MIGHTY HEART BONANZA | 13 YEAR APPALOOSA MARE | AUSTIN,TX

Corazon, Mighty Heart Bonanza, is a Tri-Colored Leopard Appaloosa Mare. She currently lives at Driftwood Acres just outside of Austin,TX.

Corazon is a quirky and smart Appaloosa. She has even managed to learn how to untie a rope! I think that is one thing all horse people can say we hope our horses never figure out. Early on in her life she was badly mistreated and Diana has had to re-gain her trust. Due to her tough past she can be hesitant of strangers, she is definitely a horse that requires you to earn her trust or she can get the “ugly mare face!” Her owner Diana currently does dressage and trail with her.

Diana has owned her for 9 years. First, one of Diana’s friends bought Corazon as her first horse. Diana was there when she first came off the trailer at his property and she was terrified. It took 20 minutes to get near her and a ton of love and patience to get her to start trusting again. After two months Diana brought her to Austin so that she could work with her daily and see what she could do with her. She took two years of ground work to make sure she was safe before she even got on the first time. Now Gwyn Schaeffer helps to train Corazon, and this sweet mare has absolutely bloomed! She has a HUGE heart considering what she had been through in her prior life.

Diana said she would describe her as “transformed,” due to the miraculous turnaround the pair made.

Diana shares, “My first word was “horse”, in a family that had no interest in horses.” I am always surprised by all of the people I meet who tell me they are the first person in their family to ride horses! I can say the same for myself, well sort of. Growing up my family didn’t talk about horses or have anything to do with horses. However, as I later found out my Mom had a horse growing up and I also had relatives that were in horse racing. Diana got her first horse when she was 18. Several years later she got a Mare and a POA gelding, then a Palomino gelding that she rode in parades and with a performance group.

It is truly amazing how horses can change our lives, “There was a 16 year period that I did not have horses or ride. I never spoke about them, it made me cry. Then this Mare came along and I have been actively riding and working with her for 9 years now.”

“My favorite part is the relationship with the horse. I am a former teacher so the process of learning how to do something myself and conveying that to the horse just thrills me!”

Diana’s best kept secret with horses is patience. “My Mare is super sensitive to your emotions – even your heart rate and breathing! I have to learn to leave stress, tension or anger in the car!” She also shares that cider vinegar will fix almost any kind of itching, rubbing, or fungus.

Owning Corazon has been incredible learning experience for Diana. “My horses had always been trained, calm, and willing. The journey of how do I teach this horse to not fear me or hurt me, how do I teach her to trust that I won’t hurt her, trust that I will protect her and relinquish her well being to me has been an incredible trip!”

Karinda K Equine Photography is a Austin equine photographer located in Montgomery, TX. Karinda creates timeless portraits of you with your beloved horses, and other farm animals. Serving locally Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas communities. KEP also serves Wellington and Ocala, Florida, Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, Aiken, South Carolina, Tryon, North Carolina, and Norco and Woodside, California and their surrounding communities.