Kenna, who came to us on October 10, 2022 is really progressing nicely and showing us who she is and what she is feeling more and more. The connection is getting stronger and the trust level is growing. This is a win-win for everyone.

10/17-18/2022 – Day  8 & 9: Time Off/More Rain

Well…yes. Everyone is having a day or two off from training today. Just some TLC as this rain passes through. Michael had an encounter with a very large, very scared OTTB yesterday and is feeling it today. Perfect timing. Ronan and Kenna are all comfy so we all are getting a little down time. Rest and time off is just as important as training…especially in Kenna’s case! Keep beaming those positive vibes her days! NOTE: Michael had an encounter with a BIG, spooky and ZERO ground manners OTTB not long after the training session. Said OTTB was way spun up and ended up spooking, rearing up and bolting while being hand-walked. The result for the horse was a lesson in manners. The result for the human was injury to his shoulder, upper chest and ribs. A couple days of rest and then Michael will get back to training our horses.

10/19/2022 – Day 10: We Review

A couple of days off and just being a horse is often as important as training itself! Kenna was definitely feeling feisty/playful and according to the ranch volunteer she “didn’t want to come off of her hay pile” but walked right up to Michael when he entered the pasture and behaved well overall. We worked on standing quietly when being groomed, worked on her feet a bit, desensitized to the flag (hardly a flinch this time) and reviewed the previous lessons. Then we got into some work over poles and adding energy/speed to the Respectful Lunging. With the recent bodywork treatments we are aware that her hips and rear legs were uncomfortable but we notice that Kenna looked more “free” in her movements because of the treatments. So today she gave us a little bit of playful sass and then got to work on moving with quality. The ride portion of the lesson went fairly well. A little less fussing with the bit, some improvement in steering and the stop/back up is getting better. She really has progressed nicely in the short time she has been with us. We have a journey yet to travel to help Kenna be a good Equine Partner, yet we are hopeful that said journey will have more good days than bad and that Kenna will be able to grow into herself in all the ways that matter.

10/20-21/2022 – Day 11 & 12: The Journey so Far…

Kenna has been introduced to the following exercises/experiences:

Collaborative Groundwork

·         The Leadership Exercise Pt. 1

·         The Leadership Exercise Pt. 2

·         Backing to Steady Pressure

·         Backing to Rhythmic Pressure

·         Lateral Flexion

·         Yielding the Hindquarters to Touch

·         The 5 in 1 Exercise

·         Follow the Feel

·         Changing Sides (Intro to FQ Yields)

·         Desensitize w/ Rope

·         Desensitize w/ Flag

·         Desensitize w/ Mounting Block

·         Desensitize w/ Saddle and Rear Cinch

·         Picking up Feet

Cooperative Riding

·         Standing Still While Grooming.

·         Accepting the Bit

·         The Mecate

·         Standing at the Mounting Block/Mounting

·         Departure w/ Squeeze

·         The Stop

·         The Back Up

·         Steering w/ Look, Leg, Lift

·         Hindquarter Yield

·         Forequarter Yield Along the Fence

·         Being Ponied

·         Ground Poles

·         Intro to Transitions

·         Lateral Flexion

All of these experiences, combined with the move to a new place, the meeting of new people, changes in diet and herd and simply being loved on have begun to create connection. The “Four C’s of Horsemanship” are the guide to Kenna’s program: Connection, Communication, Control and Confidence. Everything we are doing is focused on building up these four aspects…and we strive to be Consistent in doing so. Review and refinement has been the focus and we will continue to work on these skills until we feel Kenna really “owns” them before we start adding more.

In the season ahead we will be grouping sessions together (multiple days) in this journal. We have some specific goals and benchmarks we hope to achieve, but at the end of the day is all up to Kenna. As we head into late Fall and Winter there will be more time off and more “winterizing” sessions to ensure that Kenna, and Ronan, stay mentally, physically and emotionally fit. Remember, it’s a journey not a race!

October 22-23, 2022 – Day 13-14: The Trot and the Bosal

                As noted, we discovered that Kenna’s “training” before she came to us was less than kind. In face we have been told that it was more like a boot camp and less like assisting the horse to be a good Equine Partner. Given her history, this time of “training” is more damaging to the horse’s wellbeing on all levels. In short it was the absolute worst course of action to take. Yes, we have opinions on this. We feel very strongly that, especially with rescued horses, the focus has to be on building a strong foundation and enriching the Four C’s before you do anything else! This was not the case with Kenna until she came to us.

                The bodywork, ultrasound and electro therapy that Kenna has been getting has really helped to heal the damage and relieve the pain Kenna was experiencing from her “training.” Treatments will continue as we progress with her. We actually worked in TWO sessions on the day due to some schedule craziness…but it worked out well and was a great test of our connection. We have been working on walk/trot transitions in our Collaborative Groundwork and it has been going well. Kenna has been moving into the faster gait without protest, which has been really nice. This is a major improvement over previous experiences. When asked to move into the trot under saddle in earlier session, she protested. We understood. In the session on 10/22 Michael asked for the trot and Kenna flowed into it. A little protest at first but she trotted along. Michal kept the duration of the trotting short, given Kenna’s fitness level. By the fourth request, there was actual joy in Kenna’s trot! We called that a WIN and stopped the session. Lots of love and praise for a job well done by Kenna!

                During the 10/23 session we introduced the bosal. Because Kenna showed some resistance to the bit, we thought (and felt confident) that we would introduce the bosal to Kenna and not have any major issues. We expected and certain diminishment of connection and communication and clarity because of contact of the bosal and where “pressure and feel” come from. Once we fitted the bosal properly to Kenna we went through a series of groundwork exercises with her to let her experience the feel and communication that the bosal offers. Then Michael mounted up and took a short ride. The goal was to work on steering, stopping and backing at the walk. Well….WINNING! She really seemed to enjoy the experience and performed better than we expected. This is a big deal as it shows us her level of trust in us and her willingness to give humans a second (fourth?) chance. The bosal will continue to be part of her training as we move forward. We will also be trying some of the bitless halters we have in our collection in the future!

                We have shot several videos which will soon be posted on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. Be sure to check them out! To see all the “adventures” we have planned please visit us at:

·         Facebook (events, articles, content and videos – be sure to LIKE/ FOLLOW us there):  https://www.facebook.com/luckystarhorsemanshipnewyork.

·         Website (all sorts of information): https://www.luckystarhorsemanshipny.com

·         Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/luckystarhorsemanship/

·         YouTube (be sure to subscribe):  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC83woj1YaV_87YBsJngV2uw

Now…let us be clear…there are still issues we need to address at this time and we have found some areas that will require a little firmness to help Kenna understand what the social boundaries and expectations are. We are still working on her back feet (the therapy is helping) and we are addressing the crowding near the gate, when she is in the pasture with other horses. The foundation for these lessons is being crafted and we feel that we will modify/change these behaviors in the very near future. Rescued horses come with baggage…sometimes LOTS of baggage. It is our task to help them unpack those bags and find the good stuff in order for them to live their best lives while being good Equine Partners.