Second Wind Equestrian - Alex Makowski

Second Wind Equestrian - Alex Makowski Home of Alex Makowski
� Milton, Delaware�
2013 USEA Worth the Trust Recipient

Not sure how I could have forgotten to share some Roxy spam from our lessons with Kim Severson Eventing. So thankful to ...
04/30/2024

Not sure how I could have forgotten to share some Roxy spam from our lessons with Kim Severson Eventing. So thankful to Kim for finding availability during her busy Aiken stay to teach us grasshoppers! 🙏🏽

Time in Aiken is flying as the weather gets warmer. Last few weeks have been filled with hacking, schooling field trips,...
03/20/2024

Time in Aiken is flying as the weather gets warmer. Last few weeks have been filled with hacking, schooling field trips, clinics, and lessons. And laughing way too hard with AMC Equestrian.

Roxy did her first event, an unrecognized novice and finished 2nd with a clear SJ round. She would have finished first but I added a circle to jump something off the left lead as a majority of the fences were off the right.

June has been hacking and field tripping for trails rides in the Hitchcock Woods, Mayadinya Farm South, XC school at the Vista, and today to Stable View for a jump school day to tackle some baby fences.

Lewes has been a blast. Building this partnership has made this trip worth it. He even popped over a few fences, without hesitation, a month shy of his 3rd birthday. I love this horse!

Another educational opportunity in Aiken just 20 minutes from the barn. William Fox-Pitt had some insightful advice for ...
03/04/2024

Another educational opportunity in Aiken just 20 minutes from the barn. William Fox-Pitt had some insightful advice for the participating riders. Even got to see my buddy Jade Anderson Eventing,LLC “get on with it” on two talented horses. Soaking up as much knowledge as my brain will retain.

02/28/2024

Another productive two weeks in Aiken🌞💪🏽🐎

🔹Audit Conrad Schumacher Clinic ✅
🔹Lessons with Kim Severson ✅
🔹Roxy’s inaugural trip to The Vista ✅
🔹June’s first fences almost 2 years ✅
🔹Lewes being a 🌟 and having his first under saddle rides outside of the round pen ✅

On deck:
🔹Aiken Eventing Showcase
🔹Audit William Foxpitt Clinic
🔷Possible schooling events for June and Roxy

Soaking up every opportunity to learn and develop into a better owner, rider, and trainer.

Finishing my third week in Aiken with four horses; homebreds June (7 years old), Roxy (6 years old) and Lewes (3 years o...
02/15/2024

Finishing my third week in Aiken with four horses; homebreds June (7 years old), Roxy (6 years old) and Lewes (3 years old, in April, stallion), and sales horse Jerry.

It took a full week to get the horses settled and in a position to make decisions about planning time in Aiken. The combination of hacking on hills regularly and having full bags of quality hay has the horses looking great!

Jerry did a trip an BN level at Bruce's Field with minimal warm-up and threw down a fabulous clear ride over his first course of fences in nearly four months. He went back the following week and delivered a scopey round at Novice. He also had two transformative dressage lessons with James Burtwell. I have started advertising him and hope to find him his next home soon.

June is starting back under saddle after motherhood. I started treating her for Lyme disease now that Dewey has finally been weaned. She tested positive in her fourth month of pregnancy. Some other maintenance, plus a pair of front shoes, has her feeling like a new horse.

Roxy was presenting some behavioral difficulties under saddle when we first arrived. A scoping revealed some low grade stomach ulcers that are being treated. She delivered a clear round at BN at Bruce's Field in her first ever show/schooling event. She went back this week as a "non-compete" to flat in the rings and take in the atmosphere. Our lesson today with Kim Severson was monumental in growing our partnership. She jumped some massive fences!

Last, but not least, Lewes has stepped up to the plate in his Aiken boot camp. I was walking him ba****ck at home but since arriving in Aiken he has been under saddle. I was excited to learn Roddy Strang had relocated to Aiken and have been able to squeeze in two lessons with him on Lewes. Many of his suggestions and comments share common threads with what I have learned from James and Kim while in Aiken.

Enjoying my time at Dark Horse Farm Connemaras where AMC Equestrian has graciously welcomed us with the few stalls she isn't filling with quality sales horses! Lewes keeps looking over the stall for the pony that just sold. I'm going to have to get him a therapist when Jerry sells to get ahead of any abandonment issues he may be working through!

Cheers to sunny days, dry ground, and happy, healthy horses.

Closing out 2023. 1️⃣Completed my graduate program while working full time and balancing graduate research ✅2️⃣ Roxy’s (...
12/26/2023

Closing out 2023.
1️⃣Completed my graduate program while working full time and balancing graduate research ✅
2️⃣ Roxy’s (by Quite Easy) first beach ride on Christmas Eve ✅
3️⃣ Backed Lewes (sired by Camiro de Harr Z and out of my former FEI mare Hope) for the first time ✅
4️⃣ Started June back in work after she delivered her first foal, a c**t named Dewey (by Diarado) ✅

The year was now without some challenges. First and foremost, my homebred stallion Percy (Pursuit of Happiness AHS) tested positive for a rampant EPM infection that eventually ended his life far too early after months of treatment. His loss hit me hard as he was a homebred, the last offspring from Parabol, and was showing real potential under saddle.

In early September, the day before our plans to attend the GOV inspection for both June and her c**t Dewey, Dewey sustained an injury in the pasture that resulted in a small and displaced fracture in his hind leg which required surgery. The fragment was removed and Dewey has no expected limitations as a result of the injury. His father had a stellar year with offspring taking top honors in both eventing and showjumping at the international level.

For now I am working through the holidays, applying to jobs, and planning on a brief trip to Aiken. Cheers to an uneventful 2024 🥂 🤞🏽 ❤️

Overdue update:First and foremost, June delivered a lovely c**t by Diarado a few days after my birthday. He is stunning ...
05/24/2023

Overdue update:

First and foremost, June delivered a lovely c**t by Diarado a few days after my birthday. He is stunning and has quite a bit of personality. His sire has surged across national and international leaderboard for the success of his offspring.

Lewes is now two and the biggest horse on the farm. He is still intact and likely going to spend a month with the cowboy this summer for some early education. His sire, Camino de Harr Z, has a ridiculously high strike rate for FEI offspring.

Roxy, my five year old mare by Quite Easy, has been my primary ride for the last several months. She is going to her first lesson this week after a winter of grid work and flat work. Considering YEH if we can improve the connection in the flat work.

Percy, my four year old stallion by Parabol, has been sidelined with recovering from an acute, aggressive case of EPM. It has been an extremely challenging experience to watch him cope and fight for every day. He was in a full treatment for four months and finally moved onto the maintenance dose last month along with the liquid Vitamin E. The week before the onset of symptoms he was jumping fences and I was on Cloud 9. I start his rehabilitation with lunge work, slowly incorporating ground rails, moving into elevated rails, and eventually school over fences on the line. My goal was to continuously encourage coordination development to the hind end. He has been under saddle for nearly a month now and making progress daily. We play it day by day.

Fingers crossed for some good luck, healthy horses, and progress in any form. Cheers.

Low-key and quiet last month sticking to the plan with raising the young horses and giving them a solid foundation and n...
06/03/2022

Low-key and quiet last month sticking to the plan with raising the young horses and giving them a solid foundation and not rushing the process (some more wisdom with a few more years in age).

Percy, a three year old stallion by Parabol, had been lightly backed and soon started hacking off the farm. All of my young horses start with a surcingle and side reins before I even back them. Percy has graduated to the Pessoa system (with an altered approach to set up) and some very light ring work (walk, trot, canter aids and clearing his shoulder away from pressure to lay beginning aids for turning off the outside rein).

Roxy, coming four year old by Quite Easy, has started some off the farm work as well and jumped her first fences. She didn’t make much of an effort over cross rails and I gave her a two foot oxer (picture below). She was started late a few months before Percy. Her ring work is focused on teaching aids and cues as well.

June has a preliminary confirmed pregnancy to Diarado, the leading USEF hunter stallion for 2021, number two in the world for eventers, and number eight in the world for show jumpers. Heartbeat check in a few weeks. Would love to be in a situation to keep her and see the foal, but will consider selling her a bit further along in the pregnancy to fund the other youngsters and finding my own place.

Hope has come out of retirement for some flat work to keep me current. She is enjoying having a job again.

Cheers to summer and warm weather with horses.

In previous years, spring marks the start of Area II eventing. I currently don't have anything to compete, so I have bee...
05/02/2022

In previous years, spring marks the start of Area II eventing. I currently don't have anything to compete, so I have been focusing on the young stock.

Percy (Pursuit of Happiness), one of the last known sons of Hilltop Farm's fabled Parabol, was recently backed. For a three year old, let alone a stallion, they don't get much easier than this. Plan is to continue hacking through the summer and maybe attempt some long-lining.

Roxy (Question Authority), by Quite Easy (again represented in the WBFSHA rankings for Eventing Stallions, 22nd in 2021), had a late start but was backed last month. She will be four in July. Learning aids for walk, trot, and canter. Will continue hacking out, as well.

Lewes (Cape Henlopen), by Camiro de Harr Z (again represented in the WBFSHA rankings this year, 37th for 2021) and out of my former FEI mare Hope, is growing like a w**d. At 13 months old, he is 15.2. He is foal number ten from our farm and my highest hope for a competitive upper-level jumper or eventer. Fingers crossed he gets his mother's heart and father's scope.

June (My Orange Crush), one of the few GOV approved thoroughbreds I know of that went Premium as a foal and is by Mystic Replica, is getting some downtime for a nagging splint. Browsing stallions in the event she needs more time off...

I try to get young horses off the farm as much as possible early in the backing process to encourage a natural tendency to move forward.

Inspiring to watch the big events kicking off and seeing so many quality horses. Fingers crossed for Vanir Kamira at Badminton next week, she shares the same sire as Lewes and is the most recent Badminton winner.

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