Hilltop Equestrians Dade City

06/10/2023

06/10/2023

Good morning from Otto & Roxie! We had so much fun photographing these two together🐴❤️🐴

06/10/2023

Arya looking like an absolute super🌟! Today I can’t help but think about how lucky I am to have the opportunity to photograph so many beautiful horses. Over the past few years I realized the following quote could not be more true: ⁣
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“Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life” ⁣
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02/16/2023

✨Hilltop is super proud of our riders this past weekend at WEC. They have been working hard riding multiple horses several days a week- you cant get better and be competitive without putting in the time and working harder and what your not “good” at. Its always fun to practice the easy stuff. These riders know the meaning and feeling of “blood seeat and tears”. We are proud of them working through their biggest challenges to come out on top. ✨

02/02/2023

Just a few pictures of some of our girls over the last few shows- Fabulous ribbons and the best of all was to see so many smiles. See you soon WEC week 6 💪😘

12/07/2022

Hugs, kisses and all the love for some of Hilltops best friends 🥰

07/14/2022

An Open Letter to my Daughter’s Teacher
~ by Angie Mitchell (a mom in Texas)

Today my 7 yr old daughter came home from school a bit sad. When I asked why, she said you told her that if she kept missing days, she would get bad grades. I understand where you are coming from, I’m sure it’s frustrating for you when she’s gone, but she’s missed 3 Fridays since the beginning of the year to compete in something that at 7 years old she’s found to be her true passion, Eventing. And so you know, there are not many 7 year olds that event. It’s difficult. It’s mentally and physically demanding. And she works harder than any kid I know her age because she enjoys it, and loves her pony, at a level beyond words.

It was interesting you told her that today, because in her backpack she had her report card with 6 A’s and 1 B. She also had her standardized test scores, where she scored above her peers in every category. But most interesting was the sheet of paper you also sent home, listing out what I should expect of my second grader, what I should work with her on. And as I read it all I could think is how much my daughter is benefiting from all the hours she’s spending at the barn preparing for her competitions. How much she is learning from all the hours, day in and day out, she practices. And finally, how my expectations of her are so much higher than yours, because of her riding.

Under the “Life Skills” portion it states she should be zipping zippers. She can put on a pair of leather half chaps by herself. Zipper level: Expert. It states she should be able to snap snaps and button buttons. She can put on her show shirt and jacket, a stock tie, breeches and her helmet. She can also tack up her pony by herself and apply bell boots, open front jump boots and brushing boots, and she knows which ones to use when.

It says she should know how to wash and dry her hands. Not only can she do that, but she knows how to clean and condition her boots, bridle and saddle, bathe her pony, pick his feet and apply hoof polish, organize a tack trunk and shovel and sweep manure from the grooming bays.

She’s supposed to know one parent’s phone number, and her parents names. She knows the names of the 30+ horses at the barn. She knows what size girth to use, and when to use a running martingale. She knows what hole to put the jump cups for a 2’ course, or a 2’6 course. She also knows how to change her diagonal, turn down centerline, make a 20 meter circle and how to ride a transition.

There was a section for “Following Directions” where it says she needs to be a good listener. She listens to her trainer give her a jump course consisting of 10+ fences, which she has to immediately remember, and then jump. It says she has to remember multiple directions at a time “such as brushing your teeth, putting on your shoes and moving your backpack.” She can remember and ride a dressage test, cross country course and show jump course in one day.

It says I should play “Mother May I” with her. Everything her pony does, is because she’s asked and she knows she has to ask correctly. She weighs 50 lbs. He weighs 700. She has spent hours learning how to not only ask, but listen, when she wants something from him.

It says she should have responsibilities, such as packing her lunch. She can not only feed herself, but knows how to feed and care for a pony. She can groom him, put on his blanket, braid his mane and brush his tail. She can scoop his feed, throw his hay, fill his water buckets and lug all 5 gallons 100 feet from the hose to his stall (though I do have to help her hang them.) She knows he always comes first, even when she’s hot and tired or it’s cold and raining.

But most of all, she’s learning about hard work. She’s learning how to succeed, and how to fail. She’s learning patience and compassion and best of all Love. Love for her pony, Love for her sport, Love for learning.

Dear Teacher, while I know school is important, I also know there is more to life than what can be learned in a classroom. These experiences aren’t just teaching her the things that come from a book, but things that are making her a better human being. When she looks back on her life, she won’t remember missing those 3 days of school. She will remember her last show on her beloved pony Champ, her first ribbon at a USEA show, and how she and her Best Friend spent 3 days in the rain together doing the thing they love the most, being Eventers.

Sincerely,

The proud mom of a horse loving little girl

07/08/2022

FROM A PARENT:
One of my friends asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kids to do horse riding?" Well I have a confession to make, I don't pay for my kids horse riding. Personally, I couldn't care less about horse riding.

So, if I am not paying for horse riding, what am I paying for?

- I pay for those moments when my kids become so tired they want to quit but don't.

- I pay for those days when my kids come home from school and are "too tired" to go the stables but go anyway.

- I pay for my kids to learn to be disciplined.

- I pay for my kids to learn to take care of their body.

- I pay for my kids to learn to work with others and to be good team mates.

- I pay for my kids to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don't get that score they'd hoped for, but still have to work hard in the grading.

- I pay for my kids to learn to make and accomplish goals.

- I pay for my kids to learn that it takes hours and hours and hours and hours of hard work and practice to create a champion, and that success does not happen overnight.

- I pay for the opportunity my kids have and will have to make life-long friendships.

- I pay so that my kids can be in the arena instead of in front of a screen...
..I could go on but, to be short, I don't pay for horse riding, I pay for the opportunities that horse riding provides my kids with to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their lives and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen so far I think it is a great investment!

04/18/2022

Four beauties at Hilltop

11/26/2021

Our girls are so special ❤️ This jump turned out beautiful ❤️

Two of our riders made this very special jump for our jump field…. You can see they were very dedicated to the outcome and are so proud of our farm. Thank you Alix and Bridget ❤️ The farm is more beautiful because of your generosity and hard work. The bottom right is a plate that says it’s dedicated in loving memory of “Perry Velocci” We all love everything about this jump!

11/26/2021

Two of our riders made this very special jump for our jump field…. You can see they were very dedicated to the outcome and are so proud of our farm. Thank you Alix and Bridget ❤️ The farm is more beautiful because of your generosity and hard work. The bottom right is a plate that says it’s dedicated in loving memory of “Perry Velocci” We all love everything about this jump!

11/26/2021

Sunset at Hilltop is always stunning

11/16/2021

Happy faces all the way around! 💕

08/15/2021

What a great day we had! Our out of town college kids (young adults) got to have a fun day before back to school. ALL the horses were happy and chill and all of the riders had an absolute blast! We love cross country schooling- Second wave will be happening soon! Hilltop needs a bigger trailer 😂

07/27/2021

It was love at 45th sight

03/21/2021

Some of our Saturday morning smiles 🙌

12/29/2020

Sharing from a new client who visited us from South Carolina... it feels amazing to be appreciated and it makes me try even harder with all of my riders! They made the grrat video of her days at Hilltop and her progression in riding.❤️💕
Fwd:
3 incredible horses + 2 phenomenal instructors = 5 amazing weeks of riding for Landry. Nicci Velocci and Ali at Hilltop Equestrians thank you for your professionalism, kindness, and patience while helping her learn to canter and to become a more confident rider. I loved that you allowed her to learn at a pace that she is comfortable with. You both compliment each other so well with how you teach and she has learned so much because of this. We will miss the two of you and of course all of the horses, but don’t worry we will be back.

I do not own the rights to this music.

https://youtu.be/JNePSey_7YI

12/29/2020

Riding with friends 💕

12/18/2020

Group lessons for the win!

12/18/2020

friends and sunsets

12/18/2020

Goooo Jenna!

11/09/2020

Jenna and her boy Victor waiting on their medal classes today

06/16/2020