TopNotch Performance Horses OK

11/11/2024

11/09/2024

Over a week in and everyone is putting the work in!! Strong legs for 2025!!! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽🏆🏆🏆

11/02/2024

And so it begins!!!! 🏆🏆🏆

10/27/2024

Thought for the day...

Your trainer breathes with you through every movement whether at home or at a show. Your trainer stands at the in gate and physically rides the test with you - mentally moving your horse forward, or giving a whoa or riding your rhythm through every turn. She gives you words of wisdom and encouragement as you go by. Your trainer shares your nerves as you walk in the ring, feels your disappointment when things don’t go right and rejoices when you smack down that amazing test. They celebrate your tiny achievements and are filled with pride when you achieve a huge goal. They love your horse as if it were their own, making sure they are happy and healthy. Your trainer beats themselves up when things don’t go as planned. Your trainer takes on the responsibility of caring for your emotional needs ... both through the good and bad. Your trainer respects your budget and tries with all their might to make a very expensive sport as affordable as possible. Your trainer takes the job of matching you with the horse of your dreams very seriously and are filled with happiness when that partnership produces success. Trainers are therapists, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, doctors, care givers, equine linguists, supporters, cheer leaders, and optimists. We love what we do, love the sport and are forever grateful to the clients and horses that come into our lives!!

Please remember this the next time you see your trainer. They are, like you, human, trying their best to make you successful. They are your biggest fan!! • Jodi Bondar

10/02/2024

Stingray!!!!!! 🩵🩵🩵🩵

09/23/2024

After painting all of the metal black last fall… obviously I had to repaint the white walls again bc my usual scrubbing of the walls just didnt match my ocd of cleanliness

09/11/2024

Today, we pause to remember and honor those we lost on 9/11. As we reflect on the strength and resilience of our nation, we will never forget our fallen heroes. 🇺🇸

08/20/2024

Finally recovered from a very HOT NSBA world show!!! We had the BEST SHOW and congrats to our clients for a super successful show! (Still waiting on a few of the backdrop pictures)

🌝MoonLiteSaturdayNite 🌝 and Rachel Griffin
🏆Top 10 Amateur WT Western Pleasure
🏆 finally sitting on Cap while he’s napping

🌈Alias Goodbar🌈 and Stormy Vaughn Bowers
🏆 Top 20 L1 Amateur Showmanship
🏆 Top 20 L1 Amateur Horsemanship

🐣Iron Intentions 🐣 and Erica Hardway
🏆 Top 10 Amateur WT Hunter Under Saddle
🏆 4th under one judge!!!

🦸🏽‍♂️Fly Like Superman🦸🏽‍♂️ and Patti Kutsche
🏆 Top 10 Amateur WT Hunter Under Saddle
🏆 First time showing!!!

🛺 Ivan 🛺 and Marina Marchant
🏆 Top 10 Amateur WT Hunter Under Saddle
🏆 way to represent with a Warmblood

Special thanks to the show management for keeping the show running seamlessly.
Extra special thanks to Bella Haus for keeping everything running smoothly at the stalls and Jasmine Morter for setting up our “lobby” and unpacking the whole trailer with me! I couldn’t have made thru the show without both of you!! 😘

Extra thanks to our sponsors for keeping us looking and feeling our best!

SmartPak
CWD
Saddlery
John Stella Saddlery
Ferguson Tack

08/06/2024

Breeders/Trainers/Handlers love the horses entrusted to us. The realities of our job takes a toll on our hearts. It's a hard job. 💔

Letter from a Trainer:

Yesterday was a hard day. I loaded a horse onto a trailer. I scratched his favorite spot, just like the last million times, and told him to behave himself.
Not that he was going someplace bad. I actually didn't know where he'd end up. I told him to behave because any decent horseman or woman will respect that quality and treat that horse well. I don't know if he will get that respect. But I know he will behave.

I touched a horse for the last time. He had only lived 28 days. I stayed with him during his very first 24 hours. I lifted him to his feet so that he could nurse. Every 20 minutes. His color changed from dark wet sleek to fluffy baby brown. And many days later, when he was much stronger on his spindly legs, in a big green field, another mare kicked him. I cried as I saw dreams crumble.

I ran a horse in for the winners photo.
I smiled as we became part of history and achieved the goals of myself and the dreams of his owner.
The world could see what that horse had done.
And I had helped him. It was just one day, a few minutes really, but one of our best and I was proud.
So I rubbed on his neck and praised him.

I walked into the barn. I'm always the first person there. It's early but I don't mind because twenty pairs of eyes look at me eagerly and nicker to me with excitement. I rub a few muzzles and foreheads but not everyone tolerates the nonsense of a late breakfast so I quickly get the grain. Their voices are music to my ears.

Yesterday I waited, my whole heart hurting as you stood in the field with a broken leg. When the vet finally showed, he drove straight down to where you stood shaking and immediately started grabbing needles and pulling blue liquid. I was his only helper and he instructed me through the din of my uncontrollable sobs. I told you that soon you wouldn't hurt anymore. I let go and then fell to my knees to lay across your neck.

There are pieces of my heart out there. And I don't know which goodbye is worse. When it's cold, I pray that you have enough hay to eat. I hope that someone cares enough to give you water and exercise and praise for a job well done. I hope that they continue to see the same talent and eagerness to please that I have always seen and praised you for.

Are your feet trimmed? Did you get your spring shots? Does your leg bother you still? Do they rub liniment on it or ice it or is it completely healed? I still see you in the barn. I can still see you in a picture, but every day when I walk past your stall, there is another horse there.

I will give my best to him too.

With every horse that comes through my program and leaves, a piece of me leaves with them. I pour everything into each horse that is with me. They are trained, loved, cared for to the best of my ability.
The best goodbyes come with the knowledge that the horse still has a job and a home with horsemen and women who respect him and love him.

-author unknown

08/03/2024

This is awesome

07/23/2024

Emmie and Daisie are hard at work inspecting stall bags to make sure everyone has the correct blankets going into the fall/winter months.. now is the time to visit one of our partners to stock up for winter!

Be sure to use our link for discounts!

https://www.sstack.com/pros/Topnotch/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0RjLQTLFJhvW-0eId9XBDHYD47TfBaTEx4vPSKB0WnJ41Tab-TPMyDf0I_aem_brIiEBFj4Ugn054KQ8kxoA

07/14/2024

We like to celebrate fun rides with wine slushies from time to time!!! Clauren Ridge Vineyard and Winery

07/06/2024

It doesn’t count!

07/04/2024

Happy 4th of July!!!

📸Rachel Griffin Photography

07/02/2024

I think this goes for all patterned classes😂

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/4EpuyafXkLBVxgnd/?mibextid=LvJtn9

06/27/2024

Thought for today.

“Nobody goes back to horse show after horse show after horse show because they “won a trophy” or “a head stall” or “a buckle.” They don’t pay their entries time and time again because they might win a shiny token that validates their efforts. People go back to the show pen because they enjoy the challenge and the people and the camaraderie and the social environment that makes up The Horse Show Experience. . They go back again and again because they love the responsibility of caring for their horses, the process of working with their horses in the pursuit of a personal goal, and the reward that comes when the judges and their peers praise them for a job well done. They hook that trailer up weekend after weekend because they love facing the ever humbling challenge of showing horses with other like minded people who understand their insanity...their strange addiction to the abuse that is the ups and downs of showing horses! When it is all said and done, they go back again and again, year after year because they love that early morning ride, that coffee with friends, the stories recounted, the laughs had, the failures and successes shared with their trainers and barn mates. They go back and pay up over and over because they love all of the parts that make up a horse show or a rodeo or an expo or a clinic. The buckle or trophy alone isn’t enough without the praise or admiration of fellow riders who understand the hours of hard work, dedication, tears and sweat that go into simply setting foot in the arena.”

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