"Recently, I had the opportunity to send my beautiful horse to Anne, Bill and Ellie Rawle at Watermark Farm for winter camp. Adelaide WF, my gorgeous 7 year old AWR mare, is out of one of their flagship breeding stallions Adamant. Bought as a 4 year old, she is a joy to work with every day. Her level head, excellent ground manners, self assured work ethic and eye catching looks make her a barn favorite wherever we go. This year, my busy holiday schedule gave Addie an inconsistent work schedule and sporatic days off. We lost our training groove and seemed to become stagnant with our workload.
In steps Watermark Farm. Since purchasing Adelaide in 2008, Anne, Bill and Ellie have been a huge support resource. Addie and I are treated as family. Anne, Ellie and Bill are always a phone call, text or FaceBook chat away. Anne, Bill and Ellie know their Adamant offspring like the back of their hand. No question is too big or too small. They celebrate our accomplishments and walk me through our frustrations. Addie and I trailer in for occasional lessons to keep up our training program. Therefore, when I considered sending Addie to a winter camp to kickstart our show season, there was no other logical choice but Watermark Farm.
The next 10 days were as follows: Addie was assessed of her condition (healthy, happy, exuberant and underworked). I was kept in the loop via daily phone calls and texts (while I was vacationing in Florida’s West Coast). Our favorite hands on therapist Hoppy Stearns was called out for some chiropractic adjustments. After that, Addie was worked according to what Addie NEEDED. I mention this because some riders want a horse to do what the rider thinks they need to do based on what level they are currently working on. This is not always what is best for the horse. Addie was given a workload based on what was in her best interest. For her, it was going forward, going straight, open her shoulder and back exercises to keep her back up and engaged so her hind end moves freely. Each day, I got a phone call or text along with pictures of her progress. Lunging, side reins, riding, cavalettis and riding aid techniques were employed each day. At the end of the camp, Anne and Ellie trailered her to my barn where they were having a schooling show. Ellie rode a beautiful First Level Test 1 that showed off Addie’s wonderful progress and attributes.
For my first ride since Addie’s winter camp, I hopped on and had a most amazing ride. Everything that I was struggling to accomplish on my own magically happened. She was soft, forward, comfortable and we were able to pick up where we left off before the crazy holiday season. We had a blast!!! We have exercises and suggestions to follow to continue on this successful path. Addie and I are looking forward to 2012!!!! Bring on the shows!
In summary, the Rawles love their horses. They are knowledgable, helpful, kind and encouraging. Adelaide and I are proud to be part of the Watermark Farm family. Thank you Anne, Bill and Ellie for taking care of my girl!!! xxoo ~KSR"
It goes without saying that we are always thrilled to have happy customers. Beyond that, we particularly enjoy having a customer who enjoys having success with their horse! The shared happiness brightens everyone's day and puts a smile on our faces.
If you have a horse from our program, we'd love to hear what you are up to and your plans for 2012!
Happy riding!
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