hoofed friends, but also one with wagging tails.

Veronica is a riding horse!

There is a spectrum here, of course. Veronica’s first rides would have been more suited to a rodeo setting – she would have made a fine saddle bronc, don’t let her size fool you. And while she’s still quite some time away from being ‘grandma’s horse,’ she has certainly made some serious progress from those first few times with a rider.

Veronica’s sense of self-preservation is immense. This might work to her advantage if she were a wild horse, because she would be on high-alert for predators and ready to run (not to mention kick) at the drop of a hat. But for a horse bound for domesticity, and ideally one with a future as a riding partner, these traits are not the most beneficial. She is a sweet, sensitive mare, but when she enters her flight or fight mode, it becomes difficult for her to look to us humans for support. There are points where you can see her ability to rationalize vanish, and all she can do is run or buck or kick. With each hour spent in the round pen with Veronica, having her change eyes on the rope around her legs, drag a tarp around, hook on, get touched by the flag, bump up to the panel, and all manner of other activities, we train Veronica’s thinking brain to be the one that takes the driver’s seat when the road gets bumpy, with the hopes that eventually she will know that she has all the tools she needs to handle any situation she encounters.

One of her major challenges is turning loose to her outside eye, which means that a stirrup moving (or sometimes just being present) can set her off. It was hugely important that a skilled horseman like Joel was able to put the first few rides on Veronica, because he was able to really ‘go with her’ while she moved and not reflexively squeeze or touch her with his legs. As she grew a bit more confident with a rider, he would pet her a little with his leg as they rode, just so she could get used to the sensation, since eventually there will come a time when someone gets on her who might squeeze a little (or a lot!), and it’s important for her continued success that she be able to handle all kinds of differences amongst riders. It starts slow, in the beginning, but the goal remains the same – for Veronica to be safe for people, with security in her own self a crucial step in helping achieve that goal.

With each ride, Veronica gets a bit more accustomed to having a rider, and is continuously rewarded for her try. What started out as a veritable bronc ride, with Joel having to talk her out of trouble, has now become a much more relaxed journey through the gaits – now with a snaffle bit!

You can see a pretty comprehensive cross-section of Veronica’s rides documented here — from her very first, to her most recent at the time of this post. Veronica would not be where she is today without the sweat, tears, and very hard work of Candi, Joel, and Terry, whose dedication, patience, and tenacity help empower Veronica every time they interact with her. This is a special little mare, and we all look forward to continuing the journey alongside her.

One of our Volunteer Riders had this to say about Veronica:

You could say Ms. Veronica is “Walking on Sunshine” as a whole new world has opened up to her beyond the main gate of SAFE Harbor Stables. Just a few weeks ago Veronica and I prepared to make a trek to the great unknown. Well really it is just the trails the connect from SAFE to Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park, but it sounds more adventurous, right? We joined the seasoned group of riders, hand walkers and horses to see the new world. Ahh the sights and smells! Big trees, logs to step over, strange looking plants like ferns and ivy, bridges over creeks, cars whizzing by and kids playing in the park. All new experiences for this sensitive mare. A little anxious at first but as the walk continued, she became more relaxed and seem to enjoy herself.

Do you know what a bug catcher is? Veronica didn’t know until that day either. It is a person on a bicycle. As part of learning to be a solid trail horse she will need to know about obstacles that may occur without notice. We turned to face the bicyclist straight on with the rest of the horses and watched it go by. She was curious but remained calm.

As the days get warmer and hopefully there will be less rain, we hope to take more trail walks. There is even an arena just off the trail where we can practice groundwork.

I am pretty sure I can hear Veronica singing this tune as she has come so far over the last several months. She is definitely loved by everyone at SAFE.

“Walking on sunshine Walking on sunshine

I feel alive, I feel the love, I feel the love that’s really real I feel alive, I feel the love, I feel the love that’s really real”

Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and The Waves

A sweet note and reminder how special horses are in our lives. Candi recently had this to say about her relationship with Veronica: “It has been two weeks since I have been able to be with Veronica. Today she ran to me when she saw me at the gate of her turn out. Being with her made all of the crazy, chaotic, emotional days of the past two weeks drift away.” 

One of our volunteer riders, Candi, had this to say about working with Veronica:

“The barn is on fire! Let’s go!” It really isn’t on fire but, that was my mantra with Veronica for the last several months as we worked through some recurring haltering issues while she was turned out in her paddock. Even though she has spent well over a year of being haltered every once in a while she gets a bee in her bonnet and decides to run away and play catch me if you can. Rather than walking up to her slowly to gain her trust and hope she won’t take off, the approach of the barn is on fire sister we have to go was taken. I have spent countless hours of changing eyes, catch and release and haltering her in the as quickly as possible. It is paying off! She is no longer running off in the paddock from the volunteers and she is beginning to come to us to be haltered.

Veronica has also been introduced to the big and scary blue tarp. The tarp is used to help grow the horse’s confidence and remain calm and self-assured for an eventual rider. At first it was on the ground so she could walk across it like an object on a trail. Then I switched to moving it around beside her while waving it in the air and making a lot of noise. Eventually I had the tarp on her and moving it all around her body. She is now wearing the tarp while working on her hindquarters and moving up to the fence. I will continue to work with her on this as she still needs to build a great deal of confidence to work out the wiggles.

She is also making great strides in her hindquarters and becoming very soft in her feel. We will begin to work more on the front quarters as well. Even though she was saddled in the November clinic we are taking our time with her. We want to be sure she is ready for a rider and does not panic. She needs to be able to look to that person and feel that support.

Veronica is a sweet, sensitive and inquisitive mare. She has come a long way in the last several months, but she definitely needs a lot of continued horsemanship to prepare her for her future. Time is on her side.

Check out Veronica in action below!

Our major goal for Veronica is to help her to be responsive instead of reactive. Over the next weeks we will work to get her feeling 100% confident with the saddle before anyone needs to ride her. She is working on relaxing into a one rein stop from the ground and doing so without a brace. She needs to accept people walking up to her and her feeling like she’s grandma’s horse rather than tiptoeing around her. She needs work on changing eyes in her front quarters. We are doing this by getting the flag transferred from one side to the other while she frees up her feet. We are bumping her up to the fence and will get her used to flags and ropes thrown over her while she stays calm and relaxed at the fence. We can also start standing up in the stirrup from the ground and throwing a leg over her while she is bumped up to the fence. Since she is more of a reactionary mare, we will help prepare her and only when she is comfortable we will put the first rides on her. There is no point rushing her to be a riding horse and having panic in her with a rider. She will have some trouble with a rider but we hope to prepare her so that it is a minimal as possible. 

Veronica still needs to look more to the person for support than running off in a panic. She needs to feel of the person and realize that no one is driving her to run. We can support her through this but she also needs us to allow her to find peace on her own. We’re working with Joel Conner on helping her change eyes by drawing her off the panels and making a full circle in front of the person, changing eyes, and heading back to the rail without panicking. This seemed to be a great way of helping her find more peace and relaxation. 

Over the past several months, Veronica has made great progress in her ground work with volunteer Candi. She is a sensitive mare who is eager to learn and please. These changes allowed for another milestone as she experienced her first saddling with Joel Conner in the October clinic/colt starting.

Joel has years of experience working with challenging horses like Veronica. Even with preparation on the ground she was uncomfortable and explosive under saddle. For the next five days Veronica was saddled and unsaddled countless times consecutively and throughout the day.

Joel and Candi spent a lot of time freeing up her feet, working on her bracing on the right, bending and changing eyes. By the end of the fifth day, she was beginning to understand the presence of the saddle as she was standing still being unsaddled.

While this is a significant step for this beautiful mare, she has a very long way to go before she will ever experience a rider. She will continue to be saddled every time she works. Continuing to prepare her from the ground will give her the best opportunity for success in the future.

In the days after the clinic, Terry and Candi were able to work and saddle Veronica. She made great progress in the clinic and those changes carried over. We will continue to help her and saddle her during our groundwork sessions. Our goal is she will become more and more comfortable wearing it and eventually accept a rider.

Veronica is a diamond in the rough who is definitely beginning to shine!

Veronica has progressed well in her training. Although she is still a bit shy, she is doing much better about getting caught and haltered, and she will now come up to the fence to be petted and told how pretty she is. Veronica stands patiently while tied and is well-behaved for bathing and being fly sprayed. Earlier in the summer, she started with walking around with a lightly cinched saddle to become accustomed to carrying it. When Joel visited in August, Veronica was saddled and unsaddled repeatedly to help her be comfortable with the saddle, and in September, she worked with Candi in Joel’s groundwork clinic. It will take ongoing groundwork to help Veronica reach the point where she will accept a rider, but we expect she will achieve that goal. 

We are working on preparing Veronica to be saddled. She has calmed so much compared to the fearful horse, distrustful of humans, that arrived at SAFE in early 2020. It has been wonderful to watch her transition. She recently worked in the Joel Connor clinic with Candi in June. Veronica can still be tricky to catch in her large paddock, so they focused a lot on catching and releasing.

Veronica shares her large paddock with Pepper and Sienna. Pepper seems to have recognized Veronica from their shared history as part of the Fall City 40, a group of horses rescued from a hoarder. Sienna took a little longer to accept Veronica, but now all three are napping next to each other. Veronica is a beautiful mare who likes scratches and as long as you aren’t trying to catch her, she walks right up to you for attention and has become a volunteer favorite.

SAFE’s volunteer, Candi, has been a huge part of Veronica’s gentling process. Her kind and patient feel has been key to the successful haltering of this extremely sensitive and touchy mare. We have slowly gained her trust and she is allowing for basic grooming and picking up her hooves. The first video shows Veronica’s first walk outside of her paddock. As you can see, she was very nervous, but connected back with her handler to find the comfort and support she needed. Veronica ended the session in a really good place. In the second video you can see the first time Veronica was led into a trailer. We will continue to work with her in baby steps. She is worth the time, effort, and patience to help her succeed.

SAFE volunteer Candi K. has taken Veronica under her wing and has been consistently working with her for the past few months. Candi’s patient gentling work was exactly what Veronica needed. It’s moving to see Veronica opening up to human contact. Together they are creating a foundation that will be an enormous part of Veronica’s future success as a domesticated horse.

Candi wrote this very thoughtful article about Veronica’s progress: 

Remember the excitement of learning something new and how it opened a whole new world of possibilities for you? Now imagine that as a horse. Imagine how freeing your life will become as you can navigate your days more confidently. Veronica is now successfully halter broken and will stand quiet and still to be groomed. She has the most gorgeous thick tail and much to her delight, she has figured out that it feels really good to have it brushed out.

In the last couple of weeks, she has learned how to walk and stop alongside me as I lead her. She has become a champ at unified circles to the left. Her right eye is her non-dominant eye so she feels less confident on circling to the right. Slowly but surely, she is taking more strides in that direction. We have been practicing approaching the gate of the round pen, opening and closing it while she is haltered and in hand. She is waits patiently and enters and exits without any issues.

Last week we had great success worming her for the first time. She spent several days learning about a syringe and the yummy applesauce that comes out of it. She was happy to take the worming medication and only stuck her tongue out at the end to let us know it tasted a little funny.

Veronica is also getting used to having the lead line touch her all over her body. At first, she was very jumpy and unsure. She is getting more accustomed to it now. This will help as we progress further into her training and future saddling.

Veronica is very loving and eager to learn. Her movement at a trot looks like she is floating on air. She is truly a beautiful mare with a bright future.

What a change Veronica has made in the last few months! She has gone from not wanting to be touched to greeting us at the fence with a nicker and inquisitive eyes.

Over the summer Dylan has spent time with this sweet mare to be able to gain her trust to groom and begin haltering her. SAFE volunteer Candi was able to spend quite a bit of time getting her accustomed to being brushed and having her beautiful mane untangled. Over time she began to realize that this felt good and she would stand in place and enjoy the spa treatment. 

Last week we moved Veronica and Caramel into new turnouts where they share a round pen in between their panels to further their training. Veronica is working on entering the round pen and is getting better at it each day. She moves around beautifully and Dylan has been roping her with ease. Not only has he roped her for halter work he has also done work with all 4 feet to prepare her for the farrier.

Veronica is making great progress with haltering. The first haltering of the day can be a little challenging, but once her halter is on, she will let it be taken off and put back on again repeatedly. Candi has spent a lot of time rubbing her head, ears, and neck to reassure her. She will now rest her head in Candi’s hands and stand still. 

She hooks on easily and is learning to walk alongside and backup. She’ll be learning hindquarters and front quarters soon. This beautiful girl definitely has a bright future. She is smart, and she wants to learn and to please.