Juni - “SC Juniper’s Frost”
7-year-old registered AQHA mare (SC Juniper’s Frost)
Juni – 7-Year-Old Registered AQHA Mare
14.3hh | Bay | Located in Central Oregon
Juni is a coming 7-year-old registered AQHA mare who has been consistently and thoughtfully developed since starting under saddle at two years old. She stands 14.3 hands and is bred from proven old foundation lines including Hancock, Sunfrost, Driftwood, and Blue Valentine.
As a trail horse, Juni is finished and confident. She has extensive experience in backcountry and experiential trail riding, including varied terrain and environments, and is comfortable outside the arena. She has also been ridden regularly in the arena and has a solid working foundation, though her primary focus has not been on showing. She has attended one show, but her development has centered on real-world riding rather than competition mileage.
Juni has experience with cattle and packing, is sound, sturdy, and well put together. She would suit an intermediate to advanced rider looking for a reliable trail horse, or someone interested in refining her potential for the show pen, ranch versatility, or rodeo-focused work.
Juni is located in Central Oregon and is available for sale or on-site lease.
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Juni is a finished and experienced backcountry trail horse with extensive mileage outside the arena. She has packed hundreds of miles through high desert terrain, mountain switchbacks, rocky ridges, and tight single track.
She rides out confidently alone or in a group and maintains a forward, ground-covering walk with sure feet. Juni has worn a pack saddle many times and has hauled a full load on occasion without issue. She is also reliable for ponying, both being ponied and ponying other horses she is familiar with.
Juni has the mindset and composure needed for real-world riding. She has been exposed to traffic, barking dogs, loud machinery, and other common distractions, and handles these environments in a steady, unbothered manner.
Trail riding is where Juni is most at home and where she truly excels. She would be well-suited for a ranching home, a serious trail rider, or a rider interested in pairing extensive trail mileage with further refinement toward ranch versatility or roping-and cattle focused work.
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Juni has been under saddle since she was two years old and has received a slow, thoughtful education with exposure to a wide range of experiences.
She is a 6-year-old registered AQHA mare with old working bloodlines including Hancock, Sunfrost, Driftwood, and Blue Valentine. She stands 14.3 hands with solid bone, strong feet, and a forward, cowy mind.
She has a strong foundation in groundwork and has been handled with intention from the beginning. She ties, lunges, ground drives, and is respectful and responsive on the ground. That early foundation has carried into her work under saddle, where she continues to grow in confidence and feel.
Under saddle, Juni has done arena work, extensive trail miles, and cow work. During her 2 and 3-year-old years, we attended weekly roping practices, and she’s roped the dummy both at a standstill and on the move. She’s helped push herds of up to 800 head and shows a natural drive and interest in working cattle. She’s had ropes thrown off and around her and has been exposed to the roping pen in a variety of situations. While we haven’t kept that discipline up recently, she has the feel to make a great breakaway or versatility ranch horse with continued development.
She also rides English and has been started over poles and small crossrails. While we haven’t pursued formal training in that direction, she is willing, balanced, and responsive in English tack and could easily continue down that path.
Juni prefers to be ridden in a hackamore or bitless setup and is not a fan of fly spray. She does best with a rider who brings calm energy, clarity, and consistency.
Like many mares with a little Hancock in them, she can be cinchy if rushed. I never cinch her up tight all at once or hop on right away. I always give her a moment to adjust and relax, and she’s always been good when handled this way. She appreciates a rider who listens and doesn’t cut corners.
Juni is not a beginner or kids horse. She is responsive, sensitive, and honest—best suited to an intermediate or advanced rider who can offer presence, patience, and purpose.
Training Highlights:
• Extensive Groundwork: Solid, respectful, and well-handled on the ground.
• Trail Experience: Confident, surefooted, and steady in challenging terrain. Prefers trail work over the arena.
• Packing Experience: Wears a pack saddle well. Can pony and be ponied, especially with familiar horses.
• Cow Work: Exposed to roping pens, gathered large herds, roped the dummy, and has had ropes thrown off her. High potential for breakaway or versatility work.
• English: Rides willingly in English tack. Started over poles and crossrails.
• Versatile & Willing: Honest and capable, but still young with plenty of potential to keep growing. -
Juni is sound with no history of lameness or ongoing health issues. She is currently ridden with front shoes during the summer months when she’s in heavier work and goes barefoot in the winter.
She had a rough first experience with shoeing when getting her first set of fronts, which left her anxious about farrier work. Because of that, I typically give her a single dose of dorm gel before shoeing and continue to work on desensitizing her to clanging sounds and rasp pressure. She stands well for trims and has excellent feet.
Juni is up to date on all vaccinations and regular deworming.
She did experience a trailer-related injury in 2023, which has fully healed, but I recommend she not be hard-tied in a trailer. She travels quietly and comfortably when tied with a blocker ring or slip tie and settles easily once loaded.
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Juni is a dominant mare in the herd, though she’s not always the most dominant. She has been known to bite, kick at, and chase new horses when they first arrive, particularly if they invade her space of feeding area. Additionally, she can get a bit “mare-ish” and goes into heat around new geldings. However, once she settles in and establishes her place, she gets along well with others and is generally not a problem in the herd. She thrives in a stable, structured environment where she has clear boundaries.
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Juni loads and unloads well and has been hauled on multiple long-distance trips, including travel from Oregon to Arizona, Nevada, and Montana. She eats, drinks, and settles well during overnight hauls and adjusts quickly to new environments.
In 2023, Juni was involved in a trailer accident that left her with some residual anxiety around loading and tying. Since then, her confidence has been carefully rebuilt through patient, consistent handling and groundwork. She now loads and travels comfortably when given time to process and handled with care.
Juni does best with a handler who allows her a moment to think and stay regulated. She should be tied using a blocker ring or slip tie rather than hard-tied in the trailer. With this setup, she hauls quietly and is an easy traveler.
June 2023
The biggest herd that Juni had ever seen. She handled it like a champ. There is truly nothing that she enjoys more than a beautiful day out working cows.