Simon Performance Horsemanship

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United States
Auburn, WA
Simon Performance Horsemanship

Simon Horsemanship LLC provides training, lessons and sales in Auburn, WA.
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12/14/2023

Happy National Day of the Horse. Love sharing the horses with my kiddos as they grow.

11/24/2023

BLACK FRIDAY!

As we have limited openings, I am limiting this deal to the first 5 and it will be available to purchase until December 1st.
Great gift and gift certificates available.

1. 10 hour Lessons to be used through Dec 31, 2024, use how and for who you want.
- $550 on lesson horse
- $400 on owned horse
$100+ savings!

2. 2- 30 minute Magnawave PEMF sessions or 1 hour session - $60
$20 Savings

PM for more details or to purchase.

11/17/2023

to two years ago, spinning with my little one. Love the commentary 😄

11/12/2023

This afternoon, Carly worked on figuring out her filly Breezy after we got her started under saddle a few months ago. Nice work!

11/12/2023

Great clinic today! So many improvements made on the ground and in the saddle. I wasn't great at taking pictures, but here are a few. 🐴

11/04/2023

Join us November 11th!

9-12pm Ground Training
Improve your communication from the ground while learning exercises to build your confidence, relaxation and connection with your horse.
Lunch break (and saddle up)
1-4pm Riding Fundamentals- Let's take it to the saddle and work on improving our feel, timing and communication with our horses.
Opportunity to ask questions and have fun! All levels welcome as I will work with you at your level and with what you and your horse need.

Individual session $120
Both sessions $230
Audit- $25
Snacks and beverages provided
RSVP to Ann here or call/text 360-749-4339

10/11/2023

A little spin practice with Reason. 🐴
My phone suggested an edit this morning on a little video at this last show and I thought it was actually pretty cool!

10/09/2023

Not many pictures (I was too busy 🙃), but a fun weekend in Lynden at the PNWRHA Ranch Horse Show. Shadow did great in the Green Horse division earning 2nd in the Ranch Cutting with a score of 143, 2nd in the Box DB class and 3rd in the Reining. Reason tried hard, but lost a cow in the Open cutting. We were rushed into the reining so we didn't show our best, but it was the first time we have shown in the bridle and we gained some confidence and schooling there. Red came along for the ride, but I decided to enter him last minute in the Open Reining, he did great getting 3rd. Overall a great show and we are going home with lots to work on 🐴

09/14/2023

Nice c**t out of a good friend's mare available!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=736893968238213&id=100057528486452&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

09/14/2023

Update: No longer Available 🐴

Aster 💐 is a gorgeous 4 year old registered Drum mare. Standing 16 and thick! She has the looks and she has the brains. She's very trustworthy, quiet, confident and sweet. She’s a true love bug, very personable and always ready to come out and play!

09/10/2023

Great week at Western States Stock Horse show in at T90 Ranch in Tenino! 🐴
We got to join a clinic Friday and everyone got to work on things with their horses.
🔵Hayden and Cow Cuttin Commotion (Jr) got Youth 7-13 overall high point in a small youth class and had a great time.
🔴Cruz and I Am (Punch) had fun in the Novice Cowhorse and gained some great experience.
🔵 Kim and her new boy Heza Red Hot Whiskey (Red) had a great first show in the Novice Rookie Reining!
🔴Sunshine and Darlin HidetheWhizkey (Tipsy) showed in the Non Pro Reining and Novice Rookie Reining and also had a great time gaining experience in the show pen together.
🔵RTR Reason to Dream (Reason) and I had a great time. We got 5th in the Limited Open Reining and 9th in the LO Cowhorse.
🔴RTR Stylish Justice (Shadow) did wonderful her 2nd time showing and managed a 3rd in Green Horse Open Reining and a 4th in GH Open Cowhorse.

⚫ I think I'm safe to say we are all going home tired!

08/27/2023

For my fellow barn owners/ trainers out there...
Lessons learned long and hard in the horse business as a professional..

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... Thank you.

08/04/2023

"Punch" 👊
This cool gelding is available to the right home! 🤩
More info on him here 🔽
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=265043692928293&id=100082679924165&mibextid=ZbWKwL

07/29/2023

Offered for consideration:
I Am, AKA "Punch" 👊
Punch is a 6 year old 15h AQHA gelding by Dual Smart Rey. He’s had 3+ years professional training. For the past year, he has been used to teach a youth rider ranch cutting and boxing. We have also used him as a turn back horse. He would also do great at ranch sorting or penning!

Although, we have not used him for roping this past year, his previous owner said the following about his roping ability: He’s drug calves, he’s even caught wild hogs. He will stand really good in the box and has a ton of rate. He’s big enough that he can be used on the head side but you can also heel off him and will really fall in behind a steer correctly and give you every opportunity. He would make a great breakaway horse as well! He has spent countless hours tracking the hot heels.
Punch can be ridden in the arena or out of the arena and has the mind set for it. He is currently wearing corrective shoes but is sound and ready to go. The only reason Punch is for consideration is, his youth rider has gotten the cutting bug and wants a step-up horse to compete in the cutting with. More info and Video: https://fb.watch/mezVDeU6ks/?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Auburn/Enumclaw WA
2️⃣2️⃣K obo

07/23/2023

Lucas is a new kid to our program. He has been w**d whacking, cleaning and mowing like crazy the past week in order to earn tickets to a concert. He got to ride good ole Gibson a few times and got to spin on Tipsy. I see horses in this kid's future! 🙂

07/14/2023

Rey Rey says smile, it's Friday! 🎉

07/13/2023

You know you work in a barn when you go to grab a water and this display is in front of the fridge 😂

06/27/2023

I have a couple openings for boxing and cutting lesson/practice Wed 6/28 from 11am-2pm. $100
We keep the class small (less than 7) to make sure we have lots of time and practice on cattle. Let me know if you want to join us!
K Bar C Arena
2000 Collins Rd
Buckley.

06/23/2023

Carly riding her filly Breezy for the first time who is getting started this month with about 10 rides so far🎉

06/19/2023

We've had a special guest and old student here the last few days all the way from Perrin, Texas from Dawson Performance Horses. Thanks Shawn Pritt for showing us what you have learned the past 10 months!

06/13/2023

Congrats Kim Walker on the the purchase of Heza Red Hot Whizkey 🎉. Thank you Hanson Performance Horses. Excited to have this guy in the barn!

06/07/2023

Breezy is growing into a cute filly. Don't let her fool you, she was a bit spicy getting her first saddle today. But she ended standing quietly, we love our new patience poles!

06/02/2023

A fun, challenging drill to try with your horse. Working on steering (neck reining), circles, lead changes and turn arounds. Although you can make it as simplified or as creative as you want. He anticipated a turnaround to the left at the end, so I straightened him out and turned to the right. 🐴

05/30/2023

Welcome "Waylon" Topsails Coka Cody from Texas. I had Waylon in my program as a 3-4 year old a few years ago in California, its fun to see how he's grown up. 🐴

05/30/2023

Fun cattle lesson at K Bar C Arena today. Rey Rey and I got to play too. Next cattle work will be Friday June 16 at 1pm. Come join us! 🐮

Address

20326 SE Green Valley Road
Auburn, WA
98092

Website

http://www.simonhorsemanship.com/

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Videos

#ThrowbackThursday to two years ago, spinning with my little one. Love the commentary 😄

This afternoon, Carly worked on figuring out her filly Breezy after we got her started under saddle a few months ago. Nice work!

A little spin practice with Reason. 🐴 My phone suggested an edit this morning on a little video at this last show and I thought it was actually pretty cool!

"Punch" 👊 This cool gelding is available to the right home! 🤩 More info on him here 🔽 https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=265043692928293&id=100082679924165&mibextid=ZbWKwL

Fun cattle lesson at K Bar C Arena today. Rey Rey and I got to play too. Next cattle work will be Friday June 16 at 1pm. Come join us! 🐮

Hayden got to ride Reason for the cutting clinic last weekend and did so well on her! She started riding with us two years ago on her little gaited pony and has improved in her riding so much. Aren't they so cute together? 🙂

Cruz and Punch had so much fun! Great to see this kid's confidence in his horse grow Cattle clinic at Bonina.

Rey Rey is getting pretty cool. Nice riding Maya!

Martin taking a spin and testing out the new footing improvements, he approves 🐴

How do you wear kids out? 😆🚩

Part of Shadow's Green Horse Cow Horse Class (box-drive-box) over the weekend. I was really happy with how she did, especially since this was her first time in this arena and my first time with her on a cow! This filly is going to be fun 🙂

Reason's first cow over the weekend wasn't impressed with us 🤣. The commentary is quite funny.

Oh Martin, you are too cute. What silly things does your horse do?

How do you pass the time during a horse show weekend when you aren't prepping, riding or showing? 😆🐴🏐

This kid got wowed everyone with her balance during her bareback freestyle routine at the last reining show. So what's next? A little bareback flag work practice? ☑️

#ThrowbackThursday Can't believe it's been 7 years already since we left Southern California (for Napa)! Barn friends put together testimonials for me when I left and this was the shortened compilation of them. So much has happened since then, but this place had such amazing memories and special people!

How many lead changes can you get in a straight line? Not too bad Tipsy for not doing this in a while and my timing being a little off. Love this mare 🙂.

Leaving Nor Cal

#ThrowbackThursday I compiled a few pictures when we left northern California a year and a half ago (this video was deleted when my old FB was hacked). I had an amazing group and it was hard to leave. I wasn't sure if I would continue training in WA, but here I am. This week has been a challenge. This business is hard sometimes with it's crazy highs and lows. But, it is the great moments, the people and horses I help and/or that help me, the little breakthroughs in training, sharing my passion with my little ones and all the moments in between however big or small that I continue to do it.

Shawn got to travel to Idaho to Redtail Ranch last week to help pick up our new 3 yr old filly RTR Stylish Justice "Shadow". To his surprise, he also got to ride her and got some lessons from Jeremy Meador. Thanks so much Jeremy for taking the time, teaching Shawn so much and giving him an experience to remember. Shawn just started riding beginning of last year and has been working really hard!