Epik Eklipse Equestrian

01/16/2025

Snow or no snow ❄️ here we go! On our way to First official roping lesson with Brambles 🦛 🥰

01/10/2025

Well, here we go again.... Welcome to the ranch sweet lady!
This wild/feral fancy full chrome mare is almost a smokey black with a partial blue eye and a belly splash... we are excited to see what she'll throw to her foal this spring!

01/09/2025

Miss Mavis (buckskin pinto with black tail and forelock) is now weaned (with ease and no stress or issues) and ready for her new home. VERY NOMINAL adoption fee. Must be familiar with feral behavior and have the time and desire to invest in her well being. She is a big girl with good bone and conformation. Age and breed unknown, threw a beautiful buckskin filly, good chance she was bred back as she was in with stallions (chunky sturdy boys)
Mavis is unhandled but showing willingness. Transportation available. PM for info.

01/07/2025

Good morning all.... It's about lookin' like it's time to get some horses moved!

Pearl - 3yr old APHA black tobiano (although she is a soft apricot colour with white splashes) mare. Unstarted. UTD on teeth, worming and feet.

Ernie - 3yr old APHA (very light) buckskin tobiano gelding. Unstarted. UTD on teeth, worming, sheath and feet.

Tom -12yr old, 14.3hh nicely built APHA Sooty buckskin gelding. UTD on teeth, worming, sheath and feet. Green but Very quiet and willing. Had a few years off just turned out at his last home (no issues or lameness, just no time) Safe for beginners on trails and arena but excels with an experienced rider as he has lots to learn.

Sterling - (Not actively listing atm as my husband is on the fence) 15 yr old, 15.1hh Desert Norman grey gelding. UTD on Teeth, worming, sheath and feet. Riden english and western, seems to love english. Can throw a rope off him, does trail obstacles and drags. Safe and quiet. Adult beginner friendly. Gentle personality.

Tuffy - 8yr old, 14.3hh AQHA bay gelding. UTD on teeth, worming, sheath and feet. Has some show experience, great youth and lesson program prospect. Sweet natured and easy to get along with. Living in a herd on rounds with no worry of weight, so a true easy keeper. Looks just as cute english as he does western. Great with obstacles and new things.

Imogene -3 yr old strawberry roan, full chrome (with glorious hair) range bred grade (breed unknown) mare. Unstarted. Incredibly willing. Loads, ties, hauls. Very clean in a pen and middle of the order in a herd. Always free fed so not food motivated and maintains the perfect weight. Attentive and sensitive. Will make a responsive and light mount. Has yet to refuse anything asked of her. Will be started in the Spring. Available only to a very specific home. Inquire for more info.

Rawlph - 5 yr old, 15.2hh range bred grade (breed unknown) liver chestnut with lots of chrome, gelding. UTD on teeth, worming, sheath and feet. Has been riden english and western, done some clinics, trails and road riding. Very gentle and kind guy. Perfect for the farrier, had first set of shoes this past summer and was ideal! Not suitable for kids or beginners at this time, but has been riden by amateur youth and greener adult riders without issue. Would suit a one owner home that spends as much time bonding and ground working as they do riding. Hes an interactive guy with nothing but respect for his handler. Seems to excel at english and enjoys obstacles. Not the most curious of personalities but has yet to refuse anything introduced to him.

PM ONLY PLEASE with any questions, and for photos.

01/07/2025

Every one of these is spot on 👌

Lessons learned long and hard in the horse business as a barn owner..

1. It's easy to fall in love with your customers. They become a family who you spend a lot of time with. However, in the end they will do what's best for themselves. And, for you and them, those paths may not be the same. Prepare to get your heart broken. Keep business and personal relationships separate.

2. People will not always trust in your experience and will second guess you. They will think they know better because they read it in a book, or saw it online. Don't try to be all things to all people. Do what you are good at. Run your barn in a way that you can sleep at night knowing that you did right in your mind by them and their horses. The clients opinion of that may be different than your beliefs, but you have to live with choices that leave you at peace. That may mean confrontation, hard conversations and even asking people to move on for your own peace.

3. Horses are easy 99% of the time. It's the people who come with them that make things complicated.

4. Remember that horses need to be horses.

5. People will always judge you, and have opinions. The better you are, the more haters will have opinions.

6. Success isn't measured by ribbons and show placings. It's measured in happy animals and the quality of their lives.

7. There is always an exception or quirk that doesn't " follow the rules" in horse care. Do what works, not what the books say works.

8. When you get annoyed by seeing somebody's car pull in to the barn, it's time to let that person move on. Your barn should be a happy place. It literally only takes one bad sour apple to ruin the whole atmosphere and dynamic in a barn.

9. Let it go.... if someone moves on don't be upset by it. Ignore what they say. Don't take it personally. Every barn is not a good fit for every person.

10. This is a business. If a person or horse isn't working for you, or the compensation isn't offsetting your cost, it's time for them to go. The exception to this is your retired horses, see #11.

11. Horses only have so many jumps, so many runs, so many rides. Don’t waste your horses. Teach your students they aren’t machines. You owe it to your retired horses to have a safe, comfortable and dignified end. Your schoolies worked for you. When the time comes they can no longer do that, either give them a pleasant retirement, or put them in the ground where you know they are safe. Do not dump them at auctions or onto other people where you are not 100% sure that they will be cared for.

12. There is no shame in euthanasia for a horse owner. Always better a week too early then a second too late. Do not judge anyone for their reasons for doing this.

13. Most clients fall Into two categories. Those who are "high maintenance", open in their opinions and will confront situations head on. The second is the quiet type who will not say a word and will not openly talk with you about their expectations or issues. You have no idea they have a problem until it's too late. The people in between these two are the clients you want. They will be long term and make life easy.

14. Know your worth. KNOW YOUR WORTH. Your time and experience has a monetary value. Don't do things for free, even if you like the person. Every bit of time or effort you give to clients has value. So when you don't value your effort, neither will a client. They will come to expect "freebies", which always leads to resentment from someone.

15. Be honest. It's not always easy. But in this business it takes forever to build reputation and seconds to destroy it.

16. Remember horses are dangerous. Always use your best judgment and air on the side of caution when working with horses and students. Their lives and your own life can change in an instant.

17. Get paid up front. Keep good records. People don't go to the grocery store and ask for food they will pay for next week. Good business practices keep everyone honest and sets boundaries for clients.

18. Normalize passing on price increases. Service industries, especially ones like ours always "feel guilty " when raising prices. You are not there to subsidize someone else's horse habit. Prices have been going up on costs, so should your fees.

19. The buck stops with you. Your employees mistakes fall back to your responsibility. Always verify and check on important care aspects of daily activities.

20. Make time for family and rest. Too many of us get burnt out from the stress of expectations in this industry. In the end, boarders and students come and go. Your family is who you will have left.

Thanks for reading my thoughts. I hope it can help support some of you feeling burnt out, and maybe help some people who are starting out in their journey into this industry.

Written by Rhea Distefano

01/01/2025

Well... with my pretty new planner in hand and starting to write dates for 2025... be it for events, shows, clients and clinics we're hosting and attending, I find myself reflecting on the year past and getting excited for the one to come.

To the clients that keep you lifted and drive you to surpass your own expectations, to the spouses that encourage, support and genuinely love to watch you grow and succeed, to the friends that relentlessly cheer you on and that you can't wait to message after a long day of horseing, after an inspiring clinic or a million times all day long at a show, and to the trainers, coaches & farriers that keep it real and truly are invested in you, your horse and your goals... in case you haven't heard it lately...You are so very appreciated.

I am without enough words of gratitude for my husband, horses, and peeps....Thank You 💕

It was a fabulous 2024 with Spyke being his little super star self and earning us a High Point at every show and Fair we attended this year. I'm so looking forward to moving him up next year and having Brambles join our 2025 show lineup! Here's to everyones best year yet 🏆

12/25/2024

Wishing you all a lovely day! 🥂

12/13/2024

Exciting things happening around the ranch these days!

*The electrician🔌 made another visit today and is almost done in the boarders tack room. The windows are in🪟, doors are here🚪 and we're almost ready for lock up! The grooming area off the side will get a bit of a face-lift as well 👷‍♂️

*We've removed all the panels from the paddocks and did a full scrape and resurfacing has begun 🚜

*The sectioned off forest areas🌲with all new posts, now have all the insulators up and one pen is now complete! These pens will be so great in the summer with all the big trees ☀️

*Trenches are dug and concrete is poured for the new indoor training arena!!!!!! 👷‍♂️ We are optimistic that this will be completed before the new year🎉

And just a few new additions to the family 🐴

11/26/2024

We've got 2 self board stall/paddock spots available Dec.1st that can include hay. PM for details!

11/09/2024

Its been some long days with more to come! We've been busy with winter prep and upgrads!! New water lines 💦, pens, footing and building! 🛠

🌲The forest area has all the fence posts now in to create 3 massive turnout areas. Tons of big beautiful trees will provide protection from the elements, especially the summer sun ☀️ This will be a year round turn-out bloarding option. 👷‍♂️Construction is well underway for boarders heated tack room and grooming area. And it was time, so our individual stalls with paddocks have been completely scrapped dump🚜 and started resurfacing🚛
Oh.... and materials show up next week for our covered arena 🤠

So, all that being said, we will have a few self board spots available (can provide hay), as well as winter ❄️ turn-out (Field ) and year round 🌦 turn-out (forest ) come Dec 1st.

Pm for more info 🐎

10/07/2024

🍁 Fall Lessons!! 🍂
We have Jodie Moore back up one last weekend before Winter ❄️hits! October 18-20. Private or bring a friend and do a group lesson! Pick your day and pick your discipline 🐎 Full set of ranch obstacles available including a water feature, drags, and roping dummies. Western Pleasure to Ranch, casual to show... Jodies got you covered! PM for your spot. $100 per.

09/28/2024

Good Morning!
As of right now we have 1 self board spot and 2 full board spots coming into winter. We do have a handful of field turn out board (including hay) that will start Nov. 1st.

09/11/2024

Well....its official!!!!!
Construction of the first covered riding area will start soon and completion date is looking to be first week of December!!!!!

This will allow us to continue training and lessons all year long regardless of +40 or darn near -40 (well, maybe not... that's really cold🥶)

So! that being said, we have opened up a few more full board and self board spots 🐴 We do also offer winter turn out board that runs Nov 1st to end of Feb.

PM for more details on boarding options, training, and lessons!

Send a message to learn more

09/08/2024

Nice and cool Sunday morning while we prep for the trail portion of our Jodie Moore clinic 🐎
Thank you to everyone who attended the barbecue last night! It was a late night, but hopefully you're up, having your coffee and ready for today ☕ The course is set to full specs of the Ranch horse show this weekend in Armstrong. Auditing is welcome and this course will be set up for the rest of the week if anybody would like to do a drop-in and run through their patterns.

08/21/2024

🔈🐎 Jodie Moore Ranch Clinic 🐴 🔈
💥💥💥💥Sept 7 & 8 💥💥💥💥

We have a handful of spots left for this!
Day one will be Arena work and patterns. Setting you up for success in your rail and pattern classes. Day two will be trail and obstacle work. We will have everything out from gates to bridges, water feature, roping and drags.

We will be hosting a barbecue Saturday evening for participants. Details to follow!

Availability for general performance private lessons is very limited for the Friday. English or Western, all levels, tailored to you and your horse specifically.

This will be our last clinic and Jodie's last trip to the Okanagan this year! So come out and enjoy a fun weekend with a wonderful clinician and get a good start on your winter goals!

$300 for the clinic
$100 private lesson

08/15/2024

Good Morning ☀️
With the last couple shows and fair just around the corner, it seems like winter will be here in no time!

Our full-time winter turnout board option runs from November 1st to February 28th and we have a very limit number of spots to fill for that. It's a small group turnout, 24/7 access to very quality hay, heated water and large shelter nicely bedded down. PM for more info and availability 🤠

We've got Jodie Moore here Sept 6-8 for a ranch clinic and will be offering private lessons for both English and Western riders of all levels including greenies and walk trots 🐴 Jodie's clinics are fun, encouraging and really motivating. This clinic will be a great year-end clinic to really give you an idea on how far you've come this year and things to work on throughout the winter in prep for next year's riding season and Jodies annual spring kick- off to riding season clinic.

Things are in the works to get our large training area up top covered which will allow us to continue lessons and training through the winter! This will open up extra client spots so we will keep you updated!

Although the days are shorter, they're also a little bit cooler so we're in full swing here with sales horses getting prepped and ready! We have 4 available on site as of right now so feel free to reach out and let us know what you're looking for 🐎

08/07/2024

Thank you so much to everybody that messaged offering assistance or answered our messages and made it here in what seemed like minutes! Tracy, Eric & co, Ed, Anne Marie, Melodie & Dana helped to evacuate all the horses and little moo yesterday in a very timely fashion! Huge thank you to the Davidsons for housing all the ponies 🐴 Ed for taking Maizey 🐮 and Tasha for keeping Rafter safe 😺

08/01/2024

Nothin' like a little late night shoein' session the day before we leave town for a show 🤦‍♀️ At least he makes it enjoyable 💙