Fakhjir H

Before I approached Yvonne about purchasing my first dressage horse, I had been snooping at the horses for sale on the KYB website. I immediately took notice of a young liver chestnut gelding named Fakhjir, and thought he seemed to be exactly what I was searching for. Coincidentally, when I eventually met with Yvonne, Fakhjir was her first suggestion.  When I rode him, I instantly knew he was a horse I wanted to work with.

When dealing with Fakhjir, one must know that he is obsessed with food. At the first sight of food, or anything that could possibly be edible, Fakhjir tries to intimidate you with the scariest face he can muster. He successfully scares most people, however I have learned that it is typically just a threat, so I endearingly call him “Faker.” On the bright side, he will do just about anything for a treat, even the piaffe. While Fakhjir is infamous around the barn for his grumpy demeanor, I know deep down he is a misunderstood sweetheart. Once the bridle is on, he is eager to work and his angry faces disappear.

In this past year and a half, Fakhjir has proven himself to be not only a quick learner but also a great teacher. Fakhjir and I have been learning about dressage together. While it can sometimes feel like the blind leading the blind, we have Yvonne’s eyes from the ground to guide us up the levels. Fakhjir has risen to the task of becoming an FEI horse. To mix it up, we go on weekly trail rides as a reward for our hard work. My journey with Fakhjir is far from over, and I can’t wait to see what we learn next!