Pine Meadow Farm LLC

09/17/2025

This year’s International Hunter Derby Finals in Kentucky opened with what many described as the longest course ever seen at the event. Horses spent more than four minutes in the Rolex Arena, cantering long stretches between fences and tackling big, open questions. It wasn’t just a test of style. It was a test of fitness.

“It was a really interesting question in itself of, what is a hunter? How fit should your hunter be?” said Plaidcast host Piper Klemm. “You had to have a very fit animal to complete that first round course and then go back the next night and do it again.”

The course sparked bigger conversations in the community about what the hunter discipline should look like in 2025.

The hunter ring has always wrestled with questions of tradition. Some argue the sport should reflect its origins in the hunt field, valuing endurance, bravery, and straightforward riding. Others counter that today’s show hunters exist in an entirely different context, where beauty, form, and polish matter as much as athleticism.

Tokaruk acknowledged that balance, pointing out that course design itself can help steer the conversation. “Course designers really help train the horses in a lot of ways,” Klemm said in agreement. “That’s why it’s so important to have the best horse training minds becoming course designers and being course designers.”

The lengthy first round set a standard that rewarded fitness and preparation, not just a pretty picture.

Tokaruk emphasized that riders must prepare with the demands of a course like Derby Finals in mind. “Most people in their preparation for Derby Finals or for the Green Incentive have an understanding that you need to be at a certain level of fitness,” he said. “You need to be jumping comfortably three-foot-nine and above. The jumps are big. They’re spooky. They’re solid. The distances are open. They’re real.”

For him, walking into the Rolex ring shouldn’t involve uncertainty. “I don’t want to feel iffy walking into the ring, especially for a big championship like Derby Finals,” he explained. Months of conditioning, schooling over combinations, and building stamina are what allow both horses and riders to meet the challenge.

The conversation about what makes a “modern hunter” is far from settled. But Derby Finals 2025 made one thing clear: fitness can’t be overlooked. A stylish jumper with bravery, scope, and preparation will always stand out, even as tastes and traditions evolve.

As Tokaruk put it, Derby Finals is a “big deal” and one that demands the best of both horse and rider. The hunter that thrives in today’s ring isn’t just beautiful. It’s an athlete.

📎 Save and share this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/09/15/what-is-a-modern-hunter-fitness-and-tradition-in-the-spotlight/
📸 © Erin Gilmore Photography

09/13/2025

09/12/2025

For generations, the hunter ring has been a defining piece of American equestrian sport. It has taught precision, polish, and the foundations of equitation that shaped many of today’s top riders. As Geoff Case pointed out on The Plaidchat, names like Laura Kraut, McLain Ward, and Kent Farrington all came through the hunter and equitation pipeline. But today, as prize lists shrink and costs skyrocket, hunters are facing an identity crisis. While lower-level divisions thrive, professional hunter classes are dwindling, and riders are leaving for the jumper ring.

At first glance, the price tag for hunters and jumpers appears similar. A top amateur-owner hunter and a high junior jumper can both command six-figure sums. But Case, USEF Large R Judge, trainer, and clinician, points out that the return on investment is vastly different.

“In Wellington, the high-performance hunter division is probably a $3,000 or $4,000 division,” he explained. “You win a class, you get $300. Spend the same money on a Grand Prix horse and you might be jumping for $150,000.”

For owners, that disparity matters. Grand Prix horses can earn back a portion of their purchase price through prize money, while hunters rarely can. Outside of selling a horse to an amateur down the line, there is no pathway to financial sustainability in the hunter ring.

Hunters have also struggled to keep owners engaged. Beyond the satisfaction of watching a horse go beautifully, there’s little incentive to bankroll a professional’s mount. “There’s not a lot of special recognition for owners,” Case noted. “There’s not much prize money.”

International Hunter Derbies once offered excitement, with big purses and one-off special events that drew crowds. “Larry and Kelly and a few other people used to run around the country chasing those $25,000 to $50,000 derbies,” Case recalled. “They just don’t exist anymore.” What remains is a watered-down circuit of national derbies that feel more like a hunter classic at the end of a long day than a marquee event worth investing in.

Without meaningful prize money or recognition, it’s hard to keep owners invested in horses for the professional divisions.

Ironically, for the average rider, the jumper ring often feels more approachable financially. Case described friends searching for a solid three-foot hunter with budgets of $250,000, and not being able to find much. Meanwhile, a competitive 1.20m jumper might be available for a fraction of that price.

And while amateur jumpers aren’t cashing five-figure checks every weekend, the perception of opportunity is stronger. A Children’s Jumper Classic might offer a $5,000 purse compared to a $1,000 Children’s Hunter Classic. Even small wins can offset costs in a way hunters rarely do.

That perception matters. “There’s at least the feeling that you have a greater chance of winning on a jumper for significantly less money than you do in the hunters,” Case said.

🔗 Continue reading the article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/09/03/the-cost-barrier-why-hunters-are-losing-riders-to-the-jumper-ring/
📸 © Lauren Mauldin / The Plaid Horse

09/11/2025

09/11/2025

09/11/2025

The late, great Jim Wofford explains why your horse's motion determines your position in the saddle and how you can make small adjustments to stay with his movement.

09/11/2025

Whether you’ve been away from jumping for a while or are returning after a break, getting back into the ring can feel both exciting and intimidating. You might worry you’ve lost your timing, question your fitness, or find yourself comparing today’s rides to the way you used to perform.

Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach says those feelings are normal, but you don’t have to let them control your return. With the right mindset, you can rebuild your rhythm, restore your confidence, and find joy in the process.

One of the first traps returning riders fall into is comparison, especially to their own riding at a different time. “When you’ve been away, it’s tempting to measure yourself against the best rides you’ve ever had,” Johnston explained. “That can create unnecessary pressure.”

Instead of expecting yourself to pick up exactly where you left off, treat your return as a fresh chapter. Focus on the rider you are today and the specific skills you can strengthen now.

When you’re trying to regain rhythm and flow, Johnston says you can’t wait for the perfect ride to deliver it. You have to bring that energy into the ring yourself.

“That sense of groove comes from you,” she said. “If you can bring a positive, open mindset, you’ll find it faster.”

Simple ways to spark that feeling include reviewing videos of rides that make you feel confident or remembering moments when you felt fully in sync with your horse.

A riding hiatus can shift your perspective on the sport. Use that to your advantage by reconnecting with your “why”—the reasons you ride and compete in the first place.

“Bring your sense of fun, your enjoyment of the process, into every ride,” Johnston said. “That’s what helps you find your rhythm again.”

When you’re enjoying yourself, you’re more likely to ride with relaxation and creativity—two qualities that naturally improve feel and timing.

🔗 Continue reading the article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/09/03/finding-your-riding-groove-again-after-a-long-break/
📸 © Heather N. Photography

09/09/2025

"Judges have to strategically choose what they ask of these riders in a test, because they all have ability, talent, and determination to win. What can they ask riders to execute that’s equally a challenge and a demonstration of good riding?

In many testing phases of major equitation finals, the answer is a counter canter. Riders have been extensively asked to demonstrate the counter canter as a means to w**d out a winner. Two counter canter jumps were required in the final testing phases of the Dover Saddlery/USEF Medal Final 2021 and 2023, the 2021 ASPCA Maclay Final, and in the 2024 WEC Equitation Cup. The WEF Equitation Championship has also required a counter canter in the test for the past couple of years, and in 2023, Carlee McCutcheon set herself apart by being the only one to land, and hold the counter lead–resulting in her winning the class.

But why is the counter canter the deciding testing factor in an equitation final?

Our equitation division is intended to prepare riders for competing successfully in the jumper ring. It’s designed to be a pipeline for going on to represent our nation at the FEI level. There are many equitation finalists who have gone on to do that; however, they didn’t win 1.50 m or higher classes by doing a counter canter.

In the equitation ring, when asked in a test, is the only time a rider would ever intentionally approach a jump in a counter canter. In a hunter class, doing so would merit a score of 55-60. In the jumpers, a counter cantering horse is likely unbalanced and will probably take down rails. So, why is it asked for in practically every final testing phase at the major equitation finals?

Counter canter has its value, and should be mastered by equitation riders on the flat and over fences as a demonstration of using aids correctly and balancing their horse. Since a rider would not qualify for the finals without demonstrating capability of it in some of the many qualifying classes, it therefore seems unnecessary to use it in the finals testing phase. It wasn’t not used in the 2023 Maclay final, and that resulted in arguably one of the more agreeable placings.

Difficult counter canter turns and jump approaches are really more of a test of the horse’s experience, training, athleticism at that particular task, and even just luck. The 2021 Maclay and the 2022 Medal both featured very tricky back-to-back counter canter, over two jumps in a row, which resulted in a significant change in the order. This sort of testing becomes disadvantageous for a rider on a slightly less experienced horse, or one that is just not quite as balanced at the counter canter. Final testing should be a rider test, as much as it possibly can."

🔗 Continue reading "R" Judge Susan H Lohmann's article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2024/09/27/counter-canter-overused-in-equitation-finals/

09/08/2025

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

I wrote this today after the Scottish weather broke me, I’m soaked to the skin because apparently I don’t know what a waterproof coat is 🤣

So, you fancy being a riding coach? Right, here’s the reality check!!!!

You’ll work stupid hours. 13, 14, 15 a day. Not for champagne, just enough for diesel, leccy, and maybe a soggy Greggs pasty eaten in the car between lessons.
You’ll freeze in winter, roast in summer, and the rest of the year you’ll be permanently damp. Christmas? Forget pigs in blankets, you’ll be the pig, muddy, wet, and still shouting “heels down.”

People will say you’re too soft, too strict, too old-fashioned, too modern. Basically, whatever you do, you’re wrong.
Shows? Glamorous? Don’t kid yourself. It’s you, stood in a bog, yelling “sit up” at someone who’s pretending not to hear.
Parents? Half of them think their kid’s ready for Badminton, when they can’t even steer in trot.

You’ll see tears, tantrums, bolting ponies, and more drama than Love Island. Some days you’ll mutter, “That’s it, I’m done.”

But then…

That nervous kid finally canters.
That “lazy cob” pings a jump.
That adult says, “I’d have quit riding if it weren’t for you.”
And suddenly, there it is, the reason you put yourself through all this madness.

Why don’t people tell you this?
Because if they did, no one would become a coach.
And because the best bits? They can’t be put into words.

So here we are , cold, broke, dripping wet, boots squelching… and still, somehow, happy.

Representation of what I look like today 🤣
Tag your coach!