Hope's Legacy Equestrian

Hope's Legacy Equestrian Hi, My name is Mikayla DeFlorian, John and Josh Lyons certified horse trainer, and Equissage certifi If we give patience the horse will give patience.

My love for horses started at the young age of two when my dad put me on a horse for the first time and I didn't like it one bit. With much perserverence on dads part I grew to love horses and the grace and forgiveness they bring. After being a horse trainer for the past 5 years I believe horses match the energy we give. If we give stress the horse will give stress. With this understanding I choose to further my knowledge and become a certified ESMT through Equissage.

Still figuring things out, so bear with me. Major breakthrough - Princess had a nasty hematoma on her lower back, and wo...
10/14/2025

Still figuring things out, so bear with me. Major breakthrough - Princess had a nasty hematoma on her lower back, and wouldn't you know it? I just learned about decompression technique! Now she's my test subject. Cin's also getting some TLC for an old injury flare-up on her lower limb. And Hope decided to remove one of her glue-on shoes, so she's rocking a shoe and a hoof boot. No surprise, really - we do have a herd of misfits.

Let’s get real for a second. When you’re given the chance to ride someone’s horse, don’t just do whatever you want. List...
10/13/2025

Let’s get real for a second. When you’re given the chance to ride someone’s horse, don’t just do whatever you want. Listen to the owner’s expertise and guidance. My horses, Princess, Hope, and Cin, all have unique quirks and needs. Princess has trauma triggers that can make her explosive, Hope has scar tissue that hurts when her saddle is tightened, and Cin’s learning style changes daily.

I train each horse differently because what works for one won’t work for another. If you’re riding someone else’s horse, please listen to their advice and take it seriously. It’s not about being controlling; it’s about protecting the horse’s safety and well-being. So, take a deep breath, be respectful, and listen to the owner’s guidance. Your ride - and the horse - will thank you.

That’s a wrap on the 2025 lesson season!!! I’m so proud of how far everyone has come. The kids showed remarkable improve...
10/09/2025

That’s a wrap on the 2025 lesson season!!! I’m so proud of how far everyone has come. The kids showed remarkable improvement in confidence, heel position, seat, hands, and general riding skills. Princess blossomed into a confident lesson horse, overcoming her shy nature. Cin excelled as a training horse, helping riders master the canter. Hope was our happy emotional support horse, loving every moment with Princess. Looking forward to next year, when Hope can take on more roles now that her foot issues are manageable. It’s been a fantastic season, and I’m eager to start again next spring.

Going off of yesterday’s post about squish. I feel like an educational post is needed and please if there’s any farriers...
10/02/2025

Going off of yesterday’s post about squish. I feel like an educational post is needed and please if there’s any farriers that know much more about this than I do debate is more than welcome.

There’s a saying I once heard and some may probably believe this I’m not sure but it goes along the lines of the angles of a horses hoof not changing unless the coffin bone rotates due to a number of reasons.

Here is my thought process in this. That one means one big massive thing and that’s simply that the horse is designed with absolutely perfect feet and well if you’ve been in the horse industry long enough you know that is not the case. They get abscesses, stone bruises, founder, laminitis they get it all. Therefore we can knock that thought process right out of the ball park.

Thought process number 2: think of those foam cheep dollar fifty flip flops from Walmart and that is all someone wears for an entire summer. Come end of summer and you get a new pair you compare to the gross worn down pair are they that same? No the old worn down pair has an imprint of your foot, this imprint shows on what part of your foot (almost said hoof there) shows in just what part of your foot you walk on more. For me it’s the outside of the foot for some it’s the inside or more on the toes. It’s different for everyone. This shows the “angles” of your foot and how you walk. For horses you if severe enough (hope) you can tell what part they tend to walk on more. For hope it’s her heels, she takes a heel to tie step but they proceeds to walk more on her heel to keep that’s pressure off her bone spur putting strain on her pasterns and more. Her hind feet she tends to walk more in the outside of her foot. So by the time it’s time for her paws to be trimmed the inside of her hind feet are noticeably longer than the outside. Hope is also a bit pigeon toed in the front making her my spare parts pony as I call her.

Does that all make sense?

I am happy to say that we are finally FINALLY making some progress on getting Hope back to feeling like a million bucks....
09/20/2025

I am happy to say that we are finally FINALLY making some progress on getting Hope back to feeling like a million bucks. After many trial and error moments we’ve found that Hope loves soft ground and that she’s best when in a bit of a wedged shoe. However steel shoes seem to no be cozy comfy enough (and I hate the sound of metal shoes on pavement) so today we threw glue on shoes with a bit if a wedge on her and let me just say night and day difference! I feel like I can start to day I have my horse back from before bone spur discovery. She was also so much more tolerant of putting these on.

I share all of this to simply say know your horse. If you feel like steel shoes aren’t helping try something else. If you feel like angles need to be played with or changed try that. Consult your vet ask questions us as horse owners need to advocate for our horses. Beginning of this year I second guessed everything and anything I was doing for Hope. Honestly I was in fact simply loosing Hope for my horse. This entire journey right here just shows not to. Don’t loose hope. Try anything and everything you can think of! I almost didn’t and let’s just say I’m so incredibly glad that I found a farrier that is willing to work with Hope and I instead of just give me crap answers like many others that I have reached out to have previously. And no I’m not trying to single anyone out. I’ve talked to many farriers and vets about this horse, I’ve researched asked advice and opinions. I was this horses advocate and this is the result of just that.

Friends! Meet Harvey. Harvey meet friends. Harvey is my newest equine crush! Riding her with her mom's supervision is so...
09/10/2025

Friends! Meet Harvey. Harvey meet friends. Harvey is my newest equine crush! Riding her with her mom's supervision is so much fun. I'd love to have her as my own, but for now, I'm just enjoying the ride!

I DID NOT KNOW A HORSE COULD DO THAT…I did not know a horse could bring people into your life that end up meaning the mo...
09/10/2025

I DID NOT KNOW A HORSE COULD DO THAT…

I did not know a horse could bring people into your life that end up meaning the most to you.
I did not know a horse could make the hardest days of your life bearable.
I did not know a horse could teach you to put others first.
I did not know a horse could remind you time and time again that your gut is always right.
I did not know a horse could break your heart.
I did not know a horse could pick you up when you have fallen apart.
I did not know a horse could teach you to dream again, after you thought it was not possible.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in yourself.
I did not know a horse could teach responsibility, work ethic, and dedication.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in something when no one else does.
I did not know a horse could make you learn to forgive and forget.
I did not know a horse could humble you faster than you can say humble.
I did not know a horse could make you a winner.
I did not know a horse could also teach you how to lose gracefully.
I did not know a horse could instill patience in you.
I did not know a horse could make you listen better.
I did not know a horse could give you their heart.
I did not know a horse could change your life.
I did not know a horse could do all these things...
but now I know.

by Alissa Burson

Got a picture of Hope and Princess together at last! A few years ago, Hope, Cin, and Sky were the ones I looked up to, a...
08/31/2025

Got a picture of Hope and Princess together at last! A few years ago, Hope, Cin, and Sky were the ones I looked up to, and I took photos with them. Now, Princess and Hope are my own horses, and I wanted a photo with just the three of us. Apparently, I have a soft spot for horses with big white stars!

All I can say is, dealing with horses requires a mix of fearlessness and building trust. Yesterday, I got a frantic text...
08/22/2025

All I can say is, dealing with horses requires a mix of fearlessness and building trust. Yesterday, I got a frantic text from the neighbor about our horses being loose. I found them in his yard, MacGyvered a bridle, and rode Hope home in my work clothes. It felt like something dad would do - resourceful yet a bit unhinged.

Let me just take a moment to obsess over these girls - Princess has become an even more amazing lesson horse over the pa...
07/14/2025

Let me just take a moment to obsess over these girls - Princess has become an even more amazing lesson horse over the past couple of weeks, which makes me incredibly happy. Squish has shown significant improvement with her foot and shoes, and I'm obsessed. Plus, their bond just keeps growing, and I'm absolutely here for it.

Let's all love and appreciate this beautiful series called My Horses Ignoring Me and making my life impossible when it's...
07/01/2025

Let's all love and appreciate this beautiful series called My Horses Ignoring Me and making my life impossible when it's time to come off the pasture for the day.

I often say Sky and I grew up together - this is what I mean. We truly did. We really grew up together.
06/24/2025

I often say Sky and I grew up together - this is what I mean. We truly did. We really grew up together.

Address

Bedford, IN

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16087697261

Website

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