Meet Ivar: My Beautiful Basket Case

OMG, OMG, OMG! This horse! He’s a mess! Legs everywhere, head straight up in the air, back like a hammock, spooky and just plain HOT. Lots of training questions. Completely out of my price range. I’m here to see if he’s good for someone else though. Focus. OMG

Yeah, this guy is not going to be someone’s schoolmaster. He’s amazing. He’s really got some issues. 

I love him.

I can’t stop thinking about him. I don’t need another horse. I mean, I always need another horse, right? But this one. He’s got some baggage. And he’s WAY out of my price range. 

But, man, I just really want to figure him out. I think he could be a superstar.

He is probably one of the best quality horses I’ve ever sat on. And I’ve been lucky enough to have ridden and trained a LOT of horses.  But he is one of the most talented. And one of the most difficult. 

Lord knows I don’t have a budget for this kind of horse. But, you know me! I don’t give up easily. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know, right? 

So I got a wild hair and texted the sales barn the next day and asked if they ever did any kind of partnerships.

Well, you’re reading his story, so you know it worked out :)  

We sealed the deal in Florida and soon after, we brought Ivar back home to Blue Ridge Farm in Landrum, SC. It’s a quiet, peaceful place. The horses are doted on and want for nothing. 

Ivar came completely unglued. 

He was difficult to handle, overreactive to everything. 

He was a bit of a spaz. Nervous and won’t stand still, and I think he was having minor panic attacks. 

Insecure. Herd bound. 

SO spooky!  Different patterns on the ground, light beams, you name it, air born we go. 

He’s special that’s for sure!  But I know there’s a sweet horse deep down in there, and I am determined to help him come out.

We had the vet out. Treated him for ulcers. I kept thinking something was physically wrong with him!  I decided we’d just have to go sloooooooooooooow. 

Just let him settle in and work on building a connection with me. I think he just really felt untethered - he didn’t know me, the horses, the farm, the people here. It was all too much for him. 

But, whatever, right? We just have to figure him out. I know he’s worth the effort - they ALL are. He’s an Everdale/Jazz bred horse. If you know anything about bloodlines, those are pretty fantastic for dressage, but those lines are very well known for being hot! hot! hot! and spooky. So, he came by all of this stuff honestly, I guess.

I think he was used to a lot of pressure and show riding, which is what happens when you are at a sale barn for a long time. The sale horses need to really show off for the next possible client. He is REALLY good at show frame. Power show trot is his main gait. But we don’t need that right now.

My main riding goal with this horse was just to get him to relax. He had no idea how to be over his back and truly seek my hand. He just wanted to ‘seahorse’ around - head and neck straight up looking for the next predator, the next thing he has to run away from. Trusting a rider enough to stop scanning his environment was not on his radar at all.

Good times on a horse with springs for legs!

I knew it would take a while, but I also knew it would happen. But things really changed for me in early August last year. I’d only had Ivar a few months when I found out I had breast cancer. Everything came to a screeching halt then. I had to focus on my diagnosis and treatment. 

I had to have a double mastectomy. It went well, actually. Within 2 weeks I was back to walking on a horse. But for the next few weeks, I had to choose carefully who I was going to get on. I couldn’t risk my healing with too much movement, so Ivar ended up being the last horse I felt I could get on.

I felt safer on Freddy, my silly 5-year-old! (Watch for his story soon!)

When I finally did get back on him, yup, it was the same work. Stretch over your back, seek my hand, settle into a connection. Over and over. Quiet and patient. Even when the rides were mostly him just looking around. Sometimes it was soooo frustrating. But I know this system works, I just had to keep at it.

I made some videos for the Academy about it. It was risky to do that, really. At that time, Ivar still ducked behind the vertical a lot. People are pretty judgy about that. But, Ivar just didn’t have the strength not to do it. He didn’t know there was another way and he didn’t feel safe enough to do it.

But I felt it was important that you guys get to see that. I know SO many of you struggle with the same thing. OTTBs are pretty good at this kind of thing, too.

But it can be fixed! I promise!

Anyway, we took Ivar to Wellington this past winter. Still doing the remedial work. I felt like things were really coming along, finally. He was starting to trust me and really trying to focus on what I was asking of him. I really do love this horse. 

I decided to take him with me to Germany. He knows all of the movements of the Prix St. George. I really wanted Michael Klimke’s help filling in the training holes. But I was a little worried about how he would be moving to Europe. I mean, just a few hours north to South Carolina was almost too much for him last year!  

I was told that on his way to the US, he had a “bad trip” over. I don’t even know what that means, except that he lost a ton of weight and needed stitches on his head from smacking it during the flight. Poor Ivar, everything goes to his head!  His coping mechanism is throwing that head straight up in sheer surprise. 

So, yeah, a little worried about how he would do.

Surprise! Ivar was totally fine. Totally fine. He was originally from Europe, so maybe he felt like he was home. I don’t know. He settled in better than some of my others. So, that was good.  I think maybe he likes having only me and Carrie handling him, too.  

Riding here at the Klimke farm just has this sacred ground feeling to it. There’s amazing history everywhere. But even better is the way the horses are ridden. 

Quiet, calm, determined. By determined, I mean the horses are worked in a very fair way, and things take the time they take.  No loud voices, no skipping steps.  

Everyone here warms their horses up long and low. Lots of walking first, walk, walk, walk. Get those joints warmed up. Then it’s long necks seeking the bit, lifting their backs, stretching their bodies, enjoying the work. Breathing.  Like how a good yoga class can feel. 

Just, aaaaaahhhhhhh.

I know I’m in the right place in so many ways, but this is what Ivar really needs. He’s got the gaits. He’s amazing. He’s even got a cute little belly spot! I mean, he’s kinda perfect really. And I think he’s starting to love me back.

Three weeks into our time here and he’s bringing tears to my eyes.  Ivar finally, truly understands how to pull his neck out of his body, stretch his little nose down and out, and bounce along in a nice quiet trot. He’s even started to do it in the canter! I have the videos to prove it!

There are other horses in the arena, music, dogs, birds, all the things that would’ve been worrisome to him last year, and he’s connecting to me and stretching himself. Tears, again.

Ivar is really thriving with the consistency of the concentrated work. 

There’s so much more to come for this horse. If you want to see how we get him there, you can join me in my private ‘behind-the-scenes group, Passport to Germany. I will show you what I go through with all of my horses, the struggles, the breakthroughs, and how I process what I am learning. 

I’ll share videos of my rides with Michael. I really want you guys to see what the real, compassionate German Classical training system looks like and how you can apply it to your horses. 

I’m also sharing what it’s like to train in Dressage Mecca - Münster, Germany, and just what life is really like over here. I’m even planning to show a bit! 

So, head over to www.TeamTatePassport.com now and join me for this once-in-a-lifetime experience!.

 If you know someone who has a horse like Ivar, please feel free to share his story!