Preston is a 15.3 hand Trakehner gelding. I have owned him now for 3 years. I got him when I was a working student at Valhalla farm in Florida. I wanted something I could train and show that would not be sold out from under me. Since then he has moved to Port Orange Fl, where I ran a barn of 9 horses and worked as assistant trainer. Our next move was to Destin Fl, where I worked as assistant trainer to Jodie Kelly. From there we moved to a beautiful farm in Defuniak Springs Fl which was owned by a plastic surgeon. There I ran the stable, worked the horses, and taught lessons to the kids that lived there. When I met my boyfriend who is in the military, we moved to Southern Pines NC.
Somehow Trakehners have gotten a bad reputation as hot and crazy horses. I have worked at and visited many Trakehner breeding farms, and I have found the reverse to be true. My horse could be the poster child for the Trakehner breed, which is actually a breed, not just a registry. He is straightforward to ride, doesn't spook at anything, and is safe enough to put a beginner on. I have taught many lessons on him. He is the same horse every day, at home or away. Somehow, at the same time he is sensitive and forward under saddle. He responds to the lightest aid, but does not overreact. This has made him a joy to ride, and he is currently schooling 3rd level. Lateral work is easy for this horse! I went through a period with him where I thought his potential as a dressage horse was limited. He would get tight and anticipate the changes, and extending the trot seemed impossible. However, my vet found that he needed to have his coffin joint injected, and since then everything I thought was a training issue has gone away. I learned a huge lesson there, since I almost sold him!
Tattle
Tattle is a 12 year old, 16.1 hand Swedish warmblood gelding. I have him on consignment and am training him for sale. He is working at second level. I am very lucky that I found such a cool horse that I enjoy riding as much as my main horse. If I could, I would also keep him!
I enjoy riding horses that "go on their own" and this is a horse with a good motor. He is also light in the bridle and easy to move around laterally. He has three good gaits and a good mind for dressage. When I first started working with him, it didn't take me long to figure out that this is the kind of horse that gets better when the work gets harder mentally. If you can keep his mind on you, you have an awesome horse to ride!