Chasing Dreams Equestrian LLC.

06/30/2025

06/29/2025

Horse of the Month Contest - July Edition!

This month, we're celebrating the land of the free and the home of the brave. 🇺🇸💥 Whether your horse is a fireworks fan (or just loves the BBQ), we want to see their star-spangled spirit! Show off your horse’s patriotic pride by sharing a photo of them decked out for July 4th. (Ideas: USA flags, red, white, and blue bandanas, patriotic hats, or saddle pads) the more creative the better chance of winning.

ALL 3 STEPS MUST BE COMPLETED IN ORDER TO ENTER:
❤️ Like this post
🔄 Share this post (set to public so we can see that you shared it).
📸 Comment below with a photo of your horse decked out for the 4th of July.

🏆 One lucky winner will be selected to receive a $50 gift certificate to Saddlers Row AND the honor of being our featured horse of the month for July.

Let’s flood the comments with photos of patriotism, horsepower, and independence! 🇺🇸

06/28/2025

06/25/2025

06/25/2025

https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/training/controls-american-riding-system-30688/

Understand the levels of control and the different stages of contact to produce connected, ground-covering, efficient strides.

06/24/2025

Since April we have been handing out the following cards* in the hopes that we would have already been moved in by now. Unfortunately, our move has taken a little bit longer then expected. But, we are sooooo close to moving in now, like REALLY CLOSE!

So if you have one of these cards*, don’t worry about that July 1 expiration. We’ve extended it to September 1 so you can still use it once we open our new location.

Thanks for sticking with us! We can’t wait to welcome you in! 💙🐴

*This image is just a sample, and cannot be used. You must bring the actual card you received from us at check out to receive your discount.

06/23/2025

Definitely hard canceling lessons for 5 days but the horses have to come first. Lots of bucket filling and cold hosing. Twice the work with zero income but ‘Tis the life 😕❤️

06/23/2025

Shovel first, conquer later. 💪

06/22/2025

06/21/2025

*** LENGTH OF SCHOOLING SESSIONS ***

Following my post from this morning, about Johnnie only working for 15 minutes, as he worked so well, I thought I’d give my opinion on how long horses should be worked for. This is my opinion. It is based on both my experience and understanding as a rider and horsewoman, and my knowledge as an equine vet with 12 years’ experience.

My horses are never, ever, schooled for longer than 30 minutes. This is more than enough time to achieve something, and if you haven’t achieved your goal after 30 minutes, it’s unlikely that you will by plugging on for longer. This 30 minutes includes my warm up, and a couple of short walk breaks.

I haven’t really had lessons for many years, but when I trained with Jennie Loriston-Clarke, and then more recently with Olly Barrs, their lesson times are 40 minutes. This includes warming up and warming down. Frequently, they wouldn’t go on past 30 minutes. Horses learn by repetition, not by grilling them for an hour at a time.

Horses also break easily. They damage ligaments and tendons. Yes, this is often unlucky and frequently caused by a sudden twist in the field. But it’s also frequently caused by too much schooling, especially if the surface is deep, or uneven. Proximal suspensory ligaments are not designed to take the weight of a horse in collected work for hours. Once a PSL is damaged, you are often looking at a lengthy rehab, or surgery to cut the nerve that supplies it (neurectomy). That is not to say that every horse with PSD has been overworked, before I offend anyone!

Horses break more easily when they are tired. A tired horse is more likely to trip, possibly resulting in ligament or tendon damage. Muscle needs some degree of fatigue to condition it, but not to the point of exhaustion.

A horse’s brain also breaks easily. Fatigue can also be mental. Granted, some horses’ brains don’t take much to break, but if a horse becomes stressed or can’t work out what you are asking him that day, then take a 24 hour break, and go for a hack, or just lunge the next day. Or give him a day off.

Most horses will be fit enough for their job, without being ridden 6 days a week. The main issue with lower level competition horses, is that many are fat. Exercise is a great way to get horses to lose weight, true, but not without reducing the amount of grass or hard feed they are receiving. Schooling a fat horse for an hour, will cause joint, tendon, and ligament problems in the long term. Find hills to slowly jog them up, or even walk them up, if you are wanting to exercise more to help with fitness and/or weight loss. Don’t school them more. Trotting endlessly around a flat arena isn’t really going to help with fitness.

If you are going to school, then add plenty of variety. Make sure the horse is working from behind, and not dragging himself along on his forehand. If you don’t enjoy schooling, you will be more inclined to switch off and trot endless 20m circles. So go for a hack first, and then just do ten minutes of intense schooling when you get home. That will keep both human and horse brains fresh!

This is an enormous topic, and it would take me days to cover it all, so this is really a brief summary. Keep schooling sessions short and productive, and if the session is going wrong, take a break!

Photo is of my wonderful Harold, on his lap of honour for winning the Advanced Medium Regionals, to qualify for the National Dressage Championships, a good few years ago now!

Feel free to share.

06/20/2025

Chasing Dreams Equestrian has a few board/training and Shareboard spots available! We have an active show team that competes in everything from local schooling shows to AA’s. Great trainers and great school horses as well as wonderful facilities with tons of amenities! Reach out to schedule a tour and/or trial lesson!

06/19/2025

Loving the new Ariat rain coat from Saddlers Row! The embroidery is elegant and classy! Perfect timing for the storms yesterday and today!