Mckenna

Through the equine program at Ironwood Boarding School, I have been working with minis, ponies, and horses on a day-to-day basis from April 2018 to December 2019. Throughout this work I have learned to connect with horses through natural horsemanship. My instructor was Joy Baker M.Ed., C.A.S., a horse trainer of over 25 years. She taught me many different techniques for creating a trust-based bond with horses such as the concept of “Join-Up” developed by Monty Roberts. At Ironwood I would regularly care for the horses through cleaning and mucking stalls, grooming, bathing, and feeding. Along with that I also was involved with EAT (equine assisted therapy), regular Join-Up exercises, and observed a number of veterinary and farrier appointments. Through various recent stable hand jobs, I have also gained experience with managing and maintaining barn facilities along with sole charge of 15+ horses at a time.

My specialties include

• Western, English, and Dressage riding techniques
• The utilization of natural horsemanship
• The maintenance of stalls (mucking, stripping, stall cleanliness, changing hay and water, etc.)
• Providing daily/nightly care for horses (grooming, handling medication, feeding, bathing, blanketing, turning out, etc.)
• And my passion towards creating personal and in-depth connections with both horses and people

Joy Baker was also my riding instructor and taught me Dressage riding technique for the first time in 2018 through December of 2019. As of 2020 I have gained experience with English, Western, and Saddle Seat riding as well. From February 2020 through September, I started weekly lessons at Janet Keesling Stables in Noblesville, Indiana, primarily centered around Western technique. I now ride English at Hunter’s Pointe in Cicero, Indiana, where I am beginning to learn hunter/jumper techniques.