Here is what Terry had to say about Sienna:
What an absolute gift Joel Conner is to SAFE and horses like Sienna. His resolve, knowledge and compassion for her success is unmatched. Joel made Sienna a “special project” in this past November’s horsemanship clinic. He worked her with purpose and dedication to fill in her insecurities while carrying a rider. This mare has a huge heart with a ton of try but unless we reach in and get rid of her insecurities, she will never make it as a safe riding horse. Things we know to be true: if you surface work her, all you are doing is hardening the brace within her. If you don’t get her to turn all the way loose and you leave a little brace inside, it hardens and next time you ask it’s a hundred times more stuck. If you’re not getting to her feet, you’re leaving a brace and if she isn’t sweating you’re not getting a change. These are the hard truths and the huge responsibility someone has to take on every single time they halter and work her.
One of the biggest take-aways from Joel’s time with Sienna is that the brace is only fully gone when her feet are completely free. This is very clear when backing her up. When you’ve asked for the backup and as you finish she should still have momentum moving backwards and definitely not falling forwards. Our biggest hope is this final piece to Sienna’s recover is now coming into focus. We are all grateful to have Joel’s support and guidance for this mare. She will be a “special project” in 2022 and we hope to focus on helping her secure a home that can handle her needs.
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- Sienna and her herd mate, Veronica
