Tales of Training: Levi, The First

In my 6 years as an apprentice horse trainer, I worked with innumerable horses. From mini donkeys, mules, and ponies to giant Suffolk Punches, flighty Arabians, and countless Quarter Horses. I learned a little from every horse, every encounter, every unique situation. I graduated from the Arapahoe Community College Horsemanship and Horse Training Program in December 2017 and had my first client scheduled in January of 2018.

I remember I wrote a letter to this first horse, I promised him that everything we did would be for his greatest good, that I would never hurt him, and I would earn his trust. Then I packed up my gear and headed north to Loch Buie to meet an Appaloosa named Levi.

I was so nervous. I was completely over packed and over prepared. When I unloaded my gear from my truck I had my sidepull hanging from my shoulder, my two 25 ft ropes in a big yellow bag, with a notebook, a pen, all my certifications to prove I was educated and not an idiot, my stick and string, and pockets full of treats … I waddled up to meet the strangers who contacted me and their horses, looking ridiculous and feeling young, out of my depth, and hoping it didn’t show.

I’m sure I have Levi’s intake sheet somewhere. I don’t remember what I wrote down anymore. His people were very kind and introduced me to Levi and their mare Maicy. We took Levi to the round pen. He was pushy and a little spooky on the walk there, alternating prancing and ducking to eat grass. Once we got into the pen he ran and ran and bucked and ran some more. It took a little while for me to regulate him and bring him down into a walk, but we got there and joined up eventually. I must have done something right because they scheduled another appointment with me, and then another, and another, until we had a regular Saturday routine.

Levi taught me a lot as my first professional, solo trained horse. He already had the fundamentals under his belt he just needed some consistency, some retraining, and rethinking. He taught me that you can overdo round pen work and it’s important to listen when they tell you they’re burned out.
He showed me that he enjoyed learning tricks for treats, like picking up my gloves and handing them to me. I learned that some horses have short mouths and agile tongues that can get underneath a bit and you’d better have trust in each other to rectify the situation in a hurry.
He reinforced that consistency is key in training, it was a few months before I trusted him enough to get in the saddle but once there, we made so much progress. He was the first horse to really teach me first hand about how our energy is so important in working with them, he showed me a horses sensitivity and how you can communicate through the breath.

His person, Jackie, became a great friend and we had so many fun rides and good talks together. She and Levi made so much progress. These days she is my go-to professional photographer. A friendship that never would have happened had she not found my listing and contacted me for help with her horse.

I look back on those early days now and chuckle to myself. I don’t do intake forms or haul around my certifications anymore. I no longer carry all my gear out to the pen with me. I throw my ropes over my shoulder and only take what I think I’ll need for the lesson, no more waddling around with 20 pounds of tack on my body, treats have been relegated to a fanny pack for the sake of my pockets and my washing machine.

I have to thank Jackie for not taking one look at me and sending me on my way. It wasn’t the horse that was intimidating, it was overcoming the imposter syndrome, and stepping into the professional world of training. The only thing I knew for certain at the time was that if I could just make it to the pen with the horse I’d be golden, because I know how to speak horse. Speaking human took and continues to take some work, but I learned a lot in that first year.

You never forget the horses you work with, but I think the first one is extra special. Thank you Levi & Jackie. I hope I kept my promise. I carry it forward with me to every horse I work with, and these days I promise to continue learning and bettering my training practices, making them kinder, gentler, and even more in partnership and alignment with their greatest good.

Stay Wild

Amanda