An Addendum Named Leah

There is a Part III to “Bound to the Herd,” or at least an addendum, it is Leah’s story. 

I started Leah when she was 2-3 and put her first rides on her here at home. She was really sweet and easy to work with. Later, I sent her to the trainer, but she quickly developed physical issues and had to come home after only a week and half. Cowboy had miraculously recovered from a broken P3, and was in the prime of his life, so I let Leah just heal up and enjoy herd life…for 6 years. 

Years later, when Cowboy developed Equine Headshaking Syndrome, I decided to start and finish Leah myself, with some help from the ground from Regina, who I am currently working with to train Tweed. 

Leah was nine. 

I hauled Leah to Regina’s barn from fall to spring, and got her going pretty solid for beginner trails by summer.

Along the way that year we hit roadblocks in our arena work. One, she started to rear up when she refused and, 2, she started to bolt hard and fast to the left to avoid work. 

She is a powerful horse, and her bolts were quick. 

Through lots of trial and error, many horsemanship books, and luck, I found solutions to both the rearing and bolting, and by the next year, we were solidly on trails and had many grand adventures together. 

The other day while I was working with Tumbleweed, and when Leah wasn’t being used as bait, my husband wandered off and took Leah over the obstacle course. (It is the same one I trained her on, but she hasn’t done in a few years.)

I didn’t get to watch them since I was busy, but he told me that she did every obstacle he asked her to do, perfectly. She did the teeter totter bridge, car wash, step up tire, all of it. 

I was very proud of her for remembering so much. It also says a lot about my husband that she trusted him. 

And, it was a good reminder that all this work towards a solid foundation pays off.