Pine Alley Farm

01/06/2025

Here’s to all the angels at the in gates🥰

10/28/2024

Thank you Amanda Wilson Hammond.
So Fun!

03/08/2024

The girls enjoying their new digs🤣

01/31/2024

Denny Emerson

There have been studies done that indicate that relaxed horses learn better than tense horses. I would have thought anyone with half a brain could have figured out that, though.

Bad riding, rough training quickly takes most horse above what we might call their “anxiety threshold,” the point at which they become so nervous that they get tight, resistant, and we know what happens then---The less able riders ALSO get tight, often frustrated, angry even, and the whole shooting match begins to spiral out of control.

So many so-called trainers are too rough, too sharp with their hands, their spurs, their whips, and their attitudes. These are the riders, trainers, teachers who use all those devices, pain inducing bits, the apparatus designed specifically to force submission. Sometimes drugs when the horse fights back against the pain.

Correct riding is partly physical, certainly. A rider who bounces around, has poor balance, over-active hands, these will upset a horse. But riding skills can be learned. What is more important is the human’s philosophy of riding and training, and by that I mean does this human think that riding a horse is a test of wills between horse and rider, or is riding a system of quiet communication, taught over time to allow both horse and rider to learn a common “language”?

Relaxed horses come from relaxed riders, and by relaxed I don’t mean Old Sloppy Joe, but relaxed enough emotionally to become able to educate rather than dominate the horses they ride.

I don’t care how skillful the rider may be, if domination is the go-to training choice, that rider is a bad rider. There are lots of winning riders who are bad riders.

01/18/2024

I would say “ May you run free in big green pastures and blue skys “ however more to his liking would be -“May you always be standing in a stall with a foot of clean fluffy shavings, 3 fans, a bowl of Hydration hay and a filled hay net” .
Gilbert was most unhorselike. He didn’t really care for the company of other horses nor would he tolerate the company of bugs. Gilbert only tolerated green pastures on beautiful mild temperature days with no bugs. Gilbert was smart. He knew where his house was and didn’t need you to lead him to it. He knew his routine and would let you know when you deviated. He was kind, well trained and well behaved. At 29 years old, 15 years together and many close calls it is a heartbreaking dreadful loss. i will miss Gilbert. His memory will always put a smile on my face and remain in my heart.
RIP Gib. You had an amazing life of comfort and care and an amazing mom that you can thank for it❤️

01/16/2024