Training Story: Stephie and Titus

Me and my friend Amanda, who also works at Maple Crescent, train and work with horses when we have time which is usually in the mornings. Our main projects for last summer were Stephie, a 4 year old Standardbred mare, and Titus, a 5 year old off-the-track thoroughbred. Amanda always worked with Stephie and I had Titus.

Stephie is a really good horse who is really willing to learn. She acts pretty silly sometimes but she is overall a very cooperative horse. Since she is a Standardbred, she has a special gait called a pace which is really quite humorous to watch Amanda try to sit to. Stephie has also really seemed to show interest in the barrels that are set up in the arena that are used for Beauty and I to proctice for the rodeos.

Stephie

Titus is a really nice horse who tries hard to do what we ask him to do, even though he doesn't always know what I want him to do. He has a bit of a stubborn streak and about half way through the summer he started to buck whenever I cantered him. I am still not sure why. I had our vet check his back and legs and I changed his saddle, pad and bit a few times but nothing seems to change anything.

Titus

Both Stephie and Titus got to go in the Ganaraska forest for the first time this year and they both did amazingly well. Stephie just couldnt care less about anything and Titus was really clam aswell, which is uncommon for thoroughbreds. On Titus' first encounter with four-wheelers and dirt bikes, he barely even looked at them and was so calm. I was so proud of him.

In this coming spring and summer, Stephie should be joining the rest of the trail horses taking customers on rides, after a little bit of refresher rides with me or Amanda, and Titus will continue his training with us and hopefully become a lead horse for the trail guides to ride.