Sterling Stables

10/22/2024

Northern Strawberry Pi. Very flashy 11 yr old 13hh Double Registered Welsh/Arabian chestnut mare. Pi has been in our program for years and it’s time to find her special kid. Pi has done everything. Leadline, lessons, summer camps, lesson horse, trails, cross country, dressage and stadium. Pi had hauled all over the place with kids to various local events, schooled at Thunderbird, lots at CVP and been involved in Pony Club. Pi has schooled to 2’9 and 3’ in the spring, spent the summer with kids doing camp, lead line and trails. This girl has the power, scope and springs to go places! Has an auto skip change, very light to the aids and is very well trained. Excellent with farrier and vet. UTD on everything and currently shoed all around due to work load. This pony loves to work and have a job! NOT selling as a beginner pony as she has her own motor, more go than woah. Perfect match for that keen intermediate looking to move up. Pi has perfect ground manners. She has never foundered or been lame. Asking 1️⃣👌5️⃣👌👌Langley BC

10/14/2024

10/10/2024

11'2 HH pony German Riding Pony gelding. 9 years old. Langley, BC. 9️⃣🕔👌👌. Teeth/vaccines UTD also current on worming and farrier.

Going walk/trot/canter and started small courses. Been off property. Lots of potential with this one! Fancy and has a large stride to get down the lines. Lots of scope! Been ridden by all levels of kids, awesome on the trails, done years of pony kids camps. Trailers, clips, good to handle on the ground, lunges and has been used in a lesson program. Has gone to a few local shows and places top 3 everytime with beginner riders. Has schooled to 2’. He would be an excellent addition to any riding school. He’s very social, been turned out with other horses, never foundered, puppy dog personality to win you over!

https://share.icloud.com/photos/03cHgE7de-C1-8lzJw90UWWsg

08/12/2024

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱

Positive reinforcement is essential in effective horse training, and understanding what truly motivates your horse can make all the difference. While many trainers use praise and pats as rewards, scratching offers a more meaningful and beneficial alternative for your horse.

𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴
Horses have unique preferences when it comes to rewards. A simple pat on the neck or enthusiastic praise might not resonate with them in the way we expect. Instead, scratching mimics the natural behaviours horses use to interact with each other. In the wild, horses use their teeth to scratch each other’s necks, which is both a social interaction and a practical behaviour that helps alleviate discomfort.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨
Scratching has a calming effect on horses. Studies have shown that when horses scratch each other at the base of the withers, their heart rate lowers by about 10 beats per minute. This is a clear indicator that scratching is more than just a pleasant gesture; it’s a stress-relieving action that horses find highly rewarding.

𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨
At Pony Club, we emphasise the use of scratching as part of our reward-based training techniques. Here’s why it’s effective:

▪️ Immediate Gratification: For positive reinforcement to work, the reward needs to be given immediately after the desired behaviour. Scratching provides instant, tangible gratification for your horse.

▪️ Meaningful Reward: Unlike loud praise or pats, scratching is something horses naturally enjoy. It directly addresses their physical comfort and mimics the social grooming they experience with other horses.

▪️ Stress Relief: The calming effect of scratching can help reduce stress and anxiety, making it an ideal reward during training sessions.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘜𝘴𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘌𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺
When incorporating scratching into your training routine, keep the following tips in mind:

1️⃣ Be Consistent: Use scratching as a reward consistently to help your horse associate it with positive behaviours.

2️⃣ Observe Preferences: Pay attention to where your horse likes to be scratched the most—some might prefer the neck, while others might enjoy it on their withers or back.

3️⃣ Combine with Other Rewards: While scratching is highly effective, you can also combine it with other forms of positive reinforcement, like treats, to enhance the reward.

In conclusion, scratching is a powerful and beneficial form of positive reinforcement that aligns with your horse’s natural behaviours and needs. By incorporating scratching into your training, you’re not only rewarding your horse effectively but also fostering a deeper bond built on understanding and respect.

Happy training, and remember to keep those scratches coming! 🐴✨

08/02/2024

It’s true! 🐴🦄🥳
Our back to school fall/winter lessons are on SALE!
Sterling Stables is now available to take in new students! If youve been waiting for space to open up here at our program, now’s the time to join us! We have several spots available week days and afternoons/evenings (in fall) and a couple of week end slots have opened up as well! Here at Sterling Stables you feel like family in a quiet, serene, friendly and educational environment. Our horses and ponies are very well trained, cared for and carefully matched to each rider for the ultimate educational journey. Terilyn brings 30 years of experience bringing all levels of equestrians along, is fully insured, has a CRC and First Aid. Each rider’s aspirations are discussed and a custom program is designed to achieve those personal goals. There is zero pressure to compete however, competitions can be attended with our horses. There is opportunity to ride off property as we connect to CVP. We offer very fun and educational spring break and summer camps as well! Coaching focuses on a strong foundation of horsemanship, and development of the classical principles of dressage, and hunter/jumper disciplines. We pride ourselves on our 30 years of practicing +R training and implementing the science of learning into every program. If you’re looking for exceptional coaching in a more diverse, encouraging and inviting platform, THIS is the Stable for you! Adults and children welcome from leadline to experienced!
Buy 10 lessons and receive 2 free!
NO limit to number of packages purchased! Now that’s something to Whinny about!

1 hour privates $900 for 12! Save $180!
1/2 hr privates $650 for 12! Save $130!
1 hour semi privates $700 for 12! Save $140!
1/2 hr semi privates for $500 Save $100!

Please contact Terilyn directly OR by text message OR DM here for any additional information. 604-618-6097
Can’t wait to get our back to school and fall sessions started!

07/29/2024

BY PONYMOMAMMY Being a mom, and an amateur, and a pony mom comes with a unique set of challenges, but it also comes with an amazing perspective. My pony-kid has recently turned a corner in her riding, and without my own riding experiences, I don’t believe I could fully appreciate the amount of wor...

07/26/2024

A small stab in the heart is what you feel when you put up the day's riding list and you see riders sinking heavily in their shoulders when reading which horse they are assigned for the lesson. A small stab in the heart for that horse that for an hour will carry around a rider who has already decided that he does not like his horse. A small stab in the heart for the horse that did not choose the rider himself but still does his best, lesson after lesson.

Riding is a privilege and something you have chosen to do. If you chose to ride at a riding school, your instructor assumes that you actually want to learn how to ride. The instructor's highest wish is that you get good at it.

Often there is a plan and a thought as to why you are assigned to that exact horse. Before you mount up next time, ask yourself "what can this horse teach me today?" All horses have something to give, a feeling or a new tool in the box.

The art is actually in being able to get a lazy horse to move forward, to get an uncertain horse to gain confidence, a naughty horse to focus or a tense horse to be released. It takes work. If you think a horse is boring, it's more likely that you don't ride the horse as well as you think! It's not easy to be confronted with your own shortcomings, but it is in that very situation that you get the chance to truly grow as a rider.

The excuse that "it's not my kind of horse" is actually a really bad excuse. A good rider can ride any kind of horse. A good rider has trained many hours on different types of horses to become a good rider. A good rider can find and manage the gold nuggets in every horse.

If we absolutely want to ride, it is our duty to strive to do it as best as possible, even if it's only for fun. We owe it to every horse that carries us upon it's back.

Copied and shared with love for all of our horses, ponies and riders 🐎❤🐎

07/16/2024

A slice of Morgan history---

In 1959, my mother found this little framed Morgan pedigree for sale in an antique store in Woodstock, Vermont. It is identified and dated:"Bradford, Vermont, March 2, 1886."

At the bottom, there is the following hand written inscription:

"Given to me by Mrs Humphrey Marshland, Barton, Vt, April 15, 1911
A Fullerton Phillips"

It was the survivors of a deadly lightning strike of Phillips's Morgan band, in Windsor, Vermont, that in later years would comprise the nucleus of what became known as the "Lippitt Morgans."

Most of Mr Phillips mares were in a pasture where the current Windsor Country Club is today, and died when lightning struck.

Two stallions and a few mares were in a barn across the road,
and after Phillips's death "from grief" a year or so later, those horses became the first Morgans to take up residence at the Green Mountain Stock Farm, in Randolph, Vermont.

Mr Robert Lippitt Knight used the prefix "Lippitt" on all the stock he bred, and I would imagine all or most will trace back to Ethan Allen 2nd.

06/07/2024

I read a theory about why so many riders lack a deep command of basics, and it was explained like this---

Correct basics are hard to master because there is an enormous amount of repetition involved, and if someone has tried something hundreds, possibly thousands of times, and still can’t do it, it is easy for the person to conclude that he/she is taking on an impossible challenge.

In his book “Mastery,” George Leonard wrote that on the quest to become good, there will be long stretches of “seeming non-improvement.”

Like watching grass grow, change is happening, but so slowly that it can’t be measured daily, weekly, or even monthly. But at some point, for those who stick with it, “suddenly” they can do things that before they couldn’t do.

The issue is giving up in frustration before putting in those many many many many months of practice.

That is ONE theory. I am sure there are many others, but this one does ring true.

06/05/2024

https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/fei-invests-1-1m-in-equine-welfare-fund-and-action-plan/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3S_h-DiHsKPsZI13TFyhVOkm5s0aaC9pFD0KmDL2GtFULm641FSQJW5f4_aem_ATaJ1HS3iYOC_6K1Vs_UTFF-cOquCViYYC-2LDc1YzwwvPJOPBg9MivvQvAOf86suoE3fIpOcqxc2t5CArPmvj8g

The Fédération Equestre Internationale Board of Directors unanimously approved an Equine Welfare Strategy Action Plan and established a dedicated Equine Welfare Fund of $1,119,000 to launch the plan at its in-person meeting, held Tuesday and Wednesday at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

06/03/2024

Horses and other long-necked animals show reduced blood pressure and heart rate when their heads are lowered due to baroreceptor activity in their carotid sinus near their carotid artery.

This is an adaptive effect that evolved to inhibit undesirable effects on the cell membranes of the brain when the head is lower than the heart.

Some trainers use head lowering to calm horses whose anxiety is triggered by external factors (e.g., leaves rustling).

High head-carriage is associated with hyper-reactive states, while inconsistent head-carriage impedes the development of consistent reactions to acceleration, deceleration, and turn signals.

Lowering the horse’s head is useful as a shaping component when training locomotory responses (go, stop, and turn) and to enhance the horse's overall responsiveness and consistency.

Studies have shown that horses pre-conditioned in this manner exhibit fewer head-tossing incidents and respond better during training, indicating a reduction in stress and improved learning.

- Adapted from a chapter in Equitation Science Volume 2 by Andrew McLean, Paul McGreevy, Janne Whinther Christensen & Uta König von Borstel - purchase this book online to read more.

https://esi-education.com/product/equitation-science/

06/01/2024

Not a joke...

Have you ever wondered why you can have a 15 acre field and part of it is chewed down to nubs and the other part has grass a hand high, But your horse is constantly grazing in the chewed down part?

Grass 6 inches and taller has less sugars than grass under 6 inches.

For every inch drop below 6 inches, the fructan (sugar) content rises.

Grass under 6 inches is stressed like it's a Monday morning with a project deadline. It uses sugar to repair itself.

Stop mowing your fields short.

Stop grazing your chubbys on chewed down grass. (this is why grazing muzzles are so touted...they keep the horse from being able to get much short grass)

(We aren't saying let your fields be 3 feet tall, by the way. The optimal thing to do is keep them 6-8 inches tall and graze them in small areas there)

05/16/2024

05/09/2024

Hiya wonderful families! 2 camps are
🐴SOLD OUT!🐴
Please reach out today if you are considering joining us for the most educational and fun equine camp ever! 🦄😎 our camps are listed under the “EVENTS” tab on our FB page. Giddy on up and have some fun with us this summer! ☀️🐎😎
Terilyn at 6046186097 text for faster response please!