Tiva’s middle name is Louise. Or Marie, depending on the day and who you ask. Both roll off the tongue, and neither are serious, their function purely decorative.
Typically a middle name is invoked when the subject is misbehaving (i.e., ‘Tiva Marie, don’t you look so nasty at that other horse!’) but in Tiva’s case, it is typically cooed, applied like a pet, as her instances of being simply excellent far outweigh those where she is anything else.
Once upon a not-so-distant time, we questioned whether or not we would ride Tiva. There was a lot under the hood, and even with hundreds – nay, thousands – of hours of consistent groundwork, there was a big question mark that existed as to whether or not this mare would be successful under saddle. And while it hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing, we have found the waters a whole lot less choppy and the boat a whole lot more stalwart than we might have originally imagined.
Tiva has really proven herself as a pretty solid riding horse. Of course there are things – she’s still green, after all – but she has a phenomenal mind and a very low propensity for dramatics. She has been out for walks in the park several times now, and gone for numerous toddles around the property, honing her skills as a trail partner. For the most part, she feels the same under saddle in all sorts of varied environments, and while she does take comfort in a ‘follow the leader’ type of scenario when faced with some more challenging situations, her draw is not and has never really been towards other horses. She has taken very good care of some more novice riders, despite muddled cues and occasionally sticky legs, and the recent addition of a new pair of front shoes has seen her more willing to move out, which had previously been one of her biggest challenge spots.
Tiva (Marie, Louise, etc.,) is special, from the tips of her chestnut ears down to the beveled curve of her toes. Whoever gives Tiva her last name will find themselves in possession of one amazing horse!
