Feature
by Laurie Harris
as told by Lisa Marie Hellmer
Lisa Marie and Navarre
The Power of Two as One
ACTHA's 2014-2015 Nevada State Open Division Champions, Lisa Marie Hellmer and Navarre have also earned the Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals since they began riding with ACTHA in 2012. They are now reaching for their Platinum Medal.
If someone had told me 8 years ago that I would have such a wonderful friend like my Friesian gelding Navarre, I would have said “you're dreaming”. Well, I'm here to tell you Dreams Do Come True.
After I lost my Appaloosa Stallion of many years to a heart attack, I didn't have horses in my life for a long time. He was a really tough act to follow. I could do everything with him; Trail ride, Drive him, ride Side Saddle, do Ranch work, compete in Horse Shows, he was just the best horse ever.
Then I met Navarre, and now the huge hole in my heart has been filled with the BBB (Big Black Butt). If you ask me, I will tell you that it's just like having my friend back, just in a different body.
Navarre came into my life when he was just about to turn 2 years old. As his early training hadn't been what I would call complete, I started him over.
As time went by I realized that he was really game for “fun” learning , hence “reindeer games” were born. Reindeer games are “training disguised as fun” and “fun disguised as training”. You can get away with a lot by using song, laughter and over-all rewarding ridiculous behavior. Don't get me wrong, I am strict with him, at 2 years old he was already 15 hands and 1000 pounds. Whoa means whoa. Period. Since the “grow fairy” kept showing up in the night,bonking him in the head with her wand (suddenly halters wouldn't fit) having good manners was paramount. Finally he stopped growing and has reached 16.1 hands, is roughly 1500-1600 pounds and wears a size 5 Shoe! He's Plenty big. Although I've noticed at competitions he looks a whole lot bigger than he does at home.