Haven Horsemanship

Entrepreneurship is glamorous.

Motherhood is glamorous.

Can't you tell?!

We laugh about it so that we don't cry, right?

But I also think it's important to remember that it "shouldn't" be this way. We can take all the personal accountability and responsibility in the world for our lack of self care (I "should" have just made it happen), but is that fair? Does that solve the larger problems? No.

We have a foundational, systemic issue in our society. The amount of work that it takes just to pay your bills each month and care for your family is unsustainable. So many of us are drowning. We need to find ways for individuals and families to make ends meet with a REASONABLE amount of work or our culture is going to cease to exist. It is already a tremendously different environment than just 25 years ago. And I'd venture to say, that most of us are not better off.

We need more down time to spend with or families and within our communities so that we can return to building community. So many of us are just islands now, off on our own due to the lack of time and energy to create and foster community. We're not meant to be doing life alone.

Only then will there be balance for all of us. I hope for the sake of our children that we fight for and find that balance in our world or I fear the world that they will live in.

I'm sorry, this gets heavy 😥

Hopefully final update about the fires. We are safe. Our horses, livestock and pets are safe. Our property is safe. We are grateful.

Others are not so lucky. One person lost their life due to burns. One person is still in intensive care for burns. 9 homes were lost. Many lost fencing, outbuildings, etc. Some are missing pets and livestock. Some still don't have power so cannot return home with their pets and livestock. Looters took advantage of the darkest part of some people's lives to cause unnecessary further harm. Some crossed paths with those looters. Many lost income because if they left their home and livestock, they didn't know if/when they'd be allowed back to care for them.

My husband remained on our property to protect the horses, to aid the firefighters, and ended up having to protect our home from looters, as well.

The last week has been ominous, dark and heavy. We and others in our area are grieving, healing, trying to get back to "normal" life. We may need some time.

We appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers for everyone who has been impacted.

I'm sorry that I've been unresponsive. For those not in our area (Reno, NV), we are dealing with multiple large fires. Initially they thought it was unlikely that they'd get to us, but these fires have proved difficult for resources to get contained.

We made the decision to shelter in place.
We have put a lot of thought and planning into our fire preparedness on this property. We discussed with a fire resource, a vet and a resource experienced in evacuations, and decided that given the nature of evacuating this many equines, the equines on this property who are still in rehabilitation and the steps we've taken to protect the property and its inhabitants from fire, that sheltering in place was the least risky option.

Many of the horses here, both Hoofbeat Heroes horses and HH horses, are here for a reason.

Some have generalized handling phobias, some have specific phobias (like trailering or being stalled), some have crippling separation anxiety, some have fear of strangers, etc. We considered evacuating the horses that could be trailered and safely kept in the conditions of a typical evacuation area (stalled, hectic, strangers participating in their care, etc), but were concerned about the impact that would have on the horses left behind (the most stable and calm herd members in each herd that the more anxious ones rely on gone) AND the impact on all equines and humans by having equines in multiple locations. All of this went into deciding that it was riskier for the horses and the humans to attempt a full or partial evacuation.

As shown in the video, we have large firebreaks, a natural marsh and water source in our south west corner (the direction the winds come from), and over 15 acres fully cleared for the horses. There's also another approximately 4 acres cleared around our home behind where I'm standing. We have large equipment so can cut in firebreaks ourselves and have access to neighbors equipment and water resources when needed. We have many more resources at our disposal than most.

Thank you so much to everyone who has reached out to check on us, offered help, etc. I apologize profusely if I haven't gotten back to you. Please know that we have felt your love and care and appreciate you more than we can say!

Ven V1 in action!

This lovely, big girl has been mostly out of work the last 2.5-3 years due to a back injury and saddle fitting issues.

She is WIDE but still has some wither. She has some atrophy/lack of development behind her scapula. Her weight bearing length is downhill. She has a laid back wither, a wide rib cage and a forward girth groove. All of this is a recipe for saddles to slide back, pop the cantle up, and cause the pommel to sink down behind her scapula. While ALSO pulling the girth up and back into her pectoral muscles. This is not only uncomfortable for the horse, but also a situation in which the rider ends up unbalanced, likely feeling tipped forward with their leg slipping behind them. This may cause then to brace their leg out in front of them to keep from feeling pitched forward.

Ven V1 is made for these situations and I am so thrilled at how beautifully it is fitting not just the horses, but also the riders. This is NOT a saddle made for the horse's comfort that skimps on the rider. It has a relatively shallow, and padded seat with a slightly forward flap for a dressage saddle. It has two iron bar positions to find the rider's best alignment. The knee blocks are adjustable and removable to find the most comfortable and secure set up for the rider.

There is a 17" available for demo rides in Reno/Sparks, NV and for trials anywhere in North America.

The HH Ven V1 is a soft dressage saddle with panels designed for wide, flat backed and/or downhill horses.

For the rider, it has a soft seat, adjustable and removable knee blocks, and two iron bar positions that are accessible to run your leather over the flap or under the flap. The balance point of the saddle is designed to be similar to a classical dressage saddle and promote a traditional and biomechanically beneficial rider position. It has a relatively open seat and slightly forward flap for a dressage saddle.

For the horse, it has panels designed to balance the saddle on wide, flatbacked and/or downhill horses to decrease or eliminate the need for shimming. The spinal channel is wider than is typical to accommodate those wide backed horses. It has 3 billet positions to choose from to best line up with your horse's girth groove.

Check back tomorrow for the full reveal and official information and pictures!

Announcing the Ven!

Ven is a young Canadian who joined the HH herd more recently, about 18 months ago, and joined our family earlier this year. In working towards starting him, I had the conundrum many with the "drafty" breeds face... he is WIDE for his size, low withered, flat backed so fits downhill, forward girth groove and big shoulder movement.

What the heck do I put on him to start him that isn't a nightmare to dial in and set up every time? You know those set ups that take a million tries to find what works... saddle in JUST the right spot, best shaped girth for him that's the exact right size in JUST the right spot, pad in JUST the right spot with just the right inlays, knock on a fence post three times and throw some sand over your shoulder for good luck. And beyond that, the last thing I want is for him to experience any pain or discomfort in his first rides, so how do I get the set up dialed in for him while keeping the risk of aversive experiences low?

Ven V1 is for those horses. More info on it tomorrow and a first peek!