Windswept Stables

07/02/2024

01/20/2024

01/14/2024

Ace of Spades "Ace" crossed the Rainbow Bridge on January 11th, 2024 at the age of 32. He was the quintessential naughty lesson pony giving countless riders their first trot, canter, or ba****ck rides and also giving many their first falls with his tricks. He loved poking his head out of his stall to greet everyone and taking naps in the field with his friends during his retirement years. He was our constant companion for 27 years and will be dearly missed.

05/20/2022

We have 2 stalls available for partial care or shared care board as of June 1. Please email Deb for more information. [email protected]

09/11/2021

Welly looking great during his lesson today!

08/11/2021

We have one stall open for shared-care board. Mare or gelding. We're a quiet, adult only boarding facility with an indoor arena. Please email Deb at [email protected] for more information.

03/14/2021

A year ago today, we brought this guy home. He has been such a joy to work with. Can't wait to see what the next year brings!

01/01/2021

Happy New Year! January is a great time to think about goals for the upcoming year. When setting goals, consider using a format that makes them more concrete, and therefore more likely that you will follow through with them! Using the SMART goal format is one easy option.

SMART stands for:

Specific – Be as specific as possible when setting goals. For example, "Be a better rider" is vague versus the more specific "be able to post the trot without stirrups".

Measurable – You need to know when you've met your goal! Using the example above you might say "Be able to post the trot for one lap without stirrups".

Achievable – Be realistic about your goals! Think about where you are and the amount of time, energy, and money you can put into your goals to determine if they are achievable. Setting unattainable goals can lead to frustration, so pick things you are pretty sure you can accomplish with some work.

Relevant – Set goals that move you toward the big picture of where you want your riding to take you. If you're not sure about your bigger goals, spend some time thinking about those before setting goals for the year.

Time-Bound – Keeping in mind that horses will be horses and work on their own schedule, putting (adjustable) time-frames to your goals can keep you accountable.

11/11/2020

Marcus and Tre (and friends) made a trip to the beach! It was wonderful enjoying the gorgeous fall weather.

10/18/2020

Marcus and Welly went on an adventure this weekend. We met up with Katie and made new friends! It's been great getting off the farm to explore new places.

10/12/2020

Montana and Marcus got to explore some trails on Sunday at the Fall Pace Event at Lancaster County Central Park.

10/12/2020

Montana taking a break during the Pace event Sunday.

09/13/2020

Welly enjoyed being a western pleasure pony this weekend!

08/29/2020

08/29/2020

04/29/2020

This post and extremely helpful image explain why and how we (ideally) use the legs and outside rein to turn the horse instead of pulling them around by the nose.

A piece of gold. The difference between pulling the horse around with the inside rein and riding him around with the inside leg to the outside rein. Your inside leg is a conduit to the horses inside hind. application of the inside leg , not holding, will cause the inside hind to step forward with a slight inclination toward the outside rein. The outside leg supports and stops the hind quarter swinging out. It also puts the horse forward to the outside rein creating a sort of triangulation. Everything starts with forward. This is how we develop serious carrying capacity. remember horses are not designed to carry weight. Sitting on them is the most unnatural thing we do. it is our job to take the muscles they have and help them to use them in the most efficient way to do what we want. If you are interested in learning more about how to achieve what i have described in this post see the e book "horses from courses" ( Scott Brodie ) it relates mostly to my system for Re training horses of the track but these classical principles developed over thousands of years work for all horses.