Obi and Olivia do Summerwind join the SW herd. They are both staying with Summerwind — OBI with owners D.j. Sims and Elizabeth Sims in Arizona and OLIVIA with owners Cathy and Randy Pierce in Texas.
Born March 22, 2020.
Obi is an all black colt sired by Jedi-Knight do Summerwind x Gralha M.U.G.
Born May 13, 2020
Olivia is a bay filly sired by Violeiro do Riomar using imported frozen semen x Destiny do Summerwind.
Meet Obi do Summerwind! Our newest baby horse, he is a black colt, born March 22, 2020.
Obi is the son of Jedi-Knight do Summerwind x Gralha M.U.G. 2019 was Jedi-Knight’s first year breeding and both foals born to-date seem to have his laid-back and confident personality and his excellent gait.
We are looking forward to watching Obi – love the MM babies!
Photos of his first day, from just born to earlier today.
Our newest “Future Foal do Summerwind” breeders are Elizabeth and D.J. Sims of Phoenix AZ. They own and operate Silver Stables which focuses on training and lessons for children. Their program teaches students how to be all-around horsemen in a fun, friendly, safe and affordable environment. And now they are Marchador breeders as well!
Elizabeth and D.J. met the Marchador breed during an equine class assignment at Scottsdale Community College. It took very little time after that visit for them to jump into the action as they reserved Isabelle do Great Lakes Future Foal about a month later. That foal became the now-famous tobiano stud colt Jedi-Knight do Summerwind, born October 2015.
D.J. co-owns Gralha M.U.G., exquisite imported Marchador mare (shown above in the photos). In 2015, we bred Gralha with Hawke do Summerwind and they will own the resulting October 2016 foal. So they are growing fast!
Elizabeth and D.J. plan to keep Jedi-Knight do Summerwind a stallion and so, he will be standing at stud starting in 2019. Right now he is the only tobiano Marchador stallion in the U.S.! And the grandson of Palhaco de Itatuvera, one of the most influential stallions in the Marchador breed today in Brazil.
At Silver Stables is also another Marchador gelding being used in their lesson program – our wonderful and sweet Seamus da Boa Fe. We miss him every day, but think this is a good life for him with all of the kids and attention. I truly believe that he loves being painted at summer camp!
Sliver Stables is open as another place to “MEET A MARCHADOR” here in AZ. Please visit Silver Stables on-line or on FB for more information about their facility and offerings!
A unique opportunity to have this foal born at your farm! Embryo implant into surrogate mare, so the mare can be shipped to foal at your farm if desired. Gralha can no longer carry a foal.
Exceptional foal expected from these pedigrees and genetics! Athletic! Fast! Superior marcha batida gait! 50% chance of color, 50% chance for grey (from Hawke).
Surrogate Mare is ready to ship immediately – over 60 days pregnant. The Future Foal, if the mare stays with us, would be ready to ship after weaning – May 2017. Read More about Gralha
Elba Cruzalta (Bella) with her foal, Tigre do Summerwind
This will be Bella’s last foal and therefore, your last chance to get her fabulous floating gait that gets passed on to her foals. One of the most beautiful Marchador pairings we could do.
We expect marcha picada, as that gait is so strong in Bella (Elba Cruzalta). 75% chance of grey, 25% chance for a color. This Future Foal would be ready to ship after June or July 2017. Read More about Bella
Payment plans are offered – each contract and agreement is customized for your needs and desires. Tell us what you want to make your dream come true.
Hawke is the only son of Ximoio de Maripa using imported frozen semen. He continues to impress us and everyone who meets him with his temperament, beauty and show ring gaits. Dazzling! His dam Azenha de Maripa is from the same breeding farm in Brazil, breeding with genetics that are traced back more than 100 years. Pure Maripa!
“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and lightning bug.” Mark Twain
Adrienne and Gralha
Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt were master horse trainers and communicators. They advocated to “set the horse up for success”, “to let the horse learn it” and “to feel and listen to the horse.” We have found our own master trainer here in Arizona in Ned Leigh of Ned Leigh, Equine Focus. It is with Ned that I learned how important the words we use are in the setting up of this kind of environment.
All of Ned’s work comes with the horse in mind. Knowing that there many be many answers the horse will choose during training. The try is important. The repetition and clarity of the request is what will cause over time for the horse to choose the RIGHT answer, the one you intended. From the horse’s point of view, all the responses are valid. Ned’s words to the trainers are always horse-focused. And what a difference it makes – in your head and in the horse’s head!
Here are 5 examples of the words that help create the mind-set for success.
1. “Help your horse”
What a difference in mindset! This is almost revolutionary – 180 degrees from “you have to win”, “correct your horse”, “make him obey”. If your horse is a partner, a member of the family, you’ll want to help him succeed, not get frustrated because he isn’t getting it as fast as you want.
2. “Your horse is confused”
Related to number 1 above, but what a great way to think of it. Instead of “You (the trainer) are doing it wrong”, again the focus is on the horse. Now you need to learn how to make your request easier or clearer to him. There must be 10 ways to request a backup. Maybe more. Anyone will do as long as both you and your horse understand what is being requested.
3. “Wait. Give the horse a chance to make the decision.”
Let your horse try. Let your horse discover the right answer through the process of elimination. Just keep asking in a consistent and clear manner and reward the right answer. No need to escalate or rush. Take a deep breath and instead, watch him think. You might learn something about how your horse learns.
4. “Watch for the muscle movement to release.”
Timing is everything in the reward for doing the right thing. The earlier the release, the softer the horse. When you ask the horse to move, before the horse actually moves its feet, the muscles respond. If we build our release, the reward on the muscle movement, you are rewarding the correct thought and that speeds up the horse’s understanding.
5. “Use the backup command to establish your boundary”
The horse is a gregarious and social animal. That’s what we want too, someone to love and spend time with. However, establishing a boundary establishes your relationship with the horse with you as the leader. It is the responsibility of the person to control their horse’s approach to the boundary and if they cross into it without permission, it is the person’s fault. The horse should not be punished for the person’s failure to control the boundary.
The backup. Ned, Carmen and Koyote
Often Ned’s teaching is broken down into at least 3 steps. This gives the horse a clear, repeatable pattern. And it helps the trainer become clearer in his/her request and less hurried. The horse is “set up for success”. It will learn the request, the sequence and the right response.
The horse can choose to respond (and that’s the desired response) on the first step. This teaching makes for a soft, willing partner. Isn’t that what we all want?
This is training from the horse’s point of view. This is training for UNDERSTANDING.
Any training with the mindset of MAKING your horse do something is totally NOT what I want for my horses.
If you are using words that don’t describe your thoughts and actions from the horse’s point of view, see if you can change them. See if that makes a difference in yourself and your horse. I’d love to hear back from you.
The partnership. Bossa Nova de Miami and Lynn.
All the photos below in the gallery from the clinics are Mangalarga Marchadors from Summerwind during a Ned Leigh Clinics. All happy horses and happy people! Photo credit to Lynn Kelley, Leticia Ribeiro and Laura Patterson Rosa. Click on any of the gallery photos to make it larger or read the captions!
The partnership. Gaia do Summerwinds and Adrienne.
The partnership. Bossa Nova de Miami and Lynn.
The partnership. Elizabeth and Gralha MUG
The send (1st step, direction) Brisa and DJ.
Ned coaching the forehand pivot. Adrienne and Caboclo.
Sarah coaching Sandy and Wizard.
Lynn and Bossa Nova de Miami, her first Marchador.
The backup. Brisa Libertas and Kristy.
Ned Leigh explaining the concepts and demonstrating to the class.
The partnership. Koyote kisses Laura.
The partnership. Bill and Brasilia do Summerwind
Ned and Izzy. Izzy had the least experience so Ned used her as the demo horse.
The soft kind hands (and eyes) of a horseman.
The test! Backup and put the right hind foot on the cone.
The test. Good girl Azenha!
The backup. Ned, Carmen and Koyote
All the photos are Mangalarga Marchadors from Summerwind during a Ned Leigh Clinics. Photo credit to Lynn Kelley, Leticia Ribeiro and Laura Patterson Rosa. For more information on Ned Leigh Equine Focus or Summerwind Marchadors:
“Contrary to popular belief, horses do not get bored with basic work. If the rider (trainer) request exact responses, paying close attention to detail and quality, neither the horse nor rider will have time to get bored, rather a true sense of accomplishment will be gained.” Erik F. Herbermann.