One Horse at a Time - Education and Retraining

Mira Bouch is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Saoirse Byrne.

Donation protected

Every horse deserves more than one chance to be the best they can be. It is up to us to be quiet enough to hear their needs and when we really listen we hear an echo of our deepest selves. Horses have taught and healed me. I want to do the same for them.

One Horse at a Time - Education and Retraining is a project to build my horsemanship skills by retraining a horse for one year and preparing it for the next phase of its life. The horse that I will be working with is a 15-year old ex-barrel racing horse. I will be applying the classical foundation training methods that have made so much of a difference with my horse over the past four years. The goal of this training is to raise the horse’s back and engage the hindquarters, creating overall mental, physical, and emotional well being. I will be working to establish positive habits, develop his top-line, and build a trusting relationship.

About Myself - I fell in love with horses before I could talk. I was two-years old the first time I was on a horse. "I ride," is what I said over and over. I have taken lessons weekly since the age of three. I raised money by creating cards, making needle-felted animals and rosemary salts to purchase my horse, Zanzibar, when I was eight. I will be fourteen in November. I dream of someday training a horse in dressage to ride in the Olympics. I hope to be participating in the Mongol Derby in 2025 - a race on 28 semi-wild ponies across Mongolia.

My Goal is to raise $4,155 by December 1, 2020. I have been given the opportunity to work with a horse named Dock, who would otherwise be left in pasture. The majority of the money goes to the cost of coaching with my mentor. We will start with multiple sessions a week and then wean down as I become more independent in Dock’s training. Every quarter of the project I will send a video submission for critique to Art2Ride. I am influenced by the way they work with horses and want to have their advice and feedback on Dock’s training. A portion of the funds will go towards finding a used saddle that fits him properly and allows him to move comfortably. I am grateful to have a sponsor for Dock’s board and feed. Any sized donation is appreciated.

$25 Donation (towards an $875 tack expense budget)
Dock’s tack expenses will be covered if 35 people donate $25 each. ($875 budget for a properly fitting saddle, girth, saddle pads, stirrups, reins and a bridle.)

$40 Donation (towards a $2,880 training budget)
Training will be covered if 72 people donate $40 each. I will work with Dock five days a week for the year. Training with my coach for the first 8 weeks or 24 sessions ($960). Training for the next 4 weeks or 8 sessions ($320). Training for the remaining 40 weeks or 40 sessions ($1600).

$100 Donation (towards a $400 video critique budget)
Covers the quarterly fee of having Art 2 Ride critique a half-hour video of a training session with Dock. Total cost of submissions to Art2Ride ($400).

Thank you!
I am incredibly grateful for your support. Thank you for your interest and your help towards my goal!

~Mira

For those who want to find out more about classical foundation training, here is the Art 2 Ride website link: art2ride

For more information about the Mongol Derby you can visit this site: https://www.theadventurists.com/adventures/mongol-derby/