Hidden Acres Equestrian Center

03/10/2025

We had a fun day at the rough rider show! Congrats to all the riders who showed today. We brought Maizy along for her first off property outing and she was pretty perfect!

02/28/2025

Everyone worked hard in their lesson today! It has been beautiful the last few days!! It’s crazy to think it will be back down to 15 degrees tomorrow night.

02/24/2025

We are happy to have our ring thawed so we are able to resume lessons and are looking forward to the next 2 days which are supposed to hit 50!

02/21/2025

Frankie had 2 good rides today on her mare and our new mare. We are looking forward to Spring!

02/19/2025

This winter has been tough! The last 2 weeks feel like it has been more work (managing the snow and ice) and no play (ie riding or even ground work) with all the ice but we were able to find some nice soft footing today which made it all a bit better! The horses seemed thrilled to be able to stretch their legs too!

02/17/2025

Come join a fun filled camp!

01/23/2025

A special thank you to everyone who helped take care of the horses over the last few days during this cold snap! We truly appreciate it and couldn’t do it without your help!!

01/21/2025

According to this article, a horse in Essex County recently tested positive for EHV-1 which often starts with a fever and causes respiratory and/or neurological symptoms. One of the best ways to keep your horse safe is to quarantine new horses coming in, keep your horse from touching other unknown horses noses when at shows and refrain from sharing buckets or equipment at shows with unknown horses.

One horse in Essex County, Massachusetts, recently tested positive for EHV-1 and was euthanized.

01/19/2025

When we feel cold, we often feel like our horses must also be cold but that is not always the case.

🌬️❄️ Cold Weather Alert! ❄️🌬️

Arctic air is heading our way this weekend! Make sure your horses are ready and have:

🏡 Shelter from the wind
🌾 Extra forage for energy
🐴 Blankets if needed

For more info, visit: z.umn.edu/winterhorsecare

01/12/2025

Congrats to everyone who showed at Rough Riders today. Last time, we had an issue getting Tarzan on the trailer but this time he loaded up like the gentleman we all know and love (thanks to Aubrey spending hours working with him) and then he helped Liv gain back some confidence while Frankie helped worked out Beans issues. Everyone did well in their classes and I am so proud of all of them. They pulled together as a solid team today and got the job done! Tarzan and Aubrey pulled off a first in 2D speed barrels, Logan got a 2nd in 2D hairpin, Frankie got a 2nd in 3D hairpin and Liv stuck with it and worked through Bean’s issues without giving up!
A big thank you to Ana for helping to coach our riders in the cold on her BIRTHDAY!!! Happy Birthday Ana!

01/11/2025

It is crazy how in tune a horse can be with his or her rider. They really do feel our emotions. This seems to be especially true for horses who tend to be more sensitive or reactive. They rely on their rider to be confident and relaxed!

The Effect of a Nervous Human.... one of my favorite studies!

Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences looked at the effect of an increased heart rate in a human on the horse they were riding or handling.

Here's a link from the abstract... "Each horse–human pair walked or rode between points A and B (30 m) four times on each test occasion.

However, just before the fourth pass, participants were told that an umbrella⛱ would be opened as they rode, or led, the horse past the assistant.

The umbrella was not opened, so this pass was no different to the previous control occasions, but nevertheless there was an increase in HR for both the person AND the horse."

We affect our horses.

When looking at any training "issue", our first responsibility is to to know ourselves and explore if there's something we could do better.

Here's a link to the research article, unfortunately I couldn't find a full text version easily available online, but you can read the rest of the abstract here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S109002330900121X?via%3Dihub

12/31/2024

Everyone seemed to enjoy and take advantage of the warmer temperature! I think the horses liked it too!

12/27/2024

Nice job today ladies! I think Tarzan won today’s round of ‘Chasing Charlie’!

12/27/2024

Tarzan has come a long way in the last 2 years. He’s 28 yrs old so I mostly hoped he would be able to do walk trot lessons. However, he and Aubrey had bigger goals for themselves. She has put many hours in the tack, helping Tarzan gain muscle and become a more balanced horse. Today, all their work paid off when they were able to clear a 3’3” jump during today’s lesson! I am so proud of them!

12/20/2024

This rider has been working hard at learning to follow the horse at the canter. This photo captured some of her progress just as the sun was setting!

12/15/2024

We had a fun time at the Rough Riders show today and got some photos with Santa!!

12/05/2024

Do you or your child have a passion for horseback riding? Are you looking for a supportive and guided learning environment to help achieve your riding goals? Our lesson program is tailored to meet your needs, and we also offer a special April vacation program for children ages 5-15 to enjoy.