The Aerie at Riverside

12/13/2023

Another successful show for Team Aerie in the books 🐴 The girls tried their hand in some western classes & all did amazing (as did the horses!)

10/31/2023

Halloween party was a success 🎃👻 We had an obstacle course, pumpkin painting, bobbing for apples, a fire, a candy scavenger hunt, and lots of yummy food. Thanks to all our barn family who helped make it a fun night for everyone!

10/19/2023

Birthday lesson for miss Annie in the birthday tutu 🥳 the sky was feeling festive as well ❤️💜🩷

10/16/2023

Team Aerie had a blast at the Prairie Riders Fun Show this weekend 🐴🤗 It consisted of long days, late nights & very chilly weather but that did not stop everyone from having a great time & bringing home some wonderful memories & ribbons! It was Mckensey’s birthday and she came home the proud owner of a brand new saddle she won in the raffle- talk about a great birthday present 🥳🥳 It was some of the kids first shows (&horses) and everyone did amazing & cheered each other on ☺️ love the barn family we are building & here’s to many more show experiences for Team Aerie!!!

10/03/2023

Beautiful evening for lessons

08/24/2023

Important tips for keeping your equine friends cool in this heat!

Caring for horses during hot weather

-Quick facts
• Provide shade, airflow (use fans) and free access to clean water during hot weather.
• Avoid riding your horse when the combined air temperature (F) and relative humidity is over 150, especially if the horse is not acclimated to the heat.
• To cool an overheated horse, sponge it with cool water. Repeat this until the horse is cool.
◦ If near a water source, use a hose to spray the horse continuously with cool water.
• Contact your veterinarian right away if you suspect your horse is having a heat stroke.

Sweating is natural cooling

Horses normally cool themselves by sweating. The sweat evaporates from the skin surface and causes a cooling effect. Less sweat evaporates during times of high humidity. A horse that is working hard in a hot environment can lose 2 to 4 gallons of sweat per hour.

Horses can acclimate to hot and humid weather conditions. Air temperature and relative humidity affect the horse’s ability to cool itself.

Keeping your horse cool

Summer is a common time for heat-related issues but unexpected warm weather can add to overheating, especially if horses are out of shape and have long, thick coats.

Overheating can result from:

• Hot weather
• High humidity
• Poor barn ventilation
• Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight
• Excessive work
• Transportation
• Obesity

Here are some tips to keep your horse cool and comfortable during hot weather.

• provide free access to water
• reduce ride time and intensity
• provide relief from the sun
• consider electrolytes

Cooling an overheated horse

To cool an overheated horse (re**al temperatures above 103° F):

• Spray the horse’s head, back, neck, rump and legs with a steady stream of cool water.
• Repeat this continuously until the horse is cool.

You can add ice to the water to speed-up cooling for very hot horses (re**al temperatures above 105 F).

• Research shows using ice to cool a hot horse is safe.
• Ice baths reduce core body temperature and lower heart rates after hard exercise.
• Horses were also found to trot more freely after an ice bath.
• Don’t directly apply ice water over the hind end (large gluteal muscles). Focus on areas where the blood vessels are more prominent: head, neck, back and rib area.

Don’t place a sheet or blanket on the horse when trying to cool it. Blanketing will block water evaporation from the skin. Don’t blanket during hot and humid conditions.

Effects of heat on horses

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can result in heat stress, heatstroke and problems such as dehydration, muscle spasms and colic.

Acclimating horses to the heat

We recommend a 15- to 21-day acclimation period for horses from cooler or drier climates traveling to compete or reside in hot, humid climates. Acclimation increases the horse’s tolerance to heat and exercise.

You should still monitor the horse during training and competition in hot and humid climates.

Article from University of Minnesota

08/16/2023

Beautiful day to be spent on the back of a horse ☀️

08/15/2023

Happy birthday to our very own Miss Chandler! She had a fun birthday lesson in the birthday tutu on Maverick this morning 🥳🎁🎂🎈we hope you have the best day!

08/15/2023

Love when the older students step in to help the younger students! Pretty cute too when they are matching… 💖🌸🎀🩷 The older girls helped set up an obstacle course for the little ones & they all had a blast!

07/19/2023

Same jump, different horse 🐴 Rocky & Maverick take on cross country schooling last weekend 💪🏻

07/18/2023

For the last day of summer camp, everyone got to experience riding ba****ck while playing musical cones & some even got to experience some trot ba****ck! We also learned about cleaning stalls & water buckets (some of the kids were surprise that horse p**p smells, no way! 🤪) We made friendship bracelets, which was a huge hit- some of the kids sat in the aisle in the barn for 2 hours afterwards finishing their bracelets, so parents take note for a great activity to keep them busy! & then last but not least a super fun bounce house/water slide combo from Bounce Bros to finish off the day. We all had a fabulous time & want to thank everyone involved for making our first summer camp a success! 🐴 We can’t wait for next year!!!!

07/18/2023

Day 3 of summer camp was all about riding a pattern on horseback involving horse treats, backing up, halting and retrieving an item, turning a circle & all the ponies tried to help themselves to the treat bucket instead of participating in the pattern 😅We painted Sunny & Pedro who were very patient & tolerant given the fact they went from their normal solid color to a rainbow of colors. We tye dyed shirts (not pictured) which was messier than anticipated & finished with slip n’ slide in the arena!

07/17/2023

Camp day 2 consisted of Simon Says on horseback, learning about jumping position & the trot as well as posting, learning how to bathe a horse, decorating horseshoes for craft & then a wheelbarrow full of 800 water balloons (that was fun to pick up afterwards) everyone had a great day & the water balloon dodgeball definitely got competitive 😅 fun day!!!

07/14/2023

Camp day 1 was full of fun learning about mounting, dismounting, steering, woahing & going & everyone’s favorite around the world with a little bit of riding backwards 🤪 Miss Copper was a patient queen as the kids learned about horse body parts & stuck stickers all over her & then we all painted picture frames & made up an obstacle relay race that was pretty competitive. We also painted handprints on our water trough planter out front

07/14/2023

Andddddd that’s a wrap on summer camp ☀️🍉😎 We had the absolute best time! Camp photo dump coming soon- somehow this was the only full group pic we got because we were too busy having fun. Thanks Bounce Bros for providing an exciting last day surprise 🥳

07/06/2023

McKensey Teel (riding for her mom Lindsey) standing in the USHJA rankings this year so far!! Good luck at nationals this fall 🤩

07/03/2023

Horse show recap! There was many firsts for both ponies & riders and everyone did an absolutely fantastic job. It was a wonderful horse filled weekend 🐴

Hawk & Isabella had their very first show together placing 8th in their poles flat & 5th in their poles o/f class out of a competitive class. They also stole a 8th place ribbon in a large crossrail class with some homework to work on for the next show. For Isabella’s first horse show ever we are incredibly proud of her hard work, positive attitude & determination. Great job!

Chandler & Maverick had their first show together as well with a 2nd in their poles o/f classes & a 6th in their crossrail flat. Chandler has only had Maverick for 3 months and they continue to get better & better each ride 💪🏻

Sawyer & Maverick had a fun lead line class with a lovely blue ribbon & some bubbles as a prize. She is working hard to improve her posting & steering so she can show in poles at the next show!

Miss Sunday & Maverick rode away with a champion & reserve in the low jumper classes & incredible improvement for Maverick’s second show with us. He was feeling much more relaxed & confident and we are very excited for his future!

06/28/2023

Summer camp is almost here! Give us a call today to get signed up 512-779-2880 ☀️🍉🌻

06/27/2023

Hawk & Sebastian say “stop stalling & give us some treats!”

06/22/2023

Annie is one of our newest students! This is her second ride on Hawk & she is having the best time & gaining so much confidence each ride 💃 Give us a call today to get your kiddo signed up for horseback riding lessons & watch their confidence soar 📈

06/21/2023

We wanted to give a big welcome to the new guy at the barn, Mr. Shamrock aka Rocky ☘️ He’s a 3 year old Percheron/Morgan owned by Madi, Lady’s owner. We are so excited to watch Madi & Shamrock’s journey! 🐴

06/20/2023

SUMMER CAMP TIME 😎🍉⛱️Give your kiddos something exciting to do this summer and & have them join us for Horseback Riding Camp July 10-13th, 9am-2pm. What better way to burn some of your kiddos energy then out in the sunshine with friends & horses ☀️🦄Contact Sunday Mcclung for more info or to sign up at 512-779-2880. There will be a riding lesson each morning followed by fun crafts, horsemanship lessons, & water activities to stay cool! All levels of riding experience accepted, but kiddos must be 5 or older.

06/15/2023

Maverick getting a jump school today working on adding in the line instead of powering through. Still a work in progress but definite improvement! ❤️

06/13/2023

Birthday tutu was out to play today! If it’s your birthday at The Aerie you can bet we are going to put you in the birthday tutu for your lesson 🥳 Even Miss Sunday 😎

06/12/2023

Mr. Pickles getting some fun hair do’s from the girls 🤩

06/06/2023

Love this!

"To correct your seat and posture, imagine your pelvis as an old-fashioned goldfish bowl. To maintain your posture while you ride, keep the water in the bowl level. If your pelvis is tipped forward, the water will pour out onto the horse’s withers. If your pelvis is tipped backward, you will pour the water out onto the haunches." — Janice Dulak

🎨: Sandy Rabinowitz

05/24/2023

🤪❤️

05/19/2023

We have the best students that truly love horses & riding ❤️