Spruce Row Stables

12/05/2023

Absolutely!!! ❤️🐴

11/22/2023

Sharing so I don’t lose it and I can try it. 😊

11/22/2023

Congratulations to Mina on her purchase of a beautiful arabian gelding, RD Fashahn. Thank you to Dawn Friesen for allowing us to try him out and purchase him. He will be a wonderful addition to Spruce Row Stables. For those of you who know, say hello to Sham 2.0! ❤️🐴

11/20/2023

Oh look! Some one has decided to make half chaps “fashionable” 😂

11/14/2023

What a great clip! Sorry if it grosses anyone out, I love hands on learning! ❤️🐴

11/11/2023

My helpful ranch hand this morning. 6yrs old and he fed 4 horses their morning hay all by himself, no help from me, only a bit of guidance. Give a kid the tools and they will show you their greatness! ❤️🐴

11/09/2023

Such an important little piece of tack. ❤️🐴

If I was asked to name the most insignificant piece of gear with the biggest responsibility to my safety, it wouldn’t take me long to come up with an answer.

To those of us who ride a stock saddle, it would have to be the short connector or ‘hobble’ strap running between the front and back cinches.

We ignore these little scraps of leather, at our peril. I can’t tell you the number of wrecks I’ve seen and heard about, when the cinch connector comes under a little pressure—often a rollback turn while working cows, a hill climb, or an innocent gathering stride—and suddenly, all hell breaks loose. The horse, whose core has engaged, is now suddenly bigger. The saddle, on the rounded back, is now forced up. The rear cinch is held back behind the belly, just like a bucking strap.

The result? You’re off to the rodeo!

The answer is NOT to remove the back cinch, entirely. If you’re riding a double-rigged saddle, the rigging is in place to keep the back end from ‘wagging’ and putting pressure on the front tips of the bars. If we remove that rear cinch and if we’re spending enough time in the saddle, we’ll begin to sore up our horse.

Another precaution is to ride with the back cinch snug enough to be safe. It should be touching the horse’s barrel at all times, not hanging down like an empty hammock. A loose cinch does not prepare the horse for the feel of a snugger cinch and worse, it’s a great place to catch up sticks, gate latches or a hind foot, should he kick up at his belly.

The ‘hobble’ strap, itself, is about 5/8” wide and shouldn’t be much longer than 8”, overall. Too short and it’s always under pressure, holding your back cinch at an angle that, unless it is shaped in a shallow curve, will dig into the underbelly of the horse. It should be as thick and dense as a heavy-duty split rein and not a flimsy piece of lighter leather.

As the connector strap is punched with adjustment holes, it becomes perforated like a cheque stub. Lying as it does underneath the horse’s barrel, it collects sweat and mud, making the leather vulnerable to cracking and drying out. Nylon web straps are no safer. They need replacing just as often, for they, too, grow brittle with age.

It’s not a matter of IF a connector strap wears out, but WHEN.

I make a practice of replacing the connector/hobble straps on all my saddles every few years, just to be on the safe side. If your strap is made from a piece with two Conway buckles and a snap on one end, it’s a quick DIY project in front of the television. If there’s a Chicago screw holding the snap, get a new strap. Your life is too precious to trust anything being held with anything so dodgy as a screw stud!

If your connector is on a high-end saddle, where it’s stitched directly to the back cinch with a shaped ‘frog’, as shown here, you may have to take it to your friendly neighbourhood saddlemaker for replacing. That is, if you don’t have the leatherworking chops to do the fix, yourself.

Either way, look after your connector strap. Keep it clean—keep it saddle-soaped—for the fatty acids in the conditioner will counteract the salt in the horse sweat. Just like your latigoes, if the connector strap shows any signs of dry rot or cracking, replace it immediately. Better safe, than sorry, my friends.

10/14/2023

Some of our lesson horses (Honey) love people so much they want to join the kids playing trucks on the gravel pile! 😂 ❤️🐴

10/14/2023

Just chilling with weanlings and free range chickens on this cool October day. ❤️🐴🐓

10/14/2023

Pretty much sums it up!!! ❤️🐴

true story.
www.thecinchycowgirl.com

10/08/2023

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! May you see things to be grateful for all around you today and always! ❤️

09/06/2023

Absolutely! My lesson horses work hard for me and in return, I try to keep them in herds as best I can with pasture turnout as well as a variety of work loads in the arenas and out on the trails. ❤️🐴

07/14/2023

❤️❤️❤️

06/28/2023

Yup!

https://carsonjames.com

06/28/2023

I’ve always believed in more than just running circles. Love this! ❤️❤️❤️

06/20/2023

Love this method! I see so many people letting their horses drag them around to eat grass and then wonder why their horses have no respect for them on the ground.

05/17/2023

Why I do what I do!!! ❤️❤️❤️🐴

04/05/2023

This is so true! Sensible trail horses are worth their weight in gold and the people who ride them are definitely warriors! ❤️🐴

I’ve got a bone to pick and it might surprise you to know it is with b-l-o-o-d-y trail riders. I get quite a few trail riders coming to my clinics and so I have enough experience and ammunition to make a legitimate complaint.

Actually, I have 2 complaints. The first is easy and I can deal with it in one short paragraph, but the second deserves a rant.

Okay. First up, about half of those that mainly do trail riding describe themselves as “pleasure riders”. Stop it. We are all pleasure riders! I hope we all ride for pleasure – even professional horse people. Being a good horse person is hard and dangerous work, so if you don’t love it, the other rewards (financial, accolades, ribbons) are not sufficient enough to make it worthwhile. So trail riders should stop trying to appropriate the term “pleasure rider.”

Now the second and more important reason I am cranky at trail riders is their attitude.

Whenever I meet a new student at a clinic I ask them what do they do with their horse. I would say 4 out of 5 of the trail people say something like, “Oh not much. I just trail ride” or “I just like to potter around on the trail” or “We are not serious. We just like to ride out in the bush (forest).”

They tell me they trail ride as if they have to apologize for it. It’s as if there is some sort of shame to being a trail rider and they are the second-class citizens of the horse world.

Well, I’m going to tell you that trail riders are not second-class horse people. They are the WARRIOR CLASS of the horse world.

I have come across plenty of people who have had long and highly successful competition careers that wish they had a horse they could safely ride on a trail. They practice their exercises in the safe confines of a riding facility where the most startling and unpredictable thing that can happen is that the horse gets its tiptoes wet on the water jump or it has to cope with a judge placing a rosette on its bridle. Heaven forbid those precious gold-plated ponies with their diamante browbands would have any sort of challenge that would cause their makeup to run.

To train a good trail horse is proof of a person’s skill as a horseman or woman. Creek crossings, steep descents on slippery ground, swampy ground, branches brushing the sides, carcasses of decaying dead animals, inconsiderate car drivers and bike riders are the things of nightmares for many horses trained in other disciplines. But for a good trail horse and their rider with a spine made of tungsten they are nothing more than another point of interest on their sightseeing tour.

To be able to calm a horse that is losing its manure on a trail is a badge of honour that is worth more than any blue ribbon. When on the other side of every new turn in the trail lies in waiting a horse-eating emu, it is the experienced trail rider that will see them to safety. When behind every bush hides the shadow of the grim reaper ready to unleash mayhem and death, it is the trail rider that will slay death.

Nobody should ever apologize for being “just” a trail rider. Stand proud. Be the best you can be at what you do and you will never have to feel second-class to any other horse person. Remember you are the WARRIOR CLASS.

04/03/2023

It’s finally starting to feel like spring! I hope everyone has had a wonderful winter ❄️ After some time off, the horses and I are ready to get back to regular riding lessons. The outdoor arena is cleared of snow and softening up, bring on the sunshine! 🌞

If you are ready to get back to riding, please contact me to book your spot.
Text Melanie at 306-883-8777

I’m also planning to get vaulting classes going again. Please let me know if you are interested or have questions.

Follow for more events coming up! Day camps, horse activities, etc.

Spruce Row Stables is located in Leoville, SK.

03/29/2023

Very good info on why finding a saddle that fits you as well as your horse can be so difficult. (This particular post only refers to fitting the rider). ❤️🐴

17.5" Saddle =/= 17.5"

[For those not understanding why 2 completely different saddles were used. Both saddles are marked at 17.5", however, the area for the rider and tree size varies greatly. This highlights a common issue we see when riders are searching for a new saddle, assuming that since they rode in a 17.5", they will need a 17.5" in any other saddle they purchase. The space for the rider is not just where a rider sits, but also the area over which they post. Tree size =/= Seat size.]

Both saddles pictured are 17.5" as per the standard method of measurement from the seat nail to the center of the cantle. However, you can see that the blue line indicating the amount of space for the rider varies greatly between the two saddles. Seat size is a bit of a misnomer as it doesn't accurately identify the amount of space there is for the rider with zero consideration on pommel style and size at the very least. When it comes to fitting the rider, seat size is just one aspect of fit that must be considered to ensure the rider is comfortable and supported, but not "stuck" in their position or held in place.

The seat size is the most common way of identifying whether a saddle is the right size for you, despite the fact that it inaccurately depicts the true size of the saddle. To better determine the actual amount of space you'd have in any saddle, measuring from pommel to cantle (much like in Western) will provide more accurate information on if it'd be suitable. The seat size can vary greatly and simply by moving the seat nail, with the manufacturer able to stamp an 18" tree with a 15.5" seat based solely on where that seal nail is. The tree size (pommel to cantle) is the most accurate in finding a saddle that provides adequate room for the rider and is applicable to all makes, models and styles.

For those not understanding this post, the ENTIRE POINT was to show that 17.5" is not 17.5" across different styles and disciplines. That does not change the fact that many riders when buying a saddle assume since they rode in a 17.5", whatever next saddle they're looking for, regardless of style, also needs to be a 17.5". This simply highlights the importance of measuring the TREE (pommel to cantle). This post also does not delve into the other dozen + points that are considered when fitting a saddle to a rider.

03/07/2023

This right here is my why! ❤️🐴

“How much weight can a horse carry?

In my experience, a horse can carry an infinite amount.

They can carry the weight of broken hearts, broken homes, and broken bodies. Countless tears sometimes comb their tangled manes. Moments when parents and friends cannot be there to help and hold a person, horses embrace and empower. They carry physical, mental, and emotional handicaps. They carry hopes and dreams; and they will carry the stress from your day when you can't carry it anymore.

They carry graduations, they carry new careers, they carry moves away from everything familiar, they carry marriages, they carry divorces, they carry funerals, they carry babys before they are born, and sometimes they carry the mothers who cannot carry their own baby. They carry mistakes, they carry joy, they carry the good and they carry the bad. They carry drugs and addictions, but they also carry the celebrations.

They will carry you to success when all you have felt is failure. They will carry you, never knowing the weight of your burdens and triumphs.

If you let them, they will carry you through life, and life is hard, life is heavy. But a horse will make you feel weightless under it all.”

-Written by Sara Huffman

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/DorotaKudybaArt/photos

Good night, God Bless. 🙏🏻💖

02/20/2023

Something I’ve been working on in my horse life. ❤️🐴

02/13/2023

This right here! This is how I run my lesson program and why I run it the way that I do.
❤️🐴

Make Them Carry Their Saddle

A father of a darling girl and I were talking last week and he said that he wanted his daughter to ride more and not have to do the work part of the catching, grooming, and saddling. I smiled as I explained.

Riding horses is a combination of strength, timing, and balance. Kids in this country are physically weak (unless they are actively involved with weight training and physical conditioning 4+ times a week.)

When you walk out to the field, you are clearing your stress from being under fluorescent lights all day; feeling the sun soak into your bones. As your body moves on uneven surfaces, it strengthens your legs and core.

When you groom your horse (especially currying), you are toning your arms and stabilizing your core.

When you carry your saddle, your arms, chest, and back are doing isolated strengthening work.

Being near horses, calms and makes you tune into the splendor of these empathetic animals.

When you ride at a posting trot, it’s equivalent to a slow jog calorie burn wise.

After a lesson, the riders are physically tired and mentally quiet and balanced.

Horses feel your heart beat and mirror your emotions back.

Riding large and somewhat unpredictable animals makes you resilient and pushes your expectations.

Working with horses is so much more than learning how to ride.

So parents, make your children carry their saddles. Don’t do the hard parts for them, as long term it actually hurts them. To advance with their riding, they must get stronger. You can help by doing the high parts.

I love having you all at the farm, and am so grateful to get to share these fascinating animals with you.

Hannah Campbell Zapletal 🐴🌿😍

08/22/2022

08/21/2022

This

07/01/2022

https://carsonjames.com

06/18/2022

Absolutely! ❤️🐴

06/11/2022

Charlie Mackesy ❤️❤️
(Pinterest)
amzn.to/2O1aaDN
amzn.to/2O8lwWi

06/05/2022

Let’s talk about the lack of quality coaching and lack of standards in the equine industry. For example, kids learning with someone who claims to be an "coach" and all they learned is how to see-saw a horse's head down and chuck their body over a fence like a champion. All coaching is not equal.

But what happens when you have a good coach? One that opens their program to you, takes you under his/her wing? Becomes invested in your success? When you essentially become part of the "family"...

Eventually, something will happen...

Coach tells you that you are not Karen O'Connor 2.0, and not ready to make the move up to the next level.
Coach says you need to go back and fix some holes in your training.
Coach says you have developed a bad habit, and it needs to be fixed before you can accomplish your goals.
Coach says you need to make sure that your horse is being ridden (not just hanging out at the barn).
Coach says you need to dedicate more time to studying the sport, not just riding.
Coach says it isn't a "horse" problem, it is a "you" problem.

People have become increasingly more reactionary. More easily offended. In lieu of everyone getting a trophy, it is so hard to hear these words from people you admire. Some of the best coaches will be the toughest. Not ones that tear you apart constantly, but coaches that aren't afraid to have the tough conversations with you. Or conversations that you may not have wanted to have.

But remember, a good coach is in YOUR corner. They want YOU to achieve success. They dedicate so much more than an hour of time to your growth not only as a rider but as a horseman. Maybe you are burning the candle at both ends (and in the middle), and you need a reality check that this sport requires more of your time and focus.

These conversations can hurt, but while it may sting at first.... take a second. Think about why your coach is against you moving up right now, why your coach is saying to wait until the summer to be a working student, why your coach is saying that you should not enter the show until the homework and flat work is done.

Surround yourself with coaches that aren't afraid to have these tough conversations with you. You don't want or need a "cheerleader" coach. You are paying you for your coach’s expertise... the positives and the criticism. Let them help make the best decisions for your horse, and for your program. The lessons on the horse and the lessons off of the horse. Are you ready? Are you doing what is best by your horse? You owe it to yourself and your horse....

*** Copied and modified from Courtney Sendak

06/02/2022

Absolutely!!! Or with the petting zoo critters!❤️🐴🐇🐐🐓🐈‍⬛🐮🍀