Simply Sophisticated-"Sophie"
Sophie is a 2003 Friesian/Morgan mare standing a whopping 14.3h. Age and breed are actually up in the air, I am going with what I was told from the previous owner. Her past is actually quite unknown to me. I was told she was used as a walking trail horse about three times a year. I knew she would be green! I took Sophie on a two month trial in March 2010 and she came with the name Twilight. I quickly renamed her Sophie in remembrance of a friend who was killed in a car accident and her dog, her love in life, was named Sophie. It suits her well actually. I was told she was a 10yo, but the vet said she was closer to 7, so thats what I went with! As for breed, sometimes I swear she is part gaited! Sophie has a loooooong back which has made training difficult but makes for very expressive movement. Almost everyone says they can see the Morgan in her, some say they see the Friesian. Either way, shes perfect to me!
When I first bought Sophie she was skinny, bones showing through her winter coat, and had terrible feet. She had perfect ground manners but was very different under saddle. Sophie didnt do anything bad necessarily, but you could feel the tension and nervousness the moment you got in the saddle. I have NEVER met a horse so hollow and stiff before in my life. I had to hold myself in a sort of half seat for weeks until she was ok with my weight on her without making her want to gallop off....even though she had no clue how to canter. No lie, wouldnt even canter in the field with the other horses. Everything meant "go" under saddle. Posting the trot meant go, adding leg on one side to help bend meant go, relaxing my seat meant go, turning meant go, you get the point. She hated a bit in her mouth, I needed a ground person so help me whoa, and the only thing that turned us was her inability to bend her neck when I pulled rein so she had no choice but to follow her nose with her stiff board body. After the two months I had her on trial I decided to actually buy her in May because she had so much try and had made so much progress. I was planning on her as a resale project, you see how that went. After only two months I was able to start taking Sophie out in the open field and ride her w/t/c. Her canter came with bucking to start with simply because she always got crossed. She was quick, heavy in the hand (pulled a ligament in my shoulder once!), but she was manageable and progressing quickly. We had even started jumping! Sophie was awkward over fences but a few times through the chute she managed to figure it out and took quickly to it under saddle. From day one I have not had this mare refuse a fence! She did her first show, 2'6 jumpers, after only four months under saddle with me. Although it was a pretty sloppy and hideous round, she left the fences up and her big trot kept her well within the easy time, and she placed 1st and two 2nds.
Sophie has been improving since the beginning but we have always struggled with getting her to engage and round through herself and get off her forehand. (A lot of it being me!) Flexing, bending, suppling, all have come in very handy with her. Ive used a lot of different techniques and methods, most of which were short lived before I had to switch it up on her, and we are finally really getting somewhere. I dont think she will ever be one that holds herself together on her own, but shes now doing well with holding herself when I ask her to. Her back is still not strong enough to do it constantly, but then again shes been in and out of training for the past year and a half with me being pregnant and lack of time. Still, every time I take this mare to a show we are in the ribbons with compliments and her main critiques are bending and softness.
My original plans for Sophie were to go training level. My trainer says she thinks with her heart she could do prelim. Im still chicken out xc since I just started it with Sophie and have only done 5 events as of Fall 2013. For now though, I think the highest I am planning for her is Novice. Sophie had a field injury that effected her shoulder and left her lame for about 6 weeks. Since then she has had a little sort of glitch in her step. Due to this, for now, we will be staying at beginner novice and maybe moving to novice later in 2014. The stiffness could improve and work itself out, but then again it could be the start of some arthritis because of that incident. Its unknown so the plan is to keep it smaller and more simple so she can continue on for several more years before being partially retired. She has a lot to offer and teach me in that time since she is quite the technical ride and can, and has, really boost my abilities. She has a forever home with me no matter what happens in the future! Horses with her heart just dont come around often enough to pass them on for anything. She is worth her weight in gold!
Want to know more about Sophie or Leo??...Just ask!!! I love talking about my horses!
When I first bought Sophie she was skinny, bones showing through her winter coat, and had terrible feet. She had perfect ground manners but was very different under saddle. Sophie didnt do anything bad necessarily, but you could feel the tension and nervousness the moment you got in the saddle. I have NEVER met a horse so hollow and stiff before in my life. I had to hold myself in a sort of half seat for weeks until she was ok with my weight on her without making her want to gallop off....even though she had no clue how to canter. No lie, wouldnt even canter in the field with the other horses. Everything meant "go" under saddle. Posting the trot meant go, adding leg on one side to help bend meant go, relaxing my seat meant go, turning meant go, you get the point. She hated a bit in her mouth, I needed a ground person so help me whoa, and the only thing that turned us was her inability to bend her neck when I pulled rein so she had no choice but to follow her nose with her stiff board body. After the two months I had her on trial I decided to actually buy her in May because she had so much try and had made so much progress. I was planning on her as a resale project, you see how that went. After only two months I was able to start taking Sophie out in the open field and ride her w/t/c. Her canter came with bucking to start with simply because she always got crossed. She was quick, heavy in the hand (pulled a ligament in my shoulder once!), but she was manageable and progressing quickly. We had even started jumping! Sophie was awkward over fences but a few times through the chute she managed to figure it out and took quickly to it under saddle. From day one I have not had this mare refuse a fence! She did her first show, 2'6 jumpers, after only four months under saddle with me. Although it was a pretty sloppy and hideous round, she left the fences up and her big trot kept her well within the easy time, and she placed 1st and two 2nds.
Sophie has been improving since the beginning but we have always struggled with getting her to engage and round through herself and get off her forehand. (A lot of it being me!) Flexing, bending, suppling, all have come in very handy with her. Ive used a lot of different techniques and methods, most of which were short lived before I had to switch it up on her, and we are finally really getting somewhere. I dont think she will ever be one that holds herself together on her own, but shes now doing well with holding herself when I ask her to. Her back is still not strong enough to do it constantly, but then again shes been in and out of training for the past year and a half with me being pregnant and lack of time. Still, every time I take this mare to a show we are in the ribbons with compliments and her main critiques are bending and softness.
My original plans for Sophie were to go training level. My trainer says she thinks with her heart she could do prelim. Im still chicken out xc since I just started it with Sophie and have only done 5 events as of Fall 2013. For now though, I think the highest I am planning for her is Novice. Sophie had a field injury that effected her shoulder and left her lame for about 6 weeks. Since then she has had a little sort of glitch in her step. Due to this, for now, we will be staying at beginner novice and maybe moving to novice later in 2014. The stiffness could improve and work itself out, but then again it could be the start of some arthritis because of that incident. Its unknown so the plan is to keep it smaller and more simple so she can continue on for several more years before being partially retired. She has a lot to offer and teach me in that time since she is quite the technical ride and can, and has, really boost my abilities. She has a forever home with me no matter what happens in the future! Horses with her heart just dont come around often enough to pass them on for anything. She is worth her weight in gold!
Want to know more about Sophie or Leo??...Just ask!!! I love talking about my horses!