GaitWay Stables

GaitWay Stables GaitWay Stables offers boarding, riding lessons, camps and birthday parties in Hillsborough.

Come on eventers!
09/04/2024

Come on eventers!

๐Ÿด Calling all eventers! We know you have been busy with AECs and getting ready for Five Points, so we have pushed out the deadline for the Tim Bourke Clinic registrations until 9/15.

Auditors - sign ups are open! This is going to be a great clinic; get a discount signing up early to audit rather than waiting til the day of. ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

https://www.eventcreate.com/e/timbourkeeventing

Two beautiful horses left the physical world today.  Vesta, my sweet, fiery girl that taught me so many lessons.  She ta...
08/21/2024

Two beautiful horses left the physical world today. Vesta, my sweet, fiery girl that taught me so many lessons. She taught me how to slow down, to listen, to watch with soft eyes, and patience. She led me to my new path of training and to one of my best friends in the world, Helen Marie Ingersoll. I watched this mare go from fiery and emotionally bothered, to soft as butter with children, especially Miss Sadie Turner. I watched Mariah Waters fall in love with Vesta and Vesta love her right back. The bond these two formed was something very special.

Now onto our other angel that passed today, Sullivan. Sullivan has been in my life since 2011 and has been Journey's best friend since then. Sullivan brought Suzan Seaman Hamilton into my life and she eventually became Sully's owner. Sullivan was a part of my lesson program at 3 different barns. He always struggled with his lameness in his body and at the end we just couldn't keep him pain free. My memories of Sully are of him eating whole clementines, donuts, and even a hamburger! Of braids in his beautiful mane and his love for being pampered. Thank you to Gabriella Hulsey for loving him over the last year and for understanding what his body needed.

It was beautiful to see so many people show up to say goodbye to Vesta and Sullivan over the last several days. GaitWay Stables is so lucky to have these beautiful horses, but our horses are also lucky to have our wonderful clients.

Rest in Peace sweet angels. May you spread your wings and fly high.

I've been thinking a lot the last week after a colleague made a big announcement about a change she is making in her car...
07/11/2024

I've been thinking a lot the last week after a colleague made a big announcement about a change she is making in her career and the financial future this industry is facing. I have been thinking a lot about what people are looking for in their riding, meaning why do they do it and what they expect in return from their trainers, horses, and the industry in general.

Two years ago when I moved GWS to our current location, I decided it was time to have a mission and vision statement. With some coaching from my friend and colleague, Helen Ingersoll, I came up with what is written below. It goes beyond riding a horse for just the riders satisfaction, or for a ribbon, or for a score. It is about relationships with your horse, your community, your trainer. While I hope that I am constantly pushing my students to be better in their riding and horsemanship, I really hope I am pushing them to be better people. To think critically, to have compassion, to put others before themselves within boundaries, to follow through with their commitments, and to know when to realize something isn't working and needs a change.

This past weekend I took two students to War Horse. The temperatures were awful, I mean really awful. I was concerned about the horses, the riders, my dog, the parents, and myself. I didn't have to worry. My mission and vision statements came through. The students showed great horsemanship, always putting their horses first to make sure they were comfortable. They showed how having positive intentions that are focused on the horse vs scores/placings, had a positive impact on their scores. Through the judges comments is was clear that she could see the work that we've been doing and of course the work that needs to continue.

๐™ˆ๐™ž๐™จ๐™จ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ ๐™Ž๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ข๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ: ๐˜›๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ท๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ง๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฑ๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ด. ๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ด ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฑ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ, ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ฉ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ธ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜บ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ค๐˜ช๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ, ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ค๐˜ช๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ฆ: ๐˜ฅ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ด๐˜ข๐˜จ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ. ๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ด ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜ฉ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜ณ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฑ๐˜ด ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ด.

๐™‘๐™ž๐™จ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ ๐™Ž๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ข๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ: ๐˜—๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฅ๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ต๐˜ด. ๐˜—๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ต๐˜ด ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฅ๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฑ๐˜ด, ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ. ๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜Ž๐˜ข๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ž๐˜ข๐˜บ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜จ, ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ, ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ฆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด, ๐˜ฃ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜บ ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฌ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ด ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜ณ ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฌ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜ช๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ.

I am going to highlight my lesson horses over the next several months.  We are going to start with the horse that has be...
06/12/2024

I am going to highlight my lesson horses over the next several months. We are going to start with the horse that has been with me the longest -

Journeyman's Houdini

Journey is my first homebred. He was born on May 27th, 2003, which also happened to be my 24th birthday! Yes, this very special horse and I share a birthday. Journey has been apart of every lesson program I have taught for. He has evented with me and a TON of students. He has competed up to 1st level dressage and has been an intro level packer for so many riders. He has done hunters, jumpers, hunter paces, parades, and drill team.

In 2019 he gave Ellie Balakrishnan her first horse trials. It was a very hot day in July, and while I was concerned about the heat, Journey proved to all of us that his sporty little self wasn't going to be held back by some silly heat index. He flew through the course (a little too fast - shush, don't tell Journey that๐Ÿ˜œ). He and Ellie had such a wonderful partnership. We were all looking forward to their future. About a month after we came home from War Horse, Journey has a health crisis. After many months of very weird symptoms, lots of tests and theories, we finally ended up on neck arthritis. Such a "simple" diagnosis, but he wasn't present in any of the classic ways. After seeing the xrays and ultrasound, we decided that Journey would be retired from competitive jumping. This broke my heart, as the joy Journey had for jumping was infectious. We continue to allow him some jump schools, but never over 2'.

Thus began our dressage journey (no pun intended!). I decided to use quality dressage to rehab his neck. To help make his whole body feel better. I was able to show Journey successfully at training/first level, and then I put him back in the lesson program slowly.

Journey is now our Intro/training level packer. He is amazing. He tries to hard for his riders. Over the last year, Journey has had the pleasure of having three lessors, all riding various level, but all who truly respect and love my boy. He has given confidence to all three of these riders at competitions, clinics, and just schooling at home.

It has been such a pleasure watching Journey gracefully enter his senior years. He looks amazing. He is a joy to be around and holds everyone accountable to his status of a stately professor!

This horse has been with me through so much of my adult life. I owe him everything. He owes me nothing, but yet, he continues to give himself everyday to me and my students.

Thank you Journey for being your amazing self. We all love you very much!

Happiest of birthdays to our head trainer  and her horse Journey. Amy was out of town today but we made sure Journey got...
05/28/2024

Happiest of birthdays to our head trainer and her horse Journey. Amy was out of town today but we made sure Journey got his very own cake and ample love๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’™

05/16/2024

GaitWay Stables (Hillsborough, NC) is hiring for 2 positions.

Position #1 - Barn Help (16+, must have their own transportation)
I have multiple evening feed shifts that need to be covered (Monday PM or Tuesday PM, Thursday PM, Sat PM, and Sun PM). PM shifts are 2-2.5hrs and usually start at 5, but I am flexible on the start time. Pay is by the shift and depends on skill/experience, ranging from $35-$40 per shift.

Position #2: Instructor
We are looking for a part-time instructor to teach beginner through adv beginner English riding lessons in our expanding lesson program. We need someone to teach Mondays or Tuesdays, Friday, and 1 weekend day. Individuals must have teaching experience, have significant English riding experience (preference given to dressage or eventing) and must have a desire to learn and teach our philosophy. Pay is hourly and depends on experience and how much responsibility is taken on within the lesson program. This is an area that could grow into something more.

Please send PM or email [email protected] if you are interested.

05/02/2024

ISO lesson horses!

05/02/2024

ISO two horses for our lesson program and show teams. We focus on dressage and eventing. This is a wonderful opportunity to get your green horse/pony out showing with kid mileage or for our older horse that still needs a job, but is maybe past his prime. Please see details below.

#1 - 12.0-14.2h suitable for beginners through adv beginners. Would be wonderful to find a pony that is solid w/t/c started over fences. Age does not matter. I love the idea of an older pony. Reasonable maintenance is fine. Lease only - budget $350 per month.

#2 - 15.2-16.3 suitable for adv beginners through intermediate riders. W/T/C, started over small fences. Would really love to find something with eventing experience, but also ok with greenies with good brains. Reasonable maintenance is fine. Open to any breed, but love the QHs, ISH, Connemaras, or TB crosses. Not opposed to a full TB with a good brain. Lease only - budget up to $400/month.

A+ home with references available. Please contact me through messenger or email ([email protected])

Today I got to help give one of my boarders horses the gift of euthanasia. You might ask how euthanasia is a gift? Well,...
04/27/2024

Today I got to help give one of my boarders horses the gift of euthanasia. You might ask how euthanasia is a gift? Well, it is merciful to end suffering or to prevent it from happening. While this is a sad part of my job as a barn manager, trainer, owner, friend, I am honored to be able to help both human and horse through this process.

Let me tell you a true story. . .

Meet Belle and her horse, Enzo. Belle, who is 18yrs old, has been one of my students for 4 years now. Enzo would have been 7yrs old tomorrow, April 27th. He was a beautiful thoroughbred that Belle bought when he was 4yrs old. For the first 1.5yrs Belle owned Enzo, he riding consisted of basic w/t/c and some light jumping. Belle was dedicated to the body work and the groundwork. She did all the things. He got chiropractic work, massage, saddle fit, adequan, all the things, but something was just not quite right. We couldn't constantly get the left lead canter and he started getting fresh on the landing after a jump. Then his feet started doing really weird things. He always had a strange lateral flare on the LF, but even with good hoof care, it got worse. It started to get to the point where I was worried about Belle's safety.

Then I heard about ECVM (Equine Complex Vertebral Malformation). A good friend of mine had a horse that had been recently diagnosed and aged much conversation and research, I suggested we get Enzo evaluated. The xrays confirmed bilateral malformation of C6/C7. Along with kissing spine, along with a malformation of the vertebrae behind the kissing spine. We did shockwave and rested, he was worse under saddle. We did more shockwave,, he still wasn't great. We'd had him evaluated at NC State for kissing some surgery, but he wasn't a candidate because of the malformation behind the kissing spine. Throughout this while time, he was getting restorative bodywork working on straightness and proprioception exercises on the ground. Nothing was working, he was getting worse.

Of course this was devastating for Belle. Enzo was her first horse. So many hopes and dreams. However, she put Enzo first and retired Enzo, at the too young age of 6yrs old. Then over the winter Enzo started showing neurological signs. Very slight, but they were there. He started tripping, less aware of his spacial surroundings. Then in early spring, he started being very aggressive at feeding time and grouchy towards his herd mates. Then the tripping got really bad. Then there was the day that he trotted up for grain and trotted right into me. He had no awareness of his body. He started having trouble with balancing for his trims. The list goes on.

Belle came to me and said she thought it was time to say goodbye. She didn't want Enzo to suffer and we both felt we were getting to that point. So today was the day. He went quickly and so peacefully with Belle right by his side. Stroking him, comforting him the whole time. Knowing that it was the right decision, feeling grateful and at peace, but also so, so sad.

I am so proud of Belle. Through this whole ECVM diagnosis, she has put Enzo first. She did the hard work. She showed up for Enzo even when it wasn't fun. I'm honored to have walked this path with Belle, as her mentor and trainer.

RIP Enzo
April 27, 2017-April 26, 2024

We love you Belleโค๏ธ

What a weekend!  We had an amazing stadium jumping clinic with Chris Moore on Saturday.  The topic was how to course wal...
04/15/2024

What a weekend! We had an amazing stadium jumping clinic with Chris Moore on Saturday. The topic was how to course walk, observe the environment around you, and mentally prepare yourself for you round. I was so impressed with Chris' calm and supportive demeanor, as well as the focus and receptiveness my students showed. Each student was presented with their own challenges and made improvements from round 1 to round 2. Thank you Ashley Holland (riding Penny), Maya Dardess (riding Max), Charlotte Turner (riding Handsome) and Mariah Waters (riding Quinn) for participating in the clinic. I am proud of each of you!

Thank you to Chris Moore and his lovely wife, Rose Moore, for being flexible, supportive, and collaborative. I can't wait for future clinics!

Thank you Ellie Balakrishnan and Nikki DeLuca for the awesome photos!!

We had an amazing clinic with Coach Daniel Stewart (Pressure Proof, Pressure Proof Coaching Academy) this past weekend! ...
03/07/2024

We had an amazing clinic with Coach Daniel Stewart (Pressure Proof, Pressure Proof Coaching Academy) this past weekend! Riders were mentally challenged with fun, yet hard, riding games that made them think strategically under quite a bit of pressure.

The sports psychology seminar on Saturday gave all the riders so many tools and strategies to help them through not only riding challenges, but also life challenges. The Sunday fitness bootcamp was also very informative, fun, and challenging!

Thank you to our GWS riders, Maya Dardess, Sadie Turner, Gabriella Husley, Eloise Fiore, Ashley Holland, Belle Sousa, and Sarah Gonzalez for participating! And another thank you to Daisy Trull, Ella Trull, Miranda Levin, Jordan McKenzie-Solis, Amberly Lawson, and Faith McDonald for also participating. It was so much fun getting to know you all!

We hope to have Coach Stewart back in December 2024!

๐Ÿด๐ŸŒŸ We're looking for part-time weekend help at the barn! ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸดAre you passionate about horses and looking to earn some extr...
01/01/2024

๐Ÿด๐ŸŒŸ We're looking for part-time weekend help at the barn! ๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿด

Are you passionate about horses and looking to earn some extra cash on the weekends? We're hiring for the PM shift, with a commitment of 2-2.5 hours per shift, offering $35 per shift. The responsibilities include typical barn chores such as feeding, mucking stalls, distributing hay, ensuring water supply, and more.

We're seeking individuals with prior experience working with horses. If you love spending time with these majestic creatures and have the necessary skills, we'd love to hear from you!

If you're interested or know someone who might be, please send us a private message for more details. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of our barn team! ๐ŸŒพ๐ŸŽ

This is an excellent description of what I talk about in almost every lesson i teach!
09/26/2023

This is an excellent description of what I talk about in almost every lesson i teach!

Letโ€™s talk about the difference between rhythm and tempo. I hear these words used incorrectly all the time, and itโ€™s more than just a nit picky thing to correct. Itโ€™s a very important concept to understand.

Rhythm (in dressage) is the footfall of the gait - 4 beats for walk, 2 beats for trot, and 3 beats for canter.

Tempo is the SPEED of the rhythm. You can discover your horseโ€™s ideal Beats Per Minute (BPM) for each gait.

A huge moving warmblood and a tiny Shetland pony have the same rhythm in trot, but they have VERY different tempos.

If you have a RHYTHM problem, you have a big problem. If the walk is lateral (leaning towards 2 beats rather than 4), or the canter is a 4 beat canter - this is a big problem. Could be a physical issue with the horse, but you will need good help from a pro with a rhythm fault.

Most riders have a TEMPO problem - too fast, too slow, too varied. Ideally, the tempo should be like a metronome - steady and reliable, and YOU have to set it for the horse. (Side note - itโ€™s super easy to download a free metronome app on your phone and ride with one. It will be seriously annoying to find out how NOT steady your tempo is ๐Ÿ˜‚. But itโ€™s very helpful to discover your horseโ€™s BPM for each gait and try to stay steady.)

The rider has to be like the conductor of the orchestra - you SET the tempo for the horse, but you donโ€™t play all the instruments. Tell your horse how quickly (or slowly) to march in walk, push in trot, and jump in canter. Then leave him alone and only adjust when that tempo goes too fast or too slow. You have to be a quiet, feeling rider to notice immediately when the tempo begins to slow down or speed up too much.

Illustration by Susan DiFelice Design

07/28/2023

We just want to give a HUGE shout out to our trainer Amy Brumbach! She pulled off a fantastic festival for the NCDCTA last weekend held at Portofino stables in Clayton. It was a three day event with top clinicians, lectures and of course vendors and food! This was the first of its kind and hopefullly not the last. Also we want to thank the other board members and volunteers who helped Amy get this massive project off the ground. Well deserved all around!

07/17/2023

4 days away!! Festival Program is now out! Come on GWS peeps, buy your tickets and support our very own riders: Lea Dardess, Sierra Isley, and Mariah Water!

06/21/2023

GaitWay Stables (Hillsborough, NC) has a few openings in our summer camps! Horse Skills Camps and Competition Camps - we have something for all levels of riders. Please PM for more information or check us out @ www.gaitwaystables.com

Tentative Schedule Announced!
06/21/2023

Tentative Schedule Announced!

06/07/2023
Come out and support our GWS riders at the dressage show this weekend!  Ellie / RhythmCharlotte / RicoLea / MontyBelle /...
05/31/2023

Come out and support our GWS riders at the dressage show this weekend!
Ellie / Rhythm
Charlotte / Rico
Lea / Monty
Belle / Max
and last, but certainly not least - GWS Chicago will make his yearling debut!

If you are a GWS client, look for the email I sent with information. If you are not a GWS client or didn't get the email, please message me for information on our ride times

Ok Ya'll, how much better can it get than this?!?!?!  Come out an enjoy this awesome festival that NCDCTA is planning an...
05/05/2023

Ok Ya'll, how much better can it get than this?!?!?! Come out an enjoy this awesome festival that NCDCTA is planning and earn USDF University credits!

The NCDCTA Equine Festival has also received recognition through USEA as an Affiliate Educational Program!

BIG NEWS!!!

The NCDCTA Equine Festival has received accreditation
๏ปฟwith the USDF University Education Program!!!

This program gives recognition to USDF members who strive to continue their education, and accreditation for educational events. Certificates and diplomas are awarded annually to members dedicated to education. Attending the event is worth a maximum of 3 credits.

NCDCTA Equine Festival - July 21-23, 2023
Portofino Equestrian Center, Clayton, NC

The deadline to apply, June 1st, is fast approaching!

https://www.eventcreate.com/e/ncdctaequinefestival

Leslie Morse Dressage Portofino Equestrian Center NCDCTA (NC Dressage and Combined Training Assoc) Phillip Dutton Eventing USDF Region 1 Dressage Today The Dressage Foundation

2023 NCDCTA Equine Festival - July 21-23 (www.eventcreate.com/e/ncdctaequinefestival)Come on Eventers!! Sign-Up!Also, sp...
04/22/2023

2023 NCDCTA Equine Festival - July 21-23 (www.eventcreate.com/e/ncdctaequinefestival)

Come on Eventers!! Sign-Up!

Also, spectators - get your tickets! This is bound to be an exciting clinic to watch!

Come on GWS gang, join the fun!!!Get your applications in to ride if interested!
04/05/2023

Come on GWS gang, join the fun!!!

Get your applications in to ride if interested!

Our Event Website is now live!
We will update the website on a regular basis so check back often.
Visit for information on ticket sales, rider applications, schedule of events, shopping, and more.

-Tickets on sale NOW with early bird discount Apr 5th-June 30th

-Rider Application - NOW OPEN (closes May 30th)

For more information visit:
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/ncdctaequinefestival

For those of my students that have trouble with the walk to canter transitions.
04/03/2023

For those of my students that have trouble with the walk to canter transitions.

Find the timing for walk to canter departs. ๐Ÿ‘‡โฐ ๐ŸŽ

As a rider, we need to time our aids for canter with the moment the outside hind leg lands on the ground, since that is the leg that will then push the horse up into canter. (R hind for L lead, L hind for R lead.)

In the trot, the outside hind leg lands at the same time as the inside front (diagonal pair), so this is an easy timing to figure out. If you are on the correct diagonal, this would be when you are UP โฌ†๏ธ in your post. This is why we sit the trot before a canter depart. Try saying, โ€œNow, now, nowโ€ฆโ€ for a few strides, watching when that inside front leg lands, or as you are up in your posting, and then continue saying it as you sit and ask for canter in the same timing.

In a walk to canter, we must also time the aid with the outside hind landing. But itโ€™s a little harder to feel the exact moment in walk, until you get experienced. The easiest way is to look at when the outside shoulder of the horse is ALL the way back. The outside hind will land right as that outside front leaves the ground. So watch the outside shoulder as it comes ALL the way back, and say, โ€œNow, Now, Nowโ€ฆโ€

You will time your canter aids with that timing. My canter aids are usually - inside leg at the girth, outside leg comes back, and I half half my outside rein. Then as I move my outside leg back, my inside seat bone swings forward for canter.

Practice finding the timing before you ask for the canter. You can make much smoother, more balanced departs this way!!

03/29/2023

Mark your calendars! Don't miss this Festival!

Address

7206 Schley Road
Hillsborough, NC

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Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Friday 9am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 5:30pm
Sunday 11am - 8pm

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