I’ve always loved horses. There’s something about a horse that connects to your soul.

 

Horses are so majestic and enchanting. They are powerful, yet gentle enough for a child to command. I think many little girls want a pony, either for their birthday or Christmas.

 

To me, there’s not an animal in the world that smells as good as a horse. As a girl - we had a geriatric shetland pony named Spike . Mom and dad would lead him out of the calf barn up to the lawn near the house and let him graze so my twin sister and I could go for a short ride now and then. The grass where Spike nibbled in the 1970’s is still a different color. Fond memories. Spike died while my mom and dad were in Sweden visiting my sister Judy and her husband, Ingvar. We begged our dad for another horse after Spike passed on, to no avail. My dad considered horses “hay burners”. 

 

My mom has shared wonderful stories about growing up with horses. As a small child, she had Belle and Daisy. She remembers as a girl, sitting up all night with her mom after their horse Daisy died. Daisy got overworked by pulling weeds out of the lake near Palmer with a hay rake and got waterlogged and died. Daisy was a part of the family and they loved her so. Losing their horse was a big financial loss, as horses did so much work on the farm until tractors replaced them. All through time, horses have been of great value. 

 

Growing up on a farm - some of my siblings showed animals at the county fair in Elk River as members of Kragero Kangaroo 4-H club. None of my family ever showed horses, however. 

 

For the past year, my sister (Ruth) has been taking her daughter Lillie and cousin Kaylee to riding lessons once or twice a week to a horse trainer in Clearwater. Her name is Breana Seifermann. Breana got her first horse when she was nine  and started riding. Her mom grew up with horses and was eager to get Breana started when she expressed great interest in them. 

 

Breana showed her horses locally in 4-H for 10 years, and started working with her own horses at a young age. When Breana was 12, the neighbor girl would come down to ride and her mom started paying Breana to teach her how to ride. That summer, Breana started giving lessons to other girls, as well. During the summer, Breana would give three to five lessons per day; five days a week. She did this until she graduated from high school. 

 

Breana’s herd has grown since and now includes 10 horses.  Every one of her 10 horses is used for some level of lesson. Breana competes with some of the horses.

 

Her love of horses is evident. "It’s always fun to get new kids taking lessons year after year, get them matched with the correct horse that best suits them, and get them started. I still give lessons on my favorite horse Bandit. I have owned him for over 12 years he takes care of the kids when they ride him. He slows down and lets them learn, and still runs his heart out when I compete on him”, Breana shared.

 

She has sold a couple of her horses to her lesson kids. Five years ago, Breana and her husband Matt bought the hobby farm they live on now near Clearwater. They have spent countless hours fixing barns, stringing fence and adding waterers. They are excited to have the horse farm she always wanted. That includes a barn full of stalls, an arena, pastures and more. Breana is very grateful her husband supports all the riding she does and helps as much as he can.

 

Breana gives lessons, after work and weekends. She stays very busy between raising a baby, family time,  competing, and work. Breana and Matt have an 11 month old son named Rhett who has a little pony named Lucy. Rhett has started to take short rides with his pony. "He seems to enjoy riding already”, Breana said.

 

My niece Lillie loves riding so much that she doesn’t want to wash her hands after riding lessons. She loves the aroma that much! Lillie loves learning new skills and finds the experience of riding peaceful and calming. She particularly enjoys the thrill of how each ride is different and each horse is unique.

 

My sister Ruth is so impressed with Breana. Not only is she a great role model for kids, but is very patient and calm and  desires that kids grow to love horses as much as she does. Her love for and knowledge of horses is inspiring. 

 

If you’d like more information about taking lessons from Breana, contact her via email: breanaseifermann@yahoo.com