Highlighting Excellence

Client Showcase

Highlighting stories of clients and their exceptional grade horses monthly.

Hi, my name is Sarah, I'm a 15 year old horse enthusiast and this is my 5 year old grade mare. Our story started back in November 2022, when my mom bought me my first horse. Registered with GHR as Pretty Little Sunflower, affectionately known as Honey, was just over three years old when we got her. With the guidance of my coach, former reining cow horse competitor, we embarked on the journey of training her.
After changing coaches when moving Honey closer to home, I started training her at liberty—a skill I taught myself watching @vanfleetmustangs videos. This approach strengthened our bond remarkably. As I discovered my passion for liberty work, I combined it with other disciplines like reining and jumping, bringing our connection to life.

Competing only at the local level so far, I've participated in youth reining classes with a local reining club, as well as showmanship, western horsemanship, equitation, pleasure, and reining all at the local agricultural fair. My next goal, is working towards competing with Honey in the International Liberty Horse Association (virtually) in 2025, which is open to all breeds and grade horses.

As we approach our two-year anniversary, I reflect on our journey together. It hasn't always been smooth; we faced challenges typical of any horse partnership. However, a grade horse can be just as remarkable as any registered breed—in fact, I believe they can be even better. A respected clinician recently told me that my "discount horse" moves like a Level 2 Open Reiner. Ultimately, it's not about the horse's price or pedigree; what truly matters is the bond we share and the horse's willingness to connect.

Sarah :) Dec 1st 2024