Sunny

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Sunny joins us for training from NEER North. She is an 11 year old, 15.1 hh Standardbred mare who had 60 starts at the track as a pacer. While at NEER she was introduced to groundwork, wore English tack, and proved to be a solid citizen for grooming, vet work and the farrier. She has settled right into the new routine here at HWH, and has thus far shown herself to be very sweet and sensible. We are excited to get to know Sunny and will be sure to post updates as they become available. 

May 2025 update: We have spent the last month and a half getting to know Sunny, and letting her settle in. We have found that she has a very good understanding of groundwork, which we will continue to build upon with a focus on relaxation, bending, and maintaining focus. Sunny maintains some concern about tools, such as the lunge whip and carrot stick, so we will be working on giving her lots of positive experiences in order to help her feel more comfortable with our aids from the ground. She has already let go of many of the defensive behaviors that she displayed about her body being touched, which is very rewarding and encouraging to see. Soft and slow will be the way to go with sweet Sunny as we continue to get to know her.

October 2025 update: Over the summer, we worked with Sunny to help her feel more comfortable and positive about basic handling and groundwork. She has let go of so many negative emotions, and is now much happier to be groomed and tacked up! We have introduced the concept of carrying a rider, and Sunny is making great progress learning the basics. Her steering improves every day, and she continues to display less emotionality each time she is ridden. We have primarily been riding in her in our indoor and outdoor arenas, but she recently did a short hack with a supportive buddy and did great! She is not a particularly spooky horse, and is generally comfortable in changing environments. Though she’s still very green, we are hopeful that she will be suitable to be someone’s beloved trail partner in the future!

February 2026 update: Sunny’s training was put on pause for nearly 2 months, as she sustained a near-fatal pasture injury where she nicked her jugular vein. Fortunately our vet was already on site and was able to treat Sunny immediately. After over a month of rest and healing, followed by a careful return to exercise, Sunny is now good as new and has returned to regular work. Her groundwork and long lining are excellent, and we are slowly legging her back up under saddle. We recently added front shoes to try and help with some unevenness in the trot, likely due to her thin soles. Sunny will walk happily with a rider but still struggles with her balance at the trot, and over the next few months we will be evaluating what job she is best suited to do. 

April 2026 update: Sunny continues to display lovely groundwork and ground driving, but under saddle she remains inconsistent. We believe that the balancing required for her to carry a rider adds a physical challenge, and sometimes Sunny lets us know that the work feels hard and possibly uncomfortable. This looks like reactivity at times to the rider’s aids, and a lot of emotion when moving forward into upward transitions. While we believe that given further time, training, and the right situation she could be suitable for light ring work and trails, we are beginning to promote her as a driving candidate. While she can occasionally be a bit quirky about her turn out friends or reactive to her environment, overall Sunny is a steady, sweet, sensible girl who would thrive with her own person. If you are interested in learning more about Sunny, please contact us!