RKR Farm

06/25/2025

I didn’t grow up in a barn with chandeliers.
I didn’t get handed imported warmbloods or winter clinics in Wellington.
I rode whatever I could afford, wherever someone would let me ride.

I’ve hauled to shows in rusty trailers older than my horse.
I’ve trained in hand-me-down tack and boots with holes in them.
I’ve patched things together, gear, horses, life, with sheer grit.

No grooms. No sponsors. No trust fund.

Just work. And love. And more work.

Because dressage isn’t supposed to be about glitter and gloss.
It’s about a conversation, one you earn, stride by stride, over years of showing up.
It’s about feel. Patience. Timing. And truth.

I still muck my own stalls, braid my own horse, and coached myself from old VHS videos and borrowed books.
And still, I ride.
And its not for glory.
It's because something in me needs this.

So no, I’m not the polished rider with the perfect setup.
But I am the rider who never quit.
Who showed up when no one was watching.
Who forged something beautiful from sweat, stubbornness, and a secondhand saddle.

Call it blue collar. Call it rough around the edges.
Just make sure you call it dressage.
Because it is.

And it lives in my blood.

06/25/2025

Wow. Oh so much this.

There’s this old, tired idea that riding is about control. That dressage is about making the horse submit. Taming the wild. Forcing precision.

But here’s the truth:

You don’t ride to break the horse. You ride so 𝑦𝑜𝑢 don’t break.

Because the horse isn’t the chaos. You are.

Your fear. Your tension. Your ego. Your overthinking.
Every crooked thought runs straight down the reins.
And the horse? He doesn’t care about your excuses. He shows you exactly who you are.

So you learn to breathe. To feel. To listen more than you speak.
You learn to hold your position in the storm.
You learn to ride into the fire, not to dominate it, but to survive it.

Dressage doesn’t make you perfect.
Done right, it makes you unbreakable.

Not because you control everything. But because you learn to hold your seat when everything falls apart.

It’s not about who you are when the ride begins, it’s who you are when you dismount.

06/24/2025

Lessons are canceled today, June 24. The heat index is going to be toi high to be safe for riding.

And, selfishly, I'm taking the day for 'pup-ternity' leave. 😁💕

Photo of Hazel, who is trying really hard to adjust to all of the commotion these last few days.

06/21/2025

✨The days that feel like nothing is happening…
✨The behind-the-scenes work no one claps for…
✨The quiet moments when you question if you’re even moving forward —

🙌🏽That’s the real work.
✨That’s where confidence is built.
✨That’s where connection is shaped.
✨That’s where your horse learns to trust, and you learn to lead with feel, not force.

✨Progress doesn’t always show up in spotlight moments.
It often shows up in stillness, in small corrections, in choosing to try again.

✨You’re not off track.
🙌🏽You’re just laying bricks — for something solid enough to stand on when the pressure comes.


🐎💫

06/20/2025

Our summer season is getting busy! Here is a list of events that we plan to attend for those who want to come watch:

June 27 & 28: Clinic with Olivia LaGoy-Weltz at Full Circle Dressage Stable (Linnea, Riley, and Kim)

July 19 : Schooling show at Uphill Dressage

July 26 & 27: TREA Almost Heaven Recognized Show (Kim and Solar)

August 16 & 17: Mountaineer Flight II Recognized Show (Kim and Geno)

August 24: Schooling show at Keystone Equestrian Center

We may add other events to this list. Let us know if you would like more information!

06/19/2025

I'm very excited to learn from Olivia again, and even more excited to watch two of my riders participate in this clinic! If you are interested in coming to watch, please let me know....this is a wonderful opportunity to learn from a very talented rider and instructor!

We are so excited to host Olivia LaGoy-Weltz at our Full Circle Dressage June 27th-28th. This has been a long time coming- finally having clinics again!! While the clinic is completely Full, we are opening this clinic up to auditors. We will have horses from green-beans, learning basic ground work, to horses entering the FEI!!
We will also have raffle baskets available and, as always, a fantastic lunch both days!!
Friday from 8:30-5:15 & Saturday from 8:15-4:30! Olivia is not just an incredible rider, she has a gift being able to teach riders of all levels - from fixing basic training holes, to improving your upper level movements by breaking down the information.
Keep checking back in with us for more information!!

06/16/2025

We have some scheduling updates for the next few weeks that I need to pass along.

My schedule will be different today and tomorrow. I won't be teaching after 12 today or after 3 tomorrow.

Hollie's puppies are due this week, so my lesson schedule will change as she needs me.

Machinery is scheduled to arrive this week for our various construction projects. While this shouldn't affect scheduling until the work actually begins, it is still something to note. Work on the outdoor arena is scheduled to begin next Monday. I'm not planning to cancel lessons for this....we will adjust as needed.

I am not planning to teach July 2. I'll talk to parents of my Wednesday riders to reschedule.

Thank you for being patient.

06/12/2025

You are not the missed flying change.
You are not the wonky shoulder-in, the judge’s 5.5, or the test sheet that looks like it was edited by a disappointed English teacher.

You are more than your mistakes, more than your failings, your failures, or your “shortcomings” (which, let’s be honest, often just means your horse didn’t feel like pirouetting today).

Your goals, your scores, your outcomes — they are not your identity.
They are data points. Not definitions.

When we start measuring our worth in percentages or ribbons, we risk turning something soulful and nuanced into a performance review with hooves.

Because at the core of dressage isn’t perfection — it’s partnership.
It’s showing up, rain or shine, for a creature that doesn’t speak your language but somehow understands your soul.

So breathe. Laugh. Cry if you need to.
But remember: the arena doesn’t determine your value.
It reveals your willingness to keep learning, adjusting, and showing up with grace — even when your inside leg is ignored like a politely worded email.

You’re not just training a horse. You’re sculpting a deeper self.
And that… isn’t something you’ll find on a score sheet.

06/12/2025

06/08/2025

OK, we all know it IS hard work, but improvement in dressage is about doing less and less over time, as your horse becomes more trained. It's so much more nuanced than 'work harder!!'.

Check the latest Parbery Podcast episode for a discussion on hard work and improvement in dressage 🎧