Terry’s recent reflections on Veronica:
“Veronica’s playful nature has really started to emerge over the past year as she’s gained confidence in her environment, her handlers, and herself. She’s got a funny side—opinionated, but still respectful. Over the last few months, we’ve watched her settle right in behind Sienna in the herd dynamic. When we recently removed Sienna to make room for more youngsters, Veronica quietly and somewhat unassumingly stepped into the top mare role.
She’s got her hands full with the three younger mares, but as a kind leader, she gives them both stability and direction when needed. Watching her introductions with the new members of her herd was fascinating. Her communication is clear—when she asked them to move, she gave them a good deal and paused to let them process before needing to firm up. She only had to get her point across firmly a few times before they got the message and realized she meant business.
I’d like to take credit for her leadership skills, but I’m sure much of it came from watching other horses—seeing when they were searching, when they lacked try, or when they had a bad feel—and stepping in to make things clear. We can learn a lot about how to communicate with horses, how to offer a good deal, and how to increase pressure with purpose from natural herd leaders like Veronica.
With her growing maturity, I can quickly check her out on the ground and comfortably get on and ride. We’re still working on her changing eyes and acceptance of her left-side blind spots. She’s now turning loose to the right for longer periods and isn’t as quick or insistent about taking her head and eyes back to the left. There’s still plenty of work to do in that area, but the path forward is clear.
Her ability to get on a unified circle and stay on my line has improved significantly over the winter. It might’ve looked like boring maintenance work, but honestly, it might be the most important thing we’ve done for Veronica. When she accepts the circle, her body finds balance, and her mind follows. It’s a big ask—to expect an animal once terrified of humans to let us climb on their back. And for them to do it while staying soft and balanced? That’s nearly impossible without the right support. But the work is paying off, and she’s steadily becoming a solid riding partner.
This summer, I’m looking forward to having her participate in our horsemanship clinics and to taking her on as many trail rides and arena sessions as we can, hauling off-site weekly to keep building her exposure and confidence.”
