Red House Farm

01/26/2025

Beef and her emotional support pony Echo are staying with us at the home farm for a short stint. Beef is on a winter break right now but since she was kicking around, I thought I would take her for a trail ride. She was so good! Not even any trademark Beefy bounces👏

08/28/2024

First time jumping for this duo as well. Super proud of this kiddo for all the patience and empathy she has for her pony who is still a bit green yet! How good do they look!!
🪵🪵🪵🪵🪵🪵🪵🪵🪵

07/12/2024

This beauty has moved onto her new home. We were all sad to see Dreamy go but it sounds like she is settling in and doing great with her new kid. We know she will be taken good care of and loved.

06/05/2024

04/21/2024

Dreamy🥰 15.1hh, 14yr, Appendix Mare. Dreamy has done a bit of everything: dressage, jumping, trail riding, english and western. She has jumped to 1.0m at home. Honest and brave, not spooky at all. I have used her in intermediate lessons and she is great with a variety of riders at that level. PM for further details.

03/04/2024

Proud to offer this incredible horse for your consideration. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride a horse already in the history books. Free Thought is a record holding running Quarter Horse coming off the track sound after setting TWO world records for 770 yards and 18 consecutive wins! Showing no interest in retirement he came to me looking for a second career. Perfect age and size, 13yrs, 16.1hh. He has been to 1 schooling show, schooled to 1.10m at home, ridden by kids. It feels like he will have plenty of scope as he gains experience. He is a kick ride, particularly on the flat. Auto changes on coarse. Jumps from anywhere, can take a joke. Loves to trail ride and rides out alone. Looking for the right home.

02/18/2024

This!! Goal-setting can certainly be at odds with good horsemanship. Put your horse first and goals second. Or think of it as making your horsemanship your priority “goal” so if you do right by your horse, you always win!

When goal setting meets horse training…

Personal development is a growing industry and encompasses skill enhancement, personal growth, career, spirituality, lifestyle, and wellness. It’s actually called “self-improvement industry” or “self-help industry”.

The idea of never-ending self-improvement is a beautiful thing, isn’t it? Ever growing, developing, learning…
Maybe this is a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I sometimes ask myself if that kind of mindset is the right one for horse training.
To me, the underlying assumption is that the way we are, we are not enough. That if we just improve enough, improve the next thing, we will be happy.

We read the latest books about self-management, watch lectures on Youtube, and constantly listen to audiobooks and podcasts. We improve our nervous system, our business practices, our fitness, our relationships. Nothing is safe from being improved.
Horses are just the opposite. They are content the way they are (given they live in appropriate circumstances). They rest in themselves. All they need is forage, friends, and freedom. While I do believe they enjoy feeling good in their body through good training practices, I have my doubts that they would actively seek self-improvement.
Don’t get me wrong, I do have goals. And I have met every single one of my personal goals last year. But we have to be careful when we apply the same goal setting strategies to horse training. I know, because I have done so, and it has led to a lot of frustration for the horses and for me.

It’s good to have a plan and to be aware of what you are doing. It’s also good to keep developing. We do better when we know better.
However, I also know lots of equestrians who put themselves and the horses under a lot of stress due to the constant and never ending need for improvement. They feel overwhelmed. They never take a breath, they never enjoy what they have. They don’t let things be. They are always on the lookout for the next thing.

When I am overly committed to my goals, I loose my sense of intuition. My mind is restless and because of constantly chasing after the next improvement, I miss out on the moment.
Why do we have horses? Because we feel good in their presence!
Horses can help us to connect to nature and to our own nature. To be in the moment and to let go of expectations. But we have to allow it.

I think what many of us need is not more, but less. Less worrying, less comparing ourselves to others (and what they have achieved with their horses), less pressure to perform, less ambition.

And the funny thing is, that when we can let go, things will appear on their own.

Photo by Agnieszka Gulczyńska Fotografia

02/11/2024

I love visuals. Especially ones that help simplify complicated topics.

COLLECTION TO COMBAT KISSING SPINES

Kissing spines seems to be the lameness du jour these days. I’ve seen a bunch of posts and articles on the subject lately. Here are a couple of my observations. Nobody in those posts talks about training proper collection by engagement of the hindquarters. Most only mention lowering the head/neck. The thoracic sling is not, does not, and can not lift up the front end of the horse. That’s the job of the hindquarters.

01/25/2024

For any other visual learners. Love these graphics!