Cedar Creek Farm, LLC

05/30/2024

100% Truth. You have to WANT to make the changes.. not make excuses.

If you want to make progress as a horseman, you have to hold yourself accountable.

An instructor can tell you to open your left rein, but only you can actually open your left rein! I can tell you to step right. I can tell you to step right more, or reword it until you do it enough that your right seat bone drops down where it belongs. I can remind you to do it every 30 seconds. I can remind you again every time we change directions, or change gaits, or after your horse tripped. But none of my riders take a lesson with me every day! At some point you have to remember it and execute it all on your own. And isn’t that the type of rider you want to be???

I mean, When you are doing a dressage test, I can’t remind you to sit back in the corner or to not over bend the neck in the shoulder in.

The only time I am the head trainer is when I am instructing myself. Otherwise, I am always the assistant instructor and YOU, THE RIDER, HAVE to be your own master. I am merely the Layman who tells you where we are at in this project, and what step needs to happen next. You are the lead contractor who needs to make sure it gets done. (I know enough people who have major projects going on at their facility that maybe this is a really bad example! Lol but you get my drift hopefully)

I’m not sure how I made it through the levels as far as I did knowing how long it took me to get accountable on actually keeping my inside rein open 🤦‍♀️. Now I’ve realized how often I, just for a moment, open my outside rein when I’m supposed to be using my inside leg. I’m NOT letting this habit go on for years. I’m not. I’m not. I’m not working on anything else until I’m so consciously competent when I do allow my subconscious to take over, it sticks! Even then, I’ll be checking in regularly.

I had an adult student say that she’s always ride with puppy paws/piano hands (thumbs turned in, fingernails posted down) and “good luck changing it”. My tone was light hearted, because that’s who I am, but I basically told her that if she can’t hold herself accountable for something so easy to fix, get off the horse- why bother! It helped that I gave her the REASONS why it was important- it isn’t just to be pretty. But fixing it was hard for her because it’s so tough to turn her wrist- it was “hard” because it took focus.

🐎 Put in the focus. Hold yourself accountable....

05/04/2024

May 3rd. The birth date of my heart horse. Oh the stories my boy could tell of the hours he and I spent together. I miss him every single day since he passed. He was definitely one of the great ones! ❤️

What if we asked the old horse in heaven about the best moments of his life? Do you think he would talk about the ribbons he won or the points he earned? No. He would talk about the hours you spent grazing him and playing with his mane. He would talk about your kind hands. He would talk about the sound of your car when you pulled up to the barn, knowing you had a bag of carrots for him. He would talk about the laughter of the child who trotted for the first time on him. He would talk about how their little hands gave such gentle pets on his nose. He would talk about the times you came out in the middle of a snow storm to make sure he was okay. He would talk about the time you stayed up all night with him when he was sick and scared and confused. He would talk about the times you cried on his shoulder, and while he didn’t know why, he understood. He would talk about galloping through green pastures and playing with his friends. He would talk about naps in the sun. And finally, he would talk about when he was hurting so much in this earthly existence, you set him free. He knows the decision literally broke your heart in half, but his pain was over and he will greet you again when it is time. Cherish the small moments with your horses. They are what he remembers. 💙

03/14/2024

This is definitely me. ;)
And Abby is catching on too. Lol

03/03/2024

"God forbid that I should go to any Heaven in which there are no horses." They are inexplicably a part of me. ♡

The barn is like stepping into a portal. A time warp really.... For awhile, time doesn’t exist.

To do lists don’t exist.

Neither do bills, interest rates, insurance, taxes, or other life problems.

At the barn, we can dream, and anything is possible. On the back of a horse, my soul is set free.

And I’m still trying to figure out how to hold on to that feeling in the darker areas of life where I walk back into reality and everything comes flooding back in unsympathetically.

I don’t think most people realize how important horses actually are. A horse is not a luxury item. A horse is a bridge to healing and truth.

How deeply they're written into my being.

02/28/2024

Show horses aren’t easy.

It’s certainly not for the lazy or faint of heart. Definitely not for those who crave likes, the comments or seeking their 15 seconds of Instagram fame. Also not for those that want instant success without traveling a journey with their Equine partner.

What you saw is a victory lap, a smiling rider and cheering family. You saw the pretty tack and the coordinating outfits. You saw that picture perfect moment...
And you want it.
You want to be that person.
You want that horse, you want that photo, you WANT that blue ribbon.

But here’s what you don’t see.

You don’t see the stall cleaning, the feeding, the hay and the upkeep. You don’t see the hours upon hours of riding. You don’t see the failed executions, stumbles, falls, bucks and tantrums. You certainly won’t see the tears and the frustrations as things don’t go just right. You won’t see the vet bills, all nighters with a sick animal and the constant nagging in your mind of what could be next.

If all you want is a victory lap with a pretty pony, a photo opportunity so your Facebook friends can like and comment... get on a carousel.
Show horses, no matter the discipline, are hard work. Constant work. Never ending, ever changing.

That victory pass you watched- you saw roughly 30 seconds that reflects months and years of work.

So don’t ever believe this is easy.

02/16/2024

Chilly morning at the Farm but thankful we didn't get a ton of snow yesterday.

Happy Friday!

02/01/2024

I'm not complaining about the temps but...

01/18/2024

Hope y'all are safe & warm! I know all of our horses are! ♡

11/18/2023

How I feel after Fun Farrier Friday & an evening of lessons.

10/26/2023

Well...

07/03/2023

:)

06/28/2023

Great article.. Very good points.

https://outoftheboxstall.com/2014/08/04/losing-doesnt-mean-youre-bad-and-winning-doesnt-mean-youre-good/?fbclid=IwAR0i1gqg4t-S-jnMeTG96oHBrnekqOidzxJY7_Ut_FdypQiMOQWX8PdjtRw

While judging a recent horse show, the following thought occurred to me. “Just because you don’t win, doesn’t mean you’re not good.” I was in the middle of trying to sort out a very nice western pl…

02/03/2023

Most definitely!

😁😁😁 So true!!!

01/14/2023

❤️

12/18/2022

Sunday motivation. ♡

Morning motivation

11/23/2022

Love this!

10/29/2022

Stop expecting perfection.

Work on feel.

Be intentional.

Get out of your head, it’s not that complicated.

Believe in yourself.

Trust yourself. ♡

10/29/2022

Bahaha 🤣
That's me there in the tan hat....

10/26/2022

Please, please stop tightening the saddle so doggone tight! It's just not necessary.

PSA... Over the past couple weeks of horseshows, I’ve spent a lot of time ringside. It is CRAZY how tight people are girthing up just before they go into the ring. An over-tightened girth may pinch and bruise the muscles - in particular the pectorals, trapezius, serratus ventralis muscles and latissimus dorsi (see red areas in diagram bleow). This muscle group (also known as part of the thoracic sling) is crucial for movement. Besides soft tissue, an over tightened girth may also cause bruising of the ribs, the intercostal muscles between the ribs, And increase the overall pressure of the saddle on the back muscles. Check your girth underneath their chest, NOT on the side. You will be surprised the difference one hole can make, and quite literally give your horse some breathing room.

📸ESMA.

10/25/2022

I love it when parents & siblings and, my personal favorite, Grandparents ♡, come to shows to watch their family members compete. Looking up, seeing all of them, gives the Riders added confidence when they feel their support and love. JUST DO IT. ❤️

10/14/2022

I love this! ♡
I say some of these, often.

10/05/2022

I could not say this any better.
It's definitely Not luck.

“What it takes.”

I was sitting in the coliseum the other day after someone had a spectacular run and marked a big score. I overheard a person say “must be nice.”

For our family and friends that are not involved in horses, I want to say something that hopefully puts it in perspective, how much goes into making that high scoring run at a large event happen.

It takes a good horse. Yes, a good horse is going to cost you some money. BUT you are paying for so much more than the animal itself. You are paying for the years worth of training that went into making that horse a seasoned athlete. You’re paying for the hours and hours of work, sweat, & stress that a trainer spent on him. I promise you, a good horse is worth every penny you’ll spend on him.

But just having the good horse is not enough. You need a good trainer to help you learn how to ride and show that horse, and keep that horse tuned up and “fix” him when a learning amateur inevitably makes mistakes.

A good horse and a good trainer does not make the champion, though. The ones that are winning are the ones that are at the barn riding and taking lessons even when it’s damp and 38 degrees. Even when they’ve worked all week and they’re exhausted and would rather just go home, they make the effort to come to the barn and ride and get better. It takes sacrifice. It takes trust in their trainer and a desire to take every opportunity to learn more and improve their skills.

It takes a person that is willing to mark a 60 multiple times in a row and still have the courage to keep entering and keep trying. The more you show, the better you’ll get. Success is not something that happens overnight, not even for the most successful trainer in the world. Everyone has to climb the ladder, and yes, that ladder looks a little different to everyone, but NOBODY will reach the top without the hard work being put in.

It takes faith. Faith in your horse, faith in your trainer, and faith in YOURSELF. It takes grit and stamina and a passion in your heart that drives you to keep climbing, because when you do finally mark that big score, when you and your horse finally come together as a team to pull off a great run - there’s no feeling quite like it.

Winning isn’t easy. It might look like those that are winning are privileged or lucky. But I promise, there is so much that goes on behind the scenes to get to that place where you’re winning.

It’s not luck. It’s work. Passion. Grit. Sacrifice. Devotion. Faith. Drive.

That’s what it takes.

10/05/2022

♡♡

10/05/2022

09/21/2022

♡♡

❤️❤️❤️

08/17/2022

I love when I see other trainers' echo the same words I tell all of my students.

So... My words of wisdom for today are those of Clinton Anderson's:

"When you’re working with your horse, remember that you’re not trying to perfect every single lesson everyday; you’re just trying to improve each one a little bit. If the horse is doing better today than yesterday, quit – you’ve done your job. It’s time to move on to a new exercise. The worst thing you can do to a horse is keep drilling on the same exercise until he absolutely hates it and gets a bad attitude. Work on the exercise, make it better than yesterday and then quit."

07/19/2022

Hey Guys! Come bag up your blankets & fill out the forms. Our blanket lady has asked us to step on it!!

05/03/2022

♡♡♡

It's in our heart and blood. 🐴❤🩸

08/14/2021

Trust. The. Process!
I say this all the time.
I get it. Horses aren't cheap. Training definitely isn't either. But if you want that amazing horse that leads to an amazing team, you have to pay your dues. ♡♡♡