Kendra is offering horsemanship based lessons out of Red Lion farm in Gray, Maine!
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Good morning!
Our inbox is pretty full with lesson inquiries and I am so great full! I’m doing my best to get back to everyone and get you scheduled or moved to our wait list.
With that being said my Daughter is quite sick and requires most of my attention at this time. So my communication will be limited over the next few days, while we navigate getting her better.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
-Kendra
There comes a day when you realize that the fear never really goes away,
that if you really want something,
you have to be willing to do it afraid.
And maybe this is the only way you ever get to discover your fullest potential.
Maybe you just have to dive right in and face the thing that scares you the most.
Because in the end,
it's not the rejections and so-called failures that will haunt you.
It will be your own potential left unexplored.
So maybe you don't need to wait until you overcome your fears to take the first step forward.
Maybe you just need to know there's something more important than fear. Something greater.
Something worth fighting for.
And maybe overcoming your fears is the least important part of your story anyway.
Maybe what matters is that you're scared but still determined.
Shaky but still standing.
Afraid but still willing to try.
Author - Zanna Keithley
I don’t normally run poles. I train them and teach them at home but Iv never had a want to try it out and about. I’m usually a one run and carry my time kind of girl.
This week we went to a little jackpot and I figured I had nothing to lose; so I entered. Luna and I had never even practiced - so my expectations were low. The try this mare has is incredible. She tried to stay with me, she turned nicely and we both came out of the arena So happy! The first of many things with this special pony girl. ♥️
Our horses love when Miss Amy comes around! Their comfort is at the very heart of our training program.
Happy and healthy horses = A better partnership.
“Don't you dare tell her that her dreams are too big.
Don't tell her that she's too young or too small for such things.
Don't put your fears on her plate just because you're not hungry anymore.
Don't say can't to her face, or even use it in your vocabulary.
Don't educate her about nerves in front of the crowd, don't train her to bow down.
Don't show her excuses of why not or a list of the odds.
Don't let her smell fear on your breath, when you speak of her plans.
Don't let her realize there is a thief called self doubt. Don't bring out the measuring tape when the competition comes near.
Don't let her see disappointment or find pity when she makes a mistake. Don't let her think she's alone by not supporting her failures.
For He made her fierce as a lion & gave her a champion's heart. He blessed her with gifts of fearlessness & a strong work ethic.
He put it in her DNA to pursue goals just out of her reach. He colored her eyes focused & prepared her hands to conquer whatever battle she chooses. “ -Amy Havens
Failure breeds success. If you don’t fail you can never win. If you’re coaching or raising kids in particular; it’s important to make this realization NOW. So you they don’t grow up to believe; they are unworthy of simply trying.
Red Lion Farm Maine
Yesterday we took 6 horses and 8 riders to the Topsham fair grounds for an NBHA ME-01 race! All but one rider are active members and it was a fantastic day.
Mackenzie and Allie had redemption and took 2nd in the Youth 2D!
Aubree and tango made huge progress and had their best runs to date!
KL and Elsa worked hard and had 3 clean runs!
Olivia and her new horse Bella worked out some miscommunications in poles but had a great barrel run!
Meghan and Luna did fantastic and showed that confidence and hard work really pays off!
Walker and Nataleigh did their pee-wee runs and nataleigh took the win, cantering most of the pattern- for the first time! Walker said he was just happy to be there and took home 3rd place!
Poppy and I worked out a minor issue, got reacquainted with the ground and had a clean, consistent run! And we got a beautiful head stall for 2nd place in the Red, White and blue best dressed contest! 🇺🇸
Thank you to all of our sponsors and everyone who comes to support us in anyway. The season is 1/2 way over and we are looking forward to The state show in just about a Month!
4th Annual NBHA ME01 4th of July Barrel Race $500 minimum added
Red Lion Farm Maine
We hope you all have a safe and happy Independence Day.
🎇🇺🇸🐴
What a fantastic time hosting our first jackpot! We paid out over $600 and there was nothing but smiles coming from our contestants and spectators. The feed back has been phenomenal and I think it’s unanimous, we will be hosting more! We’re looking at doing two Thursdays in each month; July, August and September! Dates will be posted soon.
Take this as your reminder to never give up on your dreams and to certainly never listen to the negative. I held off on doing this because someone always has something negative to say when you tell them your dream, but now I can’t wait to do it again!
As With everything new, there are kinks to work out but we have such a solid crew that we hardly noticed. And let’s be honest… the biggest hurdle was me on the mic. 😂
16 in open barrels and 11 in open poles, and we can’t wait to watch this grow!
https://vetericyn.com/blog/horse-sweat/
A good article to read, especially in this heatwave we’re in! Hoping you all stay nice and cool! 🥵 Keep the barn fans on and lots of cool water for horses and humans!
We’re going to cover everything to know about equine perspiration, including how to recognize normal and abnormal horse sweating and more.
Another 480 bales up. Totaling 1,010 for the year so far! The hottest week is always the best to bale. Thankfully it wasn’t ready until it started to cool down. Strong team work made it so this went up in an hour and 20 minutes!
Thank you to Silver ledge hay, for keeping our horses healthy all year long. 💪🏼
Have you ever been asked to run with your belly button pointed out, your eyes to the sky and your arms locked in place? I bet if you tried it, just once- You would do everything in your power to teach your horse how to lift their back, engage their belly, drop at their withers and follow your hands.
Last week I had to think outside of the box, and I’m posting this with Parent permission.
I had a rider who wasn’t really paying attention to me or her horse. Her horse was unbalanced at the trot and canter. The rider wasn’t using her legs to lift her horses belly so her horse just trotted faster, with her head in the air. After many discussions and how tos of “ask her to lift her belly and drop at the wither.” I asked her to step off her horse and run, just as described. She thought I was crazy but when she got back to me, I asked her to run, engaging her core and dropping her head. She told me “that felt so much better!”
So many times our horses are asking us for help and we just brush it off as they’re “unbalanced, naughty, don’t want to go forward. Won’t stop bucking” The list goes on. This is a very common thing we see all the time, riders don’t know how to help their horses get soft and use their whole body. Often times the rider just kicks or pulls or adds various bits and tack, thinking it will make their horses softer.
In reality if we just look within ourselves and acknowledge that we aren’t helping our horses, and we learn to get better. A whole lot can change!
Great job making these changes in yourself to help your horse, Olivia! ♥️
We have limited spots for camps in July and August left! Our June camp still has a few spots left to fill, message our page to sign up!
I kicked off my birthday by hosting a Chris Lombard Horsemanship clinic here at the farm. We filled all the spots “in house” plus one awesome guest! (Who brought the most adorable puppy!) and they are ready for day two, tomorrow!
I spent today being showered in love and well wishes for the year ahead; and I’m feeling abundantly blessed. I taught lessons in the evening, laughed a whole lot and came home to the best hugs from my favorite little guy. Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday, and to everyone who supports this dream of mine. ♥️
-Kendra
Red Lion Farm Maine
Our hearts, thoughts and Prayers are with everyone affected by this tragedy.
As horse professionals, we all know this is our #1 fear. And it has now become an unimaginable reality for many. Please consider donating. We have a box going out mid week of some bits, head stalls and sponsor product. Feel free to send us a message if you have good quality, usable items and I can mail them along.
As always, remember to Give your horses some grace, a pat on the neck, and thank God for giving them to you. 🙏🏻❤️
Thursday Throwdown!
Come show up and show off at Red Lion Farm(11 totten road Gray, ME) for an evening of fast pace racing at our first ever jackpot! This event will be paying out over 70%! Expos start at 5:15pm, pay 5$ at the gate. Race starts sharp. $50 open 3D barrels, $25 2D open pole bending. All levels are welcome!
We will be running in our 100’x200’ outdoor arena running the standard sized barrel and pole bending patterns. Our 60x120 indoor will be available for warm ups. The outdoor ground is good, and fast. Will be dragging after every 5 runs.
Pre-entries are due by 6/21, payment is due at time of signup! Cash, check made out to Kendra gorham, or Venmo Kendra_gorham013. How you pay, is how you’ll get your payouts back! Paying out 3 spots per division (3D barrels-9 payout spots, 2D poles-6 payout spots)
Vaccination records and current coggins is required. Please email all health certifications to [email protected].
Water available on site. Limited parking, please carpool if possible!
For any questions about this event, please reach out to Kendra Gorham at (207)229-9561 or Danny Rand at (207)730-3622
Red Lion Farm Maine
I went to a graduation yesterday and this really stuck with me. “Fear and self doubt breed imposter syndrome, meaning you make your self believe you are undeserving, under qualified and shouldn’t be where you are. Sometimes you just have to do it afraid, because the other side of fear is something great.”
How fitting for life, riding, showing and owning horses. When the fear creeps in you need to do it afraid. When you feel like you don’t belong, you should do it anyways.
I’m so proud of the team we have built. They out work most, they practice good horsemanship and they always make sure they’re putting the horses first.
What a fantastic day in Hollis for our second race of 2024. ✌🏻
A week in photos at our home, Red Lion Farm Maine.
We have made it a goal to get outside and ride everyday we can. Yesterday a group of 6 of us had a group lesson and finished it off using the field and woods around us to get our horses cooled out. Some horses are seasoned in “trail blazing” while others had to think and really trust their riders to get through some of the muck from spring! All of our horses did exceptionally well.
Last years rain really put a damper on a lot of things. So we are taking full advantage of the things God has placed around us to help get and keep well rounded horses. Some wanted to simply walk down the drive way, others wanted to challenge what we’ve been working on in the dreaded (for some 🐎) creek, and others just worked on a little patience by standing still in a busy arena.
What are some of your summer goals with your horse?!
The first show of 2024!
We had some great victories today and some really hard moments. But as a trainer I am beyond proud. I was blown away at the level of horsemanship coming from these kids. From simple pats on the neck during a run to knowing when to walk out because your horses mentality is more important than the win.
These kids work so hard everyday to learn and to be the best they can be for the horse they’re sitting on. Olivia got 2nd in the youth 3D, Mackenzie placed on single pole, nataleigh got 2nd in pee-wee and KL fell in the cracks of the 3D right along with me! We had a small accident when we got home and they all fed the barn, cleaned the trailers and worked as a true team to make sure that even after a 13 hour day, the horses came first. ♥️ we are feeling blessed for what we have built and so excited for the 2024 season. 🛢️🐎
Things your riding instructor wants you to know:
1. This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.
2. You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…
3. You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..
4. This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.
5. EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...
6. Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.
7. You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.
8. Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.
9. We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.
Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.
*thank you to whoever wrote this! Not my words, but certainly a shared sentiment!
✨HUGE thank you to these sponsors for supporting our riders!✨
This is our 2024 sponsorship line up for NBHA District 01.
🛢️Goodwin well & water sponsoring Kadyn!
🛢️A team realty sponsoring Nataleigh and Aubree!
🛢️Lake region lawn care sponsoring Aubree!
🛢️North edge property improvement sponsoring Olivia!
🛢️Dean Hanscome heating sponsoring Mackenzie and Kendra!
🛢️Double K Horsemanship sponsoring Meghan!
💎Our first race is May 11th at the Topsham Fair grounds. Starting at 10am. Please keep these business in mind and share with your friends!
Red Lion Farm Maine
✨Summer horse camp dates now that we know the official last day of school! ✨
Due to our ever growing show team and schedule we will have 3 and 4 day camps. All camps are $75 a day if you pick and choose days. OR 3 day camps are $200 and 4 day camps are $275. This means a $25 discount for coming all the camp days.
All camps are 9a-4p. As usual your child will need snacks, lunch, water, sun screen, pants, close toed boots and a change of clothes for after riding. Before and after care starting at 8a and ending at 5p can be accommodated for an added fee.
Thank you for your patience!
June 26-28
July 1-3 and 22-25
August 19-22
A few reminders, like for February camp please do NOT use our website for signing up. It’s undergoing construction 🦺 and still has 2023 registration.
A $50 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit is due at time of signing up! Just message our page with the dates you need and we will send you a welcome E-mail confirmation once your deposit is made.
Happy Spring! 🐎♥️
“Horses are incredible teachers of forgiveness, acceptance, and unconditional love.” – Shannon Knapp. “
These days will never get old. As a trainer I am always so proud when one of my kiddos is allowed the opportunity to get their first pony. Olivia has worked hard for so many years, shared lessons ponies, leased a dragon from my program, mucked stalls, fed horses and has truly taken in every ounce of knowledge she’s been offered.
Today we made her dreams come true with a paint horse of her own. Bella was sold from an amazing owner who wanted her to go to a home where she would be loved and used for everything that she is. Over the last month Bella has disguised herself as a “lesson horse for my program” so we could insure it was a great fit! They hit it off on lesson number one!
Thank you Missy for trusting Double K and the Ruby family with this fantastic mare. And thank you to Stacey and Lee (Olivia’s parents) for believing in my program and believing in your daughter; you two are just as dedicated as she is and that will make this pair go so far! ♥️ Here is to new and grand adventures with your pretty paint pony, Olivia!
We’ve spent the first few weeks of warm weather legging up our horses, working on exercises that refine our skills, getting ready for show season and welcoming some new soft noses. 🐎
This is your reminder that what your called to do isn’t a conversation for anyone but you and the Lord. People will be negative, you won’t always agree with them, they won’t always agree with you. Change is the law of the universe and even if change is uncomfortable; it’s always putting you right where you need to be.
Double K at Red Lion Farm is a place where it’s okay to make mistakes, learn from them, and work on moving forward. It’s a place filled with amazing people, better horses and we are committed to helping people better themselves and their horsemanship along the way! All you have to do is commit to doing better, work hard and always tell the truth; Because lord knows your horses will speak for you eventually!
I hope you all have a happy and blessed Monday!
-Kendra ♥️
Red Lion Farm Maine
Yesterday was the start of Spring cleaning the barn. Today was a day of riding and laughing until it hurt! ♥️
6 of us took to a group ride after chores were done. Ages 14-50(ish 😉). The barn is truly ageless and I’m so thankful everyday I get to wake up to my dreams coming true, helping people with their horses and making great memories along the way!
Our first show is just about a Month away, the bugs were biting, the horses were loping and Warm days are here; providing plenty of time for work and fun.
Lacey is pulling her hair out waiting for us to figure out and announce summer camp. We aren’t stalling on purpose, we promise!!
As mentioned before, summer camps are going to look a little different this year. This is due to a busy show season, a full client barn- which means a busy arena (we love seeing it!!) and because Meghan will be working with the local recreation department this summer and focusing on youth leadership and development within those programs.
Don’t worry though we have not forgotten about summer camp!! The plan WAS to run camp the week after school released…but….staff has not received a definite release date due to weather and school cancellations, so we are waiting for that final decision to be made. If we cannot run that full week, we will run drop in days. Danny will also plans to step in and run a couple weeks this summer too!
Having youth in the barn is so important to us and teaching the next generation of horsemen and women is just as important too! We promise to have dates and pricing out to everyone soon!!
Snow clean up commenced today!
The morning brought the discovery of lots of broken fence boards and snow to the top of the gates in some spots. We still don’t have power but we’re making the best of it and keeping the horses happy.
Today we are greatful for a team of people who have helped truck in LOTS of water and move even more snow. The daily tasks are enough in this weather without added stressors; however our team stepped up so much that the girls had plenty of time to take their “ponies” to the outdoor for some fun in the fresh snow!
I love that our barn kids will take every situation and use it to continue to built their confidence and their horsemanship. Ba****ck, in the snow, on a young OTTB mare with her Shetland side kick brought nothing but smiles.
11 Totten Road
Gray, ME
04039
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There comes a day when you realize that the fear never really goes away, that if you really want something, you have to be willing to do it afraid. And maybe this is the only way you ever get to discover your fullest potential. Maybe you just have to dive right in and face the thing that scares you the most. Because in the end, it's not the rejections and so-called failures that will haunt you. It will be your own potential left unexplored. So maybe you don't need to wait until you overcome your fears to take the first step forward. Maybe you just need to know there's something more important than fear. Something greater. Something worth fighting for. And maybe overcoming your fears is the least important part of your story anyway. Maybe what matters is that you're scared but still determined. Shaky but still standing. Afraid but still willing to try. Author - Zanna Keithley I don’t normally run poles. I train them and teach them at home but Iv never had a want to try it out and about. I’m usually a one run and carry my time kind of girl. This week we went to a little jackpot and I figured I had nothing to lose; so I entered. Luna and I had never even practiced - so my expectations were low. The try this mare has is incredible. She tried to stay with me, she turned nicely and we both came out of the arena So happy! The first of many things with this special pony girl. ♥️ #100xequine #mainehorsefarms #pemfequine #PoulinPowered #teamdoublek #horsemanship
When the feels like temp hits 110 on the first day of summer! ☀️✌🏻 Cold hosing is a very effective way to keep your horses cool and happy in the summer heat, just remember to put a fan on them after; to help the evaporation process and keep them cooler, longer! *watch to the end to see him biting and playing with the hose! Water is his favorite thing!* #100xequine #mainehorsefarms #PoulinPowered #teamdoublek #SummerHeat2024 #horsemanship #seahorse
Have you ever been asked to run with your belly button pointed out, your eyes to the sky and your arms locked in place? I bet if you tried it, just once- You would do everything in your power to teach your horse how to lift their back, engage their belly, drop at their withers and follow your hands. Last week I had to think outside of the box, and I’m posting this with Parent permission. I had a rider who wasn’t really paying attention to me or her horse. Her horse was unbalanced at the trot and canter. The rider wasn’t using her legs to lift her horses belly so her horse just trotted faster, with her head in the air. After many discussions and how tos of “ask her to lift her belly and drop at the wither.” I asked her to step off her horse and run, just as described. She thought I was crazy but when she got back to me, I asked her to run, engaging her core and dropping her head. She told me “that felt so much better!” So many times our horses are asking us for help and we just brush it off as they’re “unbalanced, naughty, don’t want to go forward. Won’t stop bucking” The list goes on. This is a very common thing we see all the time, riders don’t know how to help their horses get soft and use their whole body. Often times the rider just kicks or pulls or adds various bits and tack, thinking it will make their horses softer. In reality if we just look within ourselves and acknowledge that we aren’t helping our horses, and we learn to get better. A whole lot can change! Great job making these changes in yourself to help your horse, Olivia! ♥️
Our current students are setting some big goals for the upcoming season and setting the steps in motion to be able to reach them! 1st successful canter off lunge in a long time for her and she can’t wait to perfect it even more over April vacation! Are you still looking for someplace for April vacation? We have a couple spots open and we are looking forward to goal setting and big accomplishments! Message the page and see the Google link below to sign up! Happy to offer a daily rate if you are trying to pack vacation full of fun for everyone! We know the juggle all too well and want to be able to offer the horse world experience where we can! https://www.doublekhorsemanship.com/camps
Let’s talk about rope handling. The one thing I preach to my students the most is the importance of saying what you mean, and meaning what you say. Your horse will thank you for being black and white when your asking them a question. Allow them to answer whatever your asking and give them a properly timed release when they get the answer correct. On the other hand a properly timed correction if the answer is incorrect. How does this translate to rope handling? If your rope is to long, to short or wrapped around your leg it’s impossible to properly time anything. If your constantly fumbling your rope around, your horse can perceive that as “nagging” and if they get the correct answer they could get understandably frustrated, if they feel like your giving pressure when they deserve a release. Mackenzie was struggling during a ground work exercise with her 5y/o OTTB mare. I quickly noticed that she had her energy up and that her rope was getting easily tangled. So the next best thing was to practice without the horse! As you can see swapping hands and timing when to move to the shoulder needed some help. Stepping back from her horse and putting the pressure on me made things a lot easier to understand. You don’t need your horse to practice your horsemanship. There is always something new to learn and I’m thankful to have these tools to help the next generation of horsemen understand the little things! If your struggling to understand ground work and how to build a strong, willing and reliable connection with your horse. Send us a message. We have limited space for haul in lessons for both saddle and ground work! #100xequine #poulinpowered #teamdoublek #mainewinter #horsebackridinglessons #horsemanship #groundwork
He is my living proof that hard work and patience pays off. This is the horse whos known to spook at anything that flaps, crinkles, moves, or wrinkles. If it’s not a cow hes likely NOT interested. That’s just not what I know he’s capable of. What WE are capable of. I have taken a few steps back with him and allowed him to just figure things out on his own terms. If we have to work 50 feet away from the object then that’s what we’ve done. Today I brought him out to just look at the tarp obstacle. He brought himself over it on the ground a few times and then after some hesitation with me on his back, he strolled across it like he’d done it his whole life. This video is the first time since owning him, that he has walked over a tarp with confidence. I love this little red head more than I can ever say and I can not wait to see where our new found confidence takes us the next 365 days. As I have said to everyone in my program “Rome wasn’t built in a day so You gotta start #100xequine #lovethehorsefirst #poulinpowered #aqha #teamdoublek #versitility #workhardstayhumble
Maine Equine Sports at Crystal Lake Farm
Shaker Road
Gray-New Gloucester Animal Hospital
Lewiston Road
