The summer of 2007 we started her under saddle, but we didn't get as much time on her back as we would have liked. Her saddle training will continue in 2009, as we would like to get her into the showring. Ronda is one of the nicest horses on the farm to handle. Even with her high flight reaction, she trusts us and tries very hard to give what we ask of her. All she wants is make us happy, and she is happy knowing that we are.
The fall of 2007 we took her to a driving clinic over three weekends. The first weekend proved to be the most challenging for her as we worked on sensitizing and the dreaded de-sensitizing. Ground driving was a piece of cake. Pulling a telephone pole around the arena was not much of a challenge once she realized that she had to lean into it (go against the pressure). The last weekend we got to hook to a cart and she didn't mind that at all. The harness and cart were borrowed from a very generous friend, Lorne Anderson. The harness was worn on the pevious day by a Clydesdale he was training (that is why the collar is so monstorus on her!) Ronda has her Sire's beauiful typy head. And everyone comments on her pretty face when they see her. She also has her Dam's elegant carriage. We are very happy about the beautiful mare she has grown into.
"Ronda" is a beautiful bay young mare with tons of presence. She is the full sister to Small Acres Jezebel so her bloodlines are also impecable with Upwey Ben Don, Senator Graham, Trebles Willy Wild and Ulendon in her Sire's line and Beamington and Waseeka's In Command in her Dam's line. And like her sister, Jez, we bought Ronda as a weanling too.
