One year with Sense a Giant

Today marks one whole year of my first ever baby horse. He has been an incredibly rewarding partner, and we have both learned so much in the past year. 

Adoption picture in PA 

Arrival day - now that I know him I can see his eye wasn't just tired, but he wasn't feeling well from the travel either

THAT'S a happy eye 

And a whole hunk of a horse 

We have had quite a few adventures in the past year - his first XC school was WAYYYY more chaotic than I thought it would be, including body slamming his friend in the water. But his second school, he managed to eat a little bit of grass and function far away from Ms. GY's horse. And by the third time out he knew his business was eating grass and JOMPING. 

He also went out and did poles and cross rails at his first show with JT. This was relatively quickly followed by his first show with me. There, he exceeded absolutely all my expectations and was brave and rideable to our tiny cross rails and also functioned like a grown up horse in the warm up and at the show in general. 

After some bouncing back and forth between the GY's and JT's this year, he's settled at a farm all of his own in January. 

His softness has been a work in progress this whole year. We're on the right track with his neck and getting him softer and bending through his neck and body, but his first reaction is still tension and bracing. On the other hand, he is BRAVE and wants so badly to do the job. 

I am learning SO MUCH on our journey together. I have never shaped a horse in this way before, and it is the coolest thing to work my hardest to provide him positive experiences to help him develop into a horse who loves his job and is confident about it. 

Here's to 2024 with Sense a Giant, I can't wait to see what adventures we go on this year!!