Yellow Horse LLC

04/28/2024

Hello horse friends!
I am selling my gorgeous and comfortable saddle made by the very talented Gary Winckler. Check out the listing if you’re interested and let me know if you have any questions about it.
Many of the happiest hours of my life were spent in this saddle on the back of a fine red mare. Now it is ready to be the ridiculously comfortable driver’s seat for someone new!

Welcome to WS Saddles. In my one man saddle shop I work to hand craft a saddle that will enable you and your horse to work better together while at the same time give you a unique look catered to your needs. I build ranch saddles of all styles and configurations including Wade saddles and...

02/29/2024

The world lost one of its finest spicy red mares today.
Thank you for everything Scarlett, you were the finest good mare and you’ll be sorely missed.

12/30/2022

All of this:

https://annablake.com/2022/12/30/loafing-in-limbo-hibernation-as-a-training-aid/?fbclid=IwAR04INdR02UXnmpJpcp-cW99KDQwATdpvd_ZmyokyGrrvJr-HmSqkq4tp40&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

We are in Limbo. It’s that week between Christmas and New Year when nobody knows what day it is. Not that it matters because that’s the point of limbo. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere you are in-between storms. Entire states seem to have traded places. Some of us have ice rinks, and some ....

12/24/2022

Merry Christmas to you!
May this season be one of peace, comfort, love and gentleness.

12/13/2022

The good grey mare in my pasture has a public service announcement;
This time of year, and every time of the year really, is a good time to check in on your breathing.

Are you holding your breath?
Are you taking shallow chest breaths?
Are your shoulders heaving up and down when you breathe?
Take a moment now and give yourself the gift of a long, slow, deep breath in…..and a long, slow, deep breath out.
Repeat as needed😉

12/06/2022

There is a turning point that I have witnessed in myself from time to time as well as in my students...where mixed messages, missed timing, and tension get melted away by new information, deeper presence, inner quiet, clarity and consistency…and all of what is available bubbles to the surface. Suddenly it’s a heart to heart conversation-a dance between horse and human. It is such a beautiful place to be.

11/29/2022

I have been in a season of ‘sabbatical’ from full-time horse training for some time. Having small kids and not a lot of access to child care will do that.
In this time, I have been quietly working with my own horses, learning, practicing, and spending time with a select few clients who can roll with the insane schedule of a stay at home mom with a railroad husband.
And now that my babies are in school and I am finding more and more time to call my own, I am in such gratitude for what I have learned these quiet years. For my horses who never cease to keep me learning, for my teachers who have understood and met me exactly where I am, and for my clients who have been able to flow with me. It’s a beautiful feeling to be snuggled up at the end of the day, recalling the morning’s lessons and feeling such joy and thankfulness for the awesome people I share the love of these amazing animals with.

12/24/2021

Merry Everything and Happy Always with big love from the Sorensens!

09/10/2019

A while ago, a horsewoman I know wrote a great post on her page about how nasty and harsh the horse industry can be and how most of us, if we are being honest, have been on both the giving and receiving ends of the negativity. Her point was that we could all be a little more supportive of each other and a little less snarky.
It got me thinking about the years I’ve been in horses, the different paths I’ve taken to get to the point I am at right now, and the mistakes and missteps along the way. The first thing I felt was certainly the pang of a bruised ego because 1) I remember the times I have been treated badly by other equestrians. I remember some names I’ve been called and some comments I’ve heard that really hurt. 2) I remember the times my hurt pride or my own overinflated ego might have hurt someone else. And that sucks even more.
The second thing I felt was immense gratitude. For the people who encouraged me when I barely knew how to use a halter. The people who looked past, (and continue to look past) my mistakes and failures to see how much I loved horses and how much I wanted to learn. For the teachers who didn’t need to serve their egos and crush someone who was less knowledgeable, less polished, and less sure. Those teachers who kindly shared their wealth of wisdom with me even when I couldn’t fully grasp what they were offering. How incredible this journey has been because of the encouragers, the teachers, and the patient kindness of people who understood my heart.
The truth is, we all started somewhere. Some of us had top notch horses and trainers and all the best of everything from day one. Some of us begged rides on any old horse we were allowed to get close to and had to do a lot of fumbling in the dark before we really started to understand the whole horsemanship thing. And no matter where we started, none of us has ‘arrived’. I don’t know a perfect horseman. In fact the teachers and mentors I look up to the most are the most devout students of the horse. Continuously working to gain a deeper and better understanding of these complex and incredible animals. Nobody arrives at total equestrian perfection. So maybe we could all cut each other a little slack, offer a hand when someone’s struggling, stop taking ourselves so damn seriously, and make the grand adventure of horsemanship a little better for everyone.

09/09/2019

“Granted, they aren’t cars or a smooth sidewalk to run down. They are unlike anything else in our lives that we handle or are in a relationship with. You may be able to force things on horses, but most of us know and seek out the kind of relationship that cultivates space for mutual consent. It’s where the beauty is.”

As I was brushing our horses yesterday, I noticed that despite the rivulet of sweat running down my back, their short summer coats were falling out. In the shade of a day edging toward 90 degrees, …

05/13/2019

When people use the terms ‘stubborn’, ‘disrespectful’, ‘naughty’, (and the list goes on) in reference to their horse. I immediately go to work wondering about what conditions might be causing the horse to feel the need to do what it is doing. Or what circumstance might have led to the horse believing that the behavior is safer or perhaps a even believing that he’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing.

When I see horses going around with their heads rigid in the air or curled under, or with poor quality of movement, I go to work to try and discover if there is discomfort, injury, or postural dysfunction. (Did you know that proper weight bearing posture can and should be taught?).

I have handled and worked with quite a few horses and I have not actually found a horse that is ‘disrespectful’ or ‘naughty’. Across the board it has been that the horses are pressured, under-educated, uncomfortable, and confused.

Photo: a clever, talented and well-loved horse having a romp on spring pasture.

04/09/2019

I had him all brushed out and pretty...and then it rained...

01/26/2019

This time of year there is a ton of arguing about blanketing horses. It can get pretty ugly sometimes.
My horses get blanketed when I feel it is necessary (such as right now when it is -20) and get waterproof rain sheets when I feel it is necessary because I want to ensure that they are as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Being super cold and/or chilly and damp can cause uncomfortable muscle tightness, lack of interest in moving around (which can lead to things like not drinking enough and colic), and can burn valuable calories on those hard keepers.
I found this flow chart from Auburn University and I love it because it’s a little sassy but also incredibly useful. Take a look and see what you think!

01/20/2019

Oh how true this is.

01/01/2019

The last thing a candy cane sees...

12/14/2018

I’ve been trying to come up with a name for our little farm. I’ve had some thoughts but nothing seems quite right.
In the meantime, here are the residents out for a graze in the hoarfrost.

02/27/2018

You know what this is? This is me (and Rosalie) standing on the future home of Yellow Horse LLC! It may be a few years before a horse sets foot out here but I’m still super excited!!

02/25/2018

This was absolutely me as I grew up. I didn’t have a real horse of my own when I was little, so I dreamed them instead. I rode Man O’ War everywhere I went for years and years. Did you have a youngster in your life that is dreaming too?