Cherry Ridge Dressage

02/05/2025

I get this question often enough that I think it warrants a post. "Do you ride when the snow is coming off the roof?" My answer is..... It depends.

It depends on the horse's individual personality. Some could care less, in which case, I certainly ride.
Some will react to the noise in the moment, but find confidence from me that it's ok and carry on as if nothing happened, in which case I also will ride.
And then some horses will think the world is ending, and although maybe not dangerous in their reaction, the underlying tension builds and then takes many rides to dissipate. In that case, I don't ride- it's not worth sacrificing a horse's confidence in me to only ever put them in situations that they can mentally and physically handle, and it's not worth creating negative tension for many successive sessions.

Relaxation is a very important building block of the training scale, so my choice to ride or not ride in less than ideal conditions (such as snow sliding off the roof) is always based with that principle as a priority.

Riders have similar reactions as horses, and their confidence/relaxation in the saddle also needs to be carefully nurtured. If your horse's reaction is going to frighten you, and lead you to tension and apprehension in the future, then save that ride for another day. Give your horse a spa day, go for a walk in the woods together, do some stretching or ground work, and focus on building a positive relationship.

I rarely miss a chance to ride, as success is built from many small consistent sessions, but sometimes, the setbacks created by tension in either horse or rider are just not worth it. Bottom line- know your horse and know yourself, and then use the training scale to guide your choices.

02/02/2025

This should be an incredible session for every level of rider!

02/02/2025

For any of my eventing students that might be curious about trying an Erreplus jumping saddle. They have been a game changer for many of the horses that I ride!

Calling all Hunter Jumpers!

For a limited time starting March 1st, I am offering *FREE* Erreplus Jump saddle demos to clients within a 2 hour radius of Albany, NY! This is the perfect time to see what a new saddle could do for you and your horse. Erreplus saddles are fully adjustable - they have adjustable trees and are flocked. So, as your horse changes, your saddle can too! We also offer several different panel and flap configurations to customize the fit to you and your horse.

Contact me to get on my schedule:

[email protected]
5182316215
www.synergysaddlefit.com

01/31/2025

The Fédération Equestre Internationale announced today, Jan. 31, that it has created a dedicated working group tasked with developing a comprehensive strategic action plan for dressage, aimed at establishing a clear vision, realigning objectives, and creating actionable plans to enhance dressage a...

01/31/2025

Stock up on some of your favorite Triple Crown Feed products at Agway True Value of Ballston Spa this weekend!!!!

Just mention this ad and save. This weekend only

01/24/2025

Always a good idea to prevent problems before they arise.

01/23/2025

Love this!!!

01/22/2025

01/21/2025

Spot on

An edited , because man oh man do I ever feel overinterpreted: Sometimes horses CAN ACT naughty. (Also, at this point, maybe keep reading, folks.)

It can be pain, or it can be freshness, or it can be because someone’s reinforced it being a thing the horse can do that gets the rider to get off and leave it alone, or it can be a handful of other things. For sure, sometimes horses really do misbehave for the first time, ever, away from home and in public. And for sure, when a horse is young and fresh (or, frankly, old and fresh!), or when the naughtiness has become a habit, sometimes you’ve gotta hike up your Big Girl Panties and set some boundaries so the horse learns they can no longer behave that way. But barring those, you’ve gotta wonder, as you’re watching a horse in the warmup arena behave in an ugly fashion, over and over, what the rider hopes to achieve from that competition ride.

Training is done at home. It’s time to show when training is going well at home most of the time. And if you’ve got one of the horses where you’ve ruled out pain and saddle fit and they’re a good egg at home and then they go to the show and blow up, schooling shows can be a great way to bridge the gap.

Of course there are horses that are cheeky monkeys the whole way up, in spite of phenomenal vet care and excellent, thoughtful training, that still require some intestinal fortitude to throw a leg over. But when the horse is on its hind legs more than it’s not in the warmup, it’s probably time to go home. When the horse is slamming on the brakes in every single flying change, it’s probably time to go home. When the Technical Delegate is following you around, it’s probably time to go home. And for sure, when the Certified Good Boy starts doing Very Bad Things, it’s not only time to go home, but it’s time to call the vet and saddle fitter, and rule some things out.

If I deleted your comment, ask yourself this: did you read this whole thing? And do you think that maybe, just maybe, it’s hard to master a subject as nuanced as horse training in a post the length that the average social media user’s gerbil brain will sit still for?

📸 Susan J Stickle Equestrian Photography LLC

01/18/2025

We are pleased to announce a USDF Continuing Education Program for L Graduates!

What: Upgrade Your Judging Eye with USEF S Judge Margaret Crabtree Freeman

When: Saturday, April 5th

Where: Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, MA

For more information, including how to register, go to: https://dressage4kids.org/programs/d4k-unmounted-programs/d4k-judges-forum-april-5-2025.html

01/18/2025

First day of judging for 2025 at the beautiful Stoneleigh-Burnham School. Grateful that it's about 30 degrees warmer than my last day of judging in 2024 a few weeks ago. Here's to a great 2025 show season for all!!!