hump day haflinger series #20

Eva Roemaat is a horse trainer from the Netherlands. She started riding at the age of seven and always seemed to know about Haflingers. She has her own Haflinger that is quite the character.

Eva and Shilas

Haflinger: Wappard van der Wier or Shilas

Age: 13 year old gelding

Height: 1.58 meters (about 15.2 hh)

Favorite Food: Anything!

Personality: Shilas is very outgoing, present, and cheeky. He is also a smart boy!
Likes: He likes to learn new things with Flip (Shilas' very own minion), and Eva. 
Discipline: Classical Dressage and Trick Training

Shilas is also great at jumping and they go on a lot of outdoor rides. 

Eva started trick training in 2007, after she saw Cavalia. This inspired her to try some things with her horse. Shilas learned a few tricks really quickly and Eva kept teaching him more and more. His favorite trick to do is standing on a pedestal, while Eva likes to have him do a well executed bow. 

The bow

The pedestal

The key to trick training, as with all other training methods is to provide the reward for the behavior within two seconds. This way, the horse can correlate that the behavior he did earned him the reward, whether it be a treat, a rest, a release of pressure, or whatever else works. 

Eva and Shilas, plus the minion Flip, are always fun to watch on YouTube videos. They have a ton of videos that show training and even bloopers. 

Eva's goal is to enjoy the world of horses with her partner, Jesse Drent. She also wants to show everyone the things that are possible with horses, if you are patient enough and willing to work together.  

*All photos were taken from her Facebook page with her permission