TAPS Training and Showing

12/05/2024

Hello everyone. I am now scheduling clinics for 2025, focusing on the universal principles of horsemanship essential for success in Hunters, Jumpers, and Equitation. I’m open for all levels to participate, with particular emphasis on beginner levels and laying a strong foundation. Also filling my schedule to Judge Open Hunter Shows Please do not hesitate to contact me through this messenger service for additional details. My website also provides further information. Thank you to all who extended invitations and warm welcomes in 2024! I value your feedback and kindly request that you leave a review on my business page. ❤️

Instruction to help you excel as an equestrian.

10/29/2024

Winter time clinic spots available! A few winter lesson times available at North Riding or Hunter Hack Farm. Contact me for more information. More info at :

TAPS Services

09/27/2024

09/13/2024

I just LOVE this pic ❤️

“MILITARY” Riders---

Anyone who started to ride 50 or more years ago in any of the so called Olympic disciplines, dressage, show jumping and eventing, will remember just how many of the instructors we had were either former or current military men.

And from so many different countries, Poland, England, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Holland, USA, Canada, France, Czechoslovakia, others, and many of them here in the USA were recent arrivals from war ravaged Europe.

I don’t know who this rider in the photo is, or where he came from, or what year this was, but he exemplifies the solid and classical correctness that used to be a hallmark of riders who’d been taught by cavalry officers.

Most of them taught in similar fashion to the way they themselves had learned, rather formal, probably too “disciplined” in approach to be tolerated by modern Americans----Yes sir, no sir, thank you very much sir---Strict but almost never insulting, although some equated the two.

But the riders who could handle the discipline and the structure came away as good riders. That era is now quite far in the rear view mirror. And it’s like that meme we see---“Most of you never took lessons from military riders and it shows---.”

08/08/2024

The IEA season is approaching rapidly! I offer judging and stewarding services in Zone 2 as well as Judging Open Hunter Shows. Please contact me with your needs. Additionally, I am planning equitation clinics for the fall/winter season and also, stable management/horsemanship clinics for 2025. This is focused on enhancing your equine knowledge and skills out of the saddle. Call me at 315-292-0438 to schedule a date.

08/05/2024

Had a great time at HITS this past week. Lots of fun, ribbons, and of course, great lessons learned!

07/11/2024

Summer’s flying by!! Planning Autumn and Winter schedule now.

07/11/2024

Still a couple spots open!

07/01/2024

Still taking riders for the 2024 Derby Clinic at North Riding. Let me know if you may be interested! It’s a great time! Aug 9-11. Contact me for further details!

06/29/2024

🙌

Another favorite topic among the parrot-lemming crossbred crowd has to do with bits and bitting, usually that the less bit the better.

I do think that some bits are specifically designed to hurt and actually cut, and those bits deserve to be tossed in the garbage bin.

But many bits are created to give a fighting chance to a rider, who might weigh, say, 135 pounds, galloping along on a horse that weighs 1,230 pounds, to slow down and to rebalance instead of careening down fast and flat into the red zone.

The people who who are anti-bit, and this often includes almost any bit except some big fat snaffle, are almost always not the same people who gallop out in the open, over hilly terrain, on ongoing horses.

If they were, they would know first hand that there are plenty of situations that require the horse to be adjustable.

No, don’t use a bit that cuts. But don’t be a victim, either. If you need to slow down and organize, that doesn’t mean after five minutes of hauling. It means right now.

If you don’t know that, go out there and find out. Then talk about bit usage from experience rather than from the safety of some little arena at a slow canter.