Hamilton Equine Services /SMG Performance Horses

01/13/2025

Hotti is the MVP of teaching lessons, she's the starter horse for everyone who needs to learn softness of hands, quiet legs, balance in the seat and confidence, because she will take her sweet time making laps in the arena when a student is new and not work one ounce harder than their confidence pushes her too.

When we do alternative lessons, I try to invite riders who I know absolutely love this, who dont have access to horses at home, and who ARE ready and SAFE for the challenge and who will hold it together emotionally when things are not controlled, like in the arena. Enough confidence and saddle hours are always taken into consideration.

I know some feelings will still be hurt. But we will keep doing these so everyone will get out here when they are ready and I have the space and time

This cool chic is one of my younger students, she's been with me I believe for around 8 or 9 months. I know she started when Jerrik was screaming in a back pack one lesson 🤣
And I thought for sure they were never coming back !

She wrestles and rides horses. She's got a great attitude about being coached, she listens so well for her age and retains information. I love how she is never afraid and if she is she works very quickly through it emotionally. Yesterday to see the smile on her face and hear her tell me " this is so much fun " is one of the most rewarding things about this job.

01/13/2025

Here is another lil gal that started with me around 2 yrs ago also. She went from timid to owning her own horse!!
She's been nothing but awesome to coach and help guide. She balances 2 sports, and has excellent grades, along with riding darn near weekly.
I see this gal definitely having horses as an adult !
Made me very happy to pair her with a consignment horse/training horse that really fit the bill for her and her family.

01/13/2025

This little girl has been a total joy to coach and teach. We have head on challenged fears and self doubt and today on our trail ride, she was looking out for another riders safety because her own riding is so second nature.
Picture 1 was lesson number 1 in 2023 at 10 yrs old
Picture 2 today at 12 yrs old.

I have watched so many students go from quiet grade school kids to adults and it's sad and rewarding at the same time ❤️

01/12/2025

Lessons learned long and hard in the horse business as a barn owner..

1. It's easy to fall in love with your customers. They become a family who you spend a lot of time with. However, in the end they will do what's best for themselves. And, for you and them, those paths may not be the same. Prepare to get your heart broken. Keep business and personal relationships separate.

2. People will not always trust in your experience and will second guess you. They will think they know better because they read it in a book, or saw it online. Don't try to be all things to all people. Do what you are good at. Run your barn in a way that you can sleep at night knowing that you did right in your mind by them and their horses. The clients opinion of that may be different than your beliefs, but you have to live with choices that leave you at peace. That may mean confrontation, hard conversations and even asking people to move on for your own peace.

3. Horses are easy 99% of the time. It's the people who come with them that make things complicated.

4. Remember that horses need to be horses.

5. People will always judge you, and have opinions. The better you are, the more haters will have opinions.

6. Success isn't measured by ribbons and show placings. It's measured in happy animals and the quality of their lives.

7. There is always an exception or quirk that doesn't " follow the rules" in horse care. Do what works, not what the books say works.

8. When you get annoyed by seeing somebody's car pull in to the barn, it's time to let that person move on. Your barn should be a happy place. It literally only takes one bad sour apple to ruin the whole atmosphere and dynamic in a barn.

9. Let it go.... if someone moves on don't be upset by it. Ignore what they say. Don't take it personally. Every barn is not a good fit for every person.

10. This is a business. If a person or horse isn't working for you, or the compensation isn't offsetting your cost, it's time for them to go. The exception to this is your retired horses, see #11.

11. Horses only have so many jumps, so many runs, so many rides. Don’t waste your horses. Teach your students they aren’t machines. You owe it to your retired horses to have a safe, comfortable and dignified end. Your schoolies worked for you. When the time comes they can no longer do that, either give them a pleasant retirement, or put them in the ground where you know they are safe. Do not dump them at auctions or onto other people where you are not 100% sure that they will be cared for.

12. There is no shame in euthanasia for a horse owner. Always better a week too early then a second too late. Do not judge anyone for their reasons for doing this.

13. Most clients fall Into two categories. Those who are "high maintenance", open in their opinions and will confront situations head on. The second is the quiet type who will not say a word and will not openly talk with you about their expectations or issues. You have no idea they have a problem until it's too late. The people in between these two are the clients you want. They will be long term and make life easy.

14. Know your worth. KNOW YOUR WORTH. Your time and experience has a monetary value. Don't do things for free, even if you like the person. Every bit of time or effort you give to clients has value. So when you don't value your effort, neither will a client. They will come to expect "freebies", which always leads to resentment from someone.

15. Be honest. It's not always easy. But in this business it takes forever to build reputation and seconds to destroy it.

16. Remember horses are dangerous. Always use your best judgment and air on the side of caution when working with horses and students. Their lives and your own life can change in an instant.

17. Get paid up front. Keep good records. People don't go to the grocery store and ask for food they will pay for next week. Good business practices keep everyone honest and sets boundaries for clients.

18. Normalize passing on price increases. Service industries, especially ones like ours always "feel guilty " when raising prices. You are not there to subsidize someone else's horse habit. Prices have been going up on costs, so should your fees.

19. The buck stops with you. Your employees mistakes fall back to your responsibility. Always verify and check on important care aspects of daily activities.

20. Make time for family and rest. Too many of us get burnt out from the stress of expectations in this industry. In the end, boarders and students come and go. Your family is who you will have left.

Thanks for reading my thoughts. I hope it can help support some of you feeling burnt out, and maybe help some people who are starting out in their journey into this industry.

Written by Rhea Distefano

01/09/2025

So many people are talking about the Protection Act. But if you haven't signed the petition you're part of the problem.
We as horseman have huge numbers. Do not be complacent in this! Please, if it passes we won't have an easy time going back

This is a safe link and location to sign

Government agency overreach has been rampant for decades, and the USDA is a principal offender. Animal extremist groups infiltrated the USDA to push their anti-animal agenda, and the recent amendment to the Horse Protection Act (HPA) reflects this influence. For the last 14 years, our staff has work...

01/09/2025

The weather has been anything but helpful the last 4 weeks. It's been a challenge to get rides in around the wind, RAIN that just wouldn't quit and then thr standing water.
I have managed to push through and we improvised and got the horses out on the trails so they didn't sit to long and lose to much condition.

Looking forward to longer days and prettier sunny skies

01/06/2025

I try to bring more awareness to bridle fit, it's just as important as saddle fit and bit choices

01/04/2025

Where do we live again ???
The desert right? Not the west side ?

We have a backhoe coming and some drain ditches going in, to divert water to our lowest pasture.

01/03/2025

Did I need to waste 30 min braiding the ponies mane after trimming him, No, No I did not. But I did it anyhow because it makes the little girl in me happy 😊
Jerriks future pet lol

12/21/2024

Believe it or not that's my new favorite jam / Jumpin by Pitbull 🤣
Riding horses on a sh*tty rainy Saturday

12/20/2024

Horses and people. We all have our duties

The Qoute

12/19/2024

12/16/2024

One thing I think we can all take away from this year’s NFR is if it’s your time to win you can’t be stopped. If it isn’t your time to win there isn’t much you can do to change it, it’s simply just not your time. When it’s your time you can’t seem to do anything wrong, things just fall into place, it’s meant to be. When it’s not your time it seems like you can’t do anything right no matter how hard you try. This is not a lesson in luck. This is a lesson in patience. You have to put in the work even when it’s not your time. So you are prepared when it is your time. So you can capitalize when things go your way and you get your chance. But the true winners are made when things aren’t going their way. When they’ve tried a thousand times, a thousand different ways and keep coming up empty handed. But they keep trying and they keep working, these are the moments that separate the greats from the goods. So the next time you feel like everyone else is getting their chance but you, just remember how much work they put in to get their chance and how much heartache and disappointment they went through behind closed doors. We don’t get to choose when we get our chance but we do get to choose how prepared we are when we are finally called upon to rise 🙌🏼.
-OT

12/13/2024

I will never again complain about the 12 I get to stuff each day, at this point i think I would change careers

Emily wins meal prep!! Wow! 🙌🏼💪🏼

12/12/2024

Blanket washing and repairs almost wrapped up for the 2024 season......
I have serviced more than 300 blankets this year, since Jan.
My wrists and hands are ready for a break