Harmony Mountain Equine

10/21/2024

What an awesome weekend with these Hags and their Nags!!! Intentionally limited to four participants, each rider gets the ‘one on one’ they seek for a safer ride, and better relationship with their horse. Looking forward to another ‘Hags with their Nags’ clinic next Spring. Stay tuned🤠

10/17/2024

Our two newest boarding horses….both famous! Hope on the right started in Magnificent Seven…and comes complete with trick training🤠 Thoda in an Icelandic Pony who I’ve already fallen in love with. She’s the first I’ve ever met and I must say…very cool! I always wanted to meet one!! Welcome Hope and Thoda♥️

08/08/2024

OLD NAGS AND THEIR HAGS
“Knowledge/Wisdom”

We don’t “bounce”… we “splat”! Our four-legged friend is from “Mars” and we are from “Venus”? After childcare and adult responsibilities, my horse loving skills have gotten rusty. “Old Hags and Nags” is a three-day clinic that is designed to restore your confidence and provide the knowledge and wisdom necessary for a safe and enjoyable relationship with your horse. Topics of discussion: The intelligence of these wonderful creatures, a horse’s learning patterns, teaching techniques and how to build a meaningful bond with your horse. Students will learn Natural Horsemanship ground games (to identify a horse’s personality) and riding “tools” that nurture sensitive communication and safe rides. This informative, fast-paced, fun, workshop, is scheduled October 18-20, and is limited to 3-4 students. Lunch is provided and the fee is $375 per horse. For more clinic information or possible lodging, contact Pete Dillingham at (770) 289-2569 Harmony Mountain Equine

“Why throw fate to the wind”…. temper a horse’s loving passion with “knowledge and wisdom”!!

07/09/2024

We first saw this photo 3 years ago, when a perspective boarder, Deb Edwards visited Harmony Mountain Equine. Little did we realize how much her interest in mounted archery would contribute to the diversity of this barn. For the past two years, Deb has brought internationally recognized Equine Archer and instructor Elizabeth Tinnan to our barn. Deb has single handily promoted and organized these popular clinics. Ms. Edwards has now added another gift to Harmony Mountain Equine’s “quiver” of archery events. Recently, she orchestrated a practice session for Ms, Tinnan’s mounted archery students. For those interested in enrolling in Elizabeth’s next clinic November 1-3, signing up for these practice sessions or just observing this fascinating sport contact Deb Edwards at (850) 685-9014.

07/04/2024

Riders Bee-ware
In the Southeastern regions, bees and horses seem to start doing the “tango” around the first week in July, and end their fancy dancing around the early part of November. The potential harm to horses and riders can be reduced significantly with good organization and communication. When traveling on a trail with a group of horses, the bees generally will attack the third or fourth horse in line. If this happens, that rider will usually feel their horse do one of the following things; stomp the ground hard with one of its legs, flash its tail very quickly, aggressively rub its face on its front leg, kick at its belly, or possibly kick up its back legs. When any of these unordinary actions happen, the rider on the bee-stung horse should clearly and loudly yell “BEES!”
Persons in front of the bee stung horse should quickly trot their horses down the trail. Riders behind that area should try to move back. The object is to keep horses from being crowded together near the bee’s nest (that’s when most kicking injuries occur). Once the bee-stung horse has room, the rider should trot (a frantic steed moving at a canter is physically more capable of “bucking”) their horse from that territory. The group left behind should find a detour route. Once out of the danger zone, check for hitchhiking bees on your clothing or the horse’s mane or tail.
In 1993, my wife and I hit 28 bee’s nests on different trail rides. With the exception of a few bumps and bruises, we had no injuries. It could have been a lot worse if we didn’t have an alarm system, and people willing to use it. This is a wonderful and safe time ride if riders will bee ware.

06/29/2024

Friends forever! This out-of-state duo, Tammy Linback and Lori Williams, has just completed their second annual, monthly visit to Harmony Mountain. Our pastures and and apartment rental have been the springboard for a horsemanship refresher course, rides in our WNC paradise (Dupont and Pisgah trails) and trips to East Fork/South Fork in Tennessee. Tammy and her horse Polly are returning to their Utah home this week. Lori is heading to Wisconsin but is leaving her horse, Alibi, here for a summer “tune up” (discouraging Alibi’s “snack-a- sauruos” attitude, desensitizing the mare to the companionship of a dog on the trail, refining leg/weight communication, maintaining trail conditioning). We will surely miss these longtime friends…..but a June 2025 conversation has already begun.

06/24/2024

Recently, Pete conducted a semi-private, “Bringing You and Your Horse Together” clinic, with Kathy Bortz and Shirley Saxton. Topics in this fun filled, fast paced and informative event included; horse psychology (equine learning patterns), Natural Horsemanship teaching methods, ground games (“respect my space”, ground tying, circling, introduction to liberty), “safety nets” under saddle (conventional stops/weight, emergency stops), riding refinement (leg/weight) and ways to help humans and horses avoid emotional “meltdowns” (anxiety, anger, frustration). These gals left with “saddle bags” full of knowledge and big smiles!

06/17/2024

Betty Hamilton
Sun, May 26, 6:29 PM





"Dear Pete, it’s hard to express how much I have enjoyed working with you…I am more confident…. I understand my horse better….. our relationship has grown. Thank you for everything! Betty Hamilton"

There are no stereotypes for a horse lover, except our God given desire to partnership with these creatures for life! Betty’s infatuation began with childhood horse statues, books and dreams. Her “hands on experiences” started with summer camps, flourished with several equine ownerships throughout her adult live and is presently spending “golden years” with Fiona, a spicy little Paso. However, when we “read between the lines” of Betty Hamilton’s passion for horse we see a parent of two children, an outreach coordinator for a non-profit organization servicing needy women and children, an elementary school teacher and a dulcimer artist whose group has played with the Ashville Symphony Orchestra. We all are uniquely different but uniquely the same.

“Pete, I have so enjoyed working with you, Fiona is a horse I can now enjoy riding! My confidence has grown, I now understand my horse better and our relationship has grown. Thank you for everything! Betty”

Betty Hamilton is a grandmother, former teacher, she plays a mandolin in an orchestra…..and like you and me she was born with a passion called “horse lover”. Scattered throughout her years since childhood, Betty has been with horses. Several years ago a health issue (not related to horses) took her live on a detour and she and her horse, Fiona (a fancy footed Paso) had to “sit on the sidelines”. When returning to the saddle horse and rider realized that they needed a refresher course on communication.

05/30/2024

We had such a wonderful weekend hosting the Mounted Archery Clinic conducted by Elizabeth Tinnan!! She did an amazing job teaching the students how to shoot, desensitizing horses to shooting, having students shoot off their horses!! So lucky Elizabeth has agreed to return the first weekend in November. Mark your calendars!! Special shoutout to our boarder Deb Edwards for all the hours and hard work it took to plan this event!!

05/30/2024

05/28/2024

One of our boarders horses went to a retirement pasture so we have one stall available. Boarding available: indoor/outdoor arenas, half turnout, 12x12 box stalls with automatic waterers, several hot and cold wash stalls, climate controlled tack room with Bathroom, round pen, 15-20 minutes from Pisgah and Dupont forests, Natural Horsemanship trainer on sight. Drama free environment! Harmony Mountain Equine. (770) 289-2569 or (678) 315-5611.

04/15/2024

Boarding available: indoor/outdoor arenas, half turnout, 12x12 box stalls with automatic waterers, several hot and cold wash stalls, climate controlled tack room with Bathroom, round pen, 15-20 minutes from Pisgah and Dupont forests, Natural Horsemanship trainer on sight. Drama free environment! Harmony Mountain Equine. (770) 289-2569 or (678) 315-5611.