Gorham Equestrian Center

01/19/2025

Due to the sale of a boarders horse GEC has an open stall available! Please reach out for current pricing and details.

09/14/2024

Yesterday we said goodbye for now to our resident “yellow fellow”, dust rabbit… 😓 Dusty was a special boy who was loved by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. His spirit was strong but unfortunately his body was failing. He had a peaceful passing surrounded by his tribe full of love and admiration. The whole GEC family will be continuing to send love and support to Dusty’s humans, especially Molly who was his best friend for many years. 💔💙

09/03/2024

GEC will have an opening for outdoor board starting Oct 1st. Specifically looking for a gelding to buddy up with the gelding who will be loosing his current 24/7 friend. Potential for working off some board with this situation. Please reach out for details.

06/01/2024

Yes!! Stop sitting so heavy and too far back in the upper body.

Reiner Klimke told us:
“The rider who is sitting a little bit forward, who doesn’t make himself heavy, is what I like. When I ride, I always try to not make myself heavy and bring the horse down, but to go with the movement and keep light, this is not one of our inventions."
And his daughter, Ingrid, shows us:
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2021/07/wisdom-from-reiner-klimke/

05/19/2024

So very proud of Kristine and Grace today for their amazing test at the SMDA show in Hollis! Solid riding from Kristine and great behavior by Grace the super pony! First show of the year is in the books! Also thanks to our GEC family who showed up to support! Dream team for sure 🥰💙

05/19/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/uoEtw85i68hoZRdU/?mibextid=WC7FNe
So proud!! 💙

03/05/2024

“I’m not a dressage rider” is a typical sentence that is heard throughout the disciplines. The word “dressage” can strike fear into the hearts of many riders. Typically because it’s seen as a rigid form of rules, that only if you “look” a certain way, with rhinestones on your browband and your Kastel sun shirt and riding with short reins and a noseband — do you fit into the crowd. *Kastel shirts are AMAZING btw 😘*

But “dressage” is so much different than it’s stand alone as a discipline.

It’s a set of theory’s that quiet and soften the muscles and the mind.

It’s a connection that forms communication to influence footfalls to create a sequence of engaged muscle pairs.

It’s strengthening and prolonging a career of soundness.

It’s increasing flexibility and strength of muscles and ligaments and tendons.

It’s applicable to any partnership, any horse, any discipline.

It’s Medicine.
It’s Movement.
It’s Balance.
It’s Therapy.

It’s applicable to you and your horse wherever your discipline choices lie. Regardless of your saddle, bridle, whether you ride in jeans or jodhpurs, whether you have a pasture, or an arena.

Dressage isn’t “picky” on who it helps. It’s inclusive to anyone willing to pursue it.

01/26/2024

Love your horse, not what they can do.

My horse had to retire this year.
It was unexpected and it changed everything.

But for him, nothing changed.

He still goes out in the field, still gets a nice big fluffy bed, cosy rugs and a carrot every night. He still gets remedial shoes, gets his teeth done and regularly sees a physio.

Nothing changed for him, because he’s not a machine and the level of care he gets is not dependant on what he can do. I loved riding him, but that was a privilege, not a right and certainly not a way for him to “earn” good care.

He’s not a car that can be scrapped or sold on because he can’t do what I want to do anymore.

When you take the reins of a horse, you make a commitment.

A commitment to ensure their happiness and welfare always come first; whether they are jumping big tracks, competing at Grand Prix level, hacking or grazing in a field. Level of competition or ability should not dictate the level of care.

Horses are fragile. They break. They get injured. Soemtimes they have to retire. It doesn’t mean they are any less worthy of your care, attention or money.

Stop giving away, “loaning” or selling your broken down horses because they can’t do what you want them to do and if that means you have to change your plans or put them on pause, then so be it.

Love your horse, not what they can do.

01/10/2024

01/09/2024

Christoph Hess talks about the direction dressage should be heading:
“For me, it is wrong when the rider is coming with his upper body behind the vertical. For me, the advice to every rider, is rising trot and light seat in canter, do it like this, and when you do this, then as a rider you get another feeling. Looking from the biomechanics point of view, you get more the feeling to be with the horse.” Ingrid Klimke and Damon Hill demonstrate:
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2022/08/is-dressage-heading-in-the-right-direction/