Life first. Truth always. Potential opens.
ESPRESSO
IALHA Registration: eligible,
signed breeder forms in hand
Sire: Whiskey River Silver Conductor
2023 Gypsy Vanner/Andalusian silver dapple gelding
15.1 hh
(growing)
Price: $22,500 CAD
GST applicable to Canadian buyers
Location: Smithers, BC
Espresso is a lovely young horse starting his ridden training.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT ESPRESSO
I love this colt's energy. I just had to call him "Espresso". He is not anxious in his love of movement. He genuinely enjoys being in motion, I love the fluidity and expression of his play.
We are just starting under saddle, so I am encouraging calmness and balance, but I can't wait to be a part of this horse's true movement.
He is sensitive as an Andalusian and steady as a Gypsy Vanner.
Better not buy this horse if you don't want to be noticed!
HORSE HISTORY
Espresso came to me in February 2026.
He grew up free — a big Alberta farm, time to play, move, develop his body and his own sense of the world. No formal handling until later than most.
He arrived quite guarded, worried and therefore quicker to leave a situation. He needed time and understanding before he was ready to start under saddle.
Horses like this have to be earned. They don't hand over trust because a person shows up holding a halter. But when the connection is made, it is real, and it goes deep. That's what I've been building with him, and it's why the foundation work took the time it did.
last updated date: October 23, 2026
CURRENT WORK
What matters to me is not the list of things a young horse can do.
It's whether he's with me while we do them.
Espresso is in his first few months under saddle. Walk, trot, canter, basic lateral work. He knows about yielding his hindquarters and his shoulders, and is learning about flexions from the saddle, about softness. We go ponying in the mountains, hauling to busy venues - general horse adventures to show him the world.
Espresso is emerging as a very balanced, majestic horse with a lot of presence and power. He is curious and calm about new experiences, as long as he has the time to understand. He knows that I can help him out when he gets worried. The willingness is there — he's intrigued, interested in the work, happy to help me out.
Because the base underneath is good, I expect the progression from here to move quickly and smoothly.
ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT
Symmetry, strength, flexibility
- body and mind prepared for life.
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walk trot canter
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turns on hindquarters/forehand
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Walk: leg yield, shoulder in
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flexions in hand and under saddle
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in hand mobilization work
REAL-WORLD WORK
Foundation for real life
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hauling to/riding at events and new places, stands calm in the trailer alone
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trail training - wildlife, traffic, mountains. Ponying for now
WORKING EQUITATION
Precision, trust, obstacles
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coming along to WE practices, seeing the busyness of the arena, practicing being left by his travel companion
RIDE FEEL
Espresso feels like a nice, solid, young horse. He's responsive without being anxious about it. He naturally loves to move, so I've been prioritizing calm and slow — he'll have a good balance of forward and settled.
He'll likely fill out quite a bit and end up on the wider side. He's very smooth to sit with a slow, calm, balanced canter.
He lines up well at the mounting block. He's very polite and mindful, and I trust him to work with me. He follows the feel of where I want to go and at what pace. Espresso is willing and happy in his work.
He's a blank slate — but not an empty one. The basic foundation work is done; what gets built on it is open. This horse can be shaped into whatever the rider wants — relaxed and steady, or a higher expression of life. He's available.
VIDEO
FIRST OPEN FIELD RIDE, October
This is Espresso's very first ride out in an open field, and I was really impressed with how he handled the challenge. Prior to this, I had only cantered on him three times, yet he felt absolutely with me and safe. He noticed things, but he would always check back with me as to what we should do about it. I love that feeling - the horse asking my guidance!
It was a very short ride, he didn’t need a long time to become calm out there—this is just how he showed up. I didn’t edit any spooks or negative moments out - there weren't any.
Yes, the lateral work is still a bit wobbly, and yes, he is moving slow. But the horse clearly understands and is working for me. It shows his maneuverability and that he's able to think through my signals. The reins loose most of the time -he is left as free as possible— staying underneath me and with me, not held there.
I am not pushing him to go fast, and I'm not pushing for expression. I want calm and comfortable and happy to be there with me.
Patience over pressure. Relationship over flash.
After the canter, I did work on connection through the reins to help him find a softer trot, which felt quite lovely.
WALK TROT,
FEW WEEKS UNDER SADDLE
First ride out of the round pen, calm and slow. September
GOOD ON TRAILS?
Most people ask this as if it is a question of mileage — something that just shows up over time spent on trails.
For me, it's this: Is it the same horse everywhere?
I thoroughly prepare for the trails. Once the horse is solid in the arena, I take the work just outside the gate, until the feel is the same: same work, different place. Calm standing, walking at my speed on a loose rein, no strong ideas about which way to go. Once they are able to soften and keep the mind with me, I take the work down the trail. I go farther as they're ready, return, regroup, and go out again. The goal isn't distance — it's quality, connection. It's that a circle anywhere rides the same speed all the way around. It's a horse as willing to turn toward home as away.
It's the same as the arena, as anywhere. Same high standard: understanding, trust and true confidence.
With a young horse like Espresso, there is a different kind of risk. On the surface, he is so steady and obedient that he can easily make you feel like he's ready for more than he actually is. But if he is pushed too fast and suddenly overfaced before he has the experience to process it, his worry runs deep, and his survival instinct will take over. He’s not the type of horse you can rush; protecting his confidence requires a rider who recognizes his limits.
I often don't ride out with other horses early on, not until I trust that if the others took off for some reason, my horse would be able to stay with me. That's the standard I hold everywhere: on a group trail ride, in a crowded warm-up arena… anywhere. I want my horse's attention on me, not on the other horses.
In this way, the whole world becomes my arena,
instead of the arena becoming my whole world.
DOES HE LOAD?
Is loading a trick, or is it an expression of the relationship?
For me, loading into a trailer is just leading. It is a direct reflection of our entire relationship.
If a horse trusts the person leading them, understands how to yield to pressure, and knows that their effort will always be met with relief, walking into a dark box is simply another place to go.
The Two Sides of the Deal
In my program, trailering is built on a two-way contract:
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The Horse's Part: To stay present and try. A well-prepared horse doesn't have to love every situation immediately, but they understand that refusal isn't necessary. Even when they feel unsure, all they need to do is offer a single step of effort, and I will meet it with an immediate release of pressure.
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My Duty: To never overface them. My job is to set the horse up for total success. I don't throw a young horse into a high-stress scenario and hope they cope—I systematically build their capacity long before we ever go anywhere important, progressing step-by-step all the way to hauling alone.
How I Prepare Them for Real Life
I don't leave trailer confidence to chance. I make the trailer a familiar, quiet part of their daily life:
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Self-Loading & Routine: They learn to send into the trailer smoothly on a loose lead, turning trailering from an event into a routine non-issue.
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Gradual Exposure to Isolation: A major cause of trailer stress isn't the box itself—it's being left alone while the other horse gets unloaded. When I haul to a venue or arena, I practice leaving one horse behind while I step away with the other.
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Reading the Emotional Threshold: I only step away as far as the horse inside can handle. The moment I see them pause and regulate their mind, I return. They learn a vital lesson: the other horse always comes back, and you are safe.
Putting the time in upfront prevents panic, pawing, and lifelong trailer anxiety. It takes patience, but the result is a horse that isn't just "loaded"—
they are genuinely calm, comfortable, and settled wherever the road takes us.
ESPRESSO'S HAULING STATUS
Espresso spends time in the trailer most days—in fact, as pasture grass dwindles in the fall, eating his supplemental hay inside the trailer makes it a favorite place.
He currently hauls few times a week with a companion horse. While he hasn't been hauled completely solo yet (a natural next step in his progression), he has already practiced standing quietly in the trailer alone while I take the other horse out of sight to ride.
Espresso has a remarkable innate capacity to self-regulate. While a brief flare-up of 3-year-old worry can pop up when things change, he doesn't hold onto it. He processes quickly, calms himself down, and trusts that his equine partner will return and that he is entirely safe.
Note: While Espresso is proving exceptionally steady, he is still a young 3-year-old at the beginning of his journey. True long-term trailer confidence relies on his new person continuing to support his mindset as he transitions to a new home.
BEST FIT
Espresso is Andalusian and Gypsy Vanner — sensitive on one side, easygoing on the other. With these crosses you often don't get a blend, you get both.
He's an easy horse to sit. Smooth gaits, no working hard just to stay with him — a horse you can ride for the pleasure of it rather than the effort. He's built solid, with substance, and still has real life in him. That combination is hard to find.
He has great manners, he knows how to yield to pressure, and he's getting braver all the time. He's a three-year-old with very limited experience of the human world. He needs his person to be able to support him if he struggles.
With the right work, I believe he'll become a great horse, able to handle just about anything calmly — while being flashy when it's called for.
WHEN ESPRESSO COMES HOME
Support for the first weeks, if needed,
from the person who knows him.
Transitioning a young horse to a new environment is an exciting step. I can help you start well together.
I believe most early questions are not failures. Often, they are simple misunderstandings.
Most buyers don't have questions. The transition is smooth. But if something feels unclear, you can reach out.
I trained Espresso. I teach riders. I have the skills to help.
Depending on what is needed, support may include:
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phone consultations
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video review
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online lessons
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a video call so I can see what is happening
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guidance around routines, expectations, and early work
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in-person help, if practical
This is how I stand behind my work.
You are not just taking home the horse.
You are taking home the work that made him,
with the person who knows - available to help.
CURRENT CARE
Espresso is barefoot, lives outside in a mixed herd on pasture or free choice hay.
He is in regular work, respectful of his young age.
He is bright, happy and full of life.
INQUIRIES AND NEXT STEPS
Initial inquiries are handled through my sales agent, Kristen Olychuck.
If the horse seems suitable, the next step will be a conversation with me, followed by a scheduled test ride.
Test rides are arranged for serious, suitable buyers only.
Kristen can help with transport arrangements and export to the US
MEETING ESPRESSO
Getting to Smithers
Smithers Airport has direct daily flights from Vancouver.
Car rentals operate right out of the terminal.
A great mountain town, an excellent place to spend a couple of days.
Test Ride
At the Smithers fairgrounds. The facility has an indoor arena, round pen, outdoor rings, and some trail access, so you can ride wherever it makes sense depending on the weather.
Because of how my horses are trained, they are always free to express what's alive in them each moment. I know them deeply, and the decision of whether this is the right match comes down to a shared understanding.
I've done this many times. If you're unsure -between the horse and I - we'll just know.