Spotted Creek Stables

08/13/2024

08/09/2024

💥💥💥💥💥

A cowgirl will either find a way to make things happen or make one... ➕✖️🇺🇸

📸PC:

07/17/2024

North American Reining Stakes/SERHA horse show went great despite the torrential rain and the muggiest/hot weather I’ve been in, in a long time.

Ice In His Veins (Tupac) performed wonderfully for me on Saturday’s Open placing top 5 in the Rookie Pro and earning a paycheck. I was super pleased considering how huge this show was. ☺️

Codified Mob Boss (Tony) went into the Futurity Friday night like it was nothing. He gave me all he had for the level of training he is currently at. Super proud of this little guy. ❤️

Looking forward to the next show!

06/27/2024

💕Valentine💕

Valentine is a 14 year old grade gaited mare. I feel she leans towards a Rocky Mountain/Walking horse cross. She trail rides really good, alone or with a group. Can ride in front, beside, or behind with no anxiety.
Suitable for any rider.
No kick, bite, buck, or rear. Has no vices like cribbing, weaving, or pawing. She stands tied cross or single. Up to date on shots, coggins, and farrier.

*she does have a knot on the left side of her neck, it is nothing to worry about. Vet checked.

She is located in Maiden, NC
Priced accordingly.
Please message, text, or call for more information!
704-488-1017

03/20/2024

🍀🍀We are horse show bound! Headed to SERHA March Into Spring show. Wish us luck! 🍀 🍀

02/21/2024

Miss Valentine is coming right along in the program! This 13 year old Rock Mountain Mare has a cute flat walk with shape to boot!
She will be available to purchase in the near future. 😊

01/18/2024

🔥🔥Ranch Versatility Prospect!🔥🔥

2021 AQHA/APHA Dun Gelding - “Show Me Sumthin”- Bear 🐻

By Show Your Guns out of a mare by West Coast Whiz.

Please message or call for video, information, and pricing!
(704)-488-1017

Located in Maiden, NC

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas to all my wonderful
clients and followers! If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love!

With much love,
Paige

12/14/2023

Happy National Horse Day! ❤️

11/30/2023

Yesterday’s wind was crazy and the horses weren’t even phased by the leaves hauling butt across the arena. 🍂🍂

11/24/2023

🎁 💜 💥I have a HUGE but SMALL favor to ask. 💥💥

On this Business Page Spotted Creek Stables

Go to the 3 little dots on the side of page, Hit “invite friends”

Select "invite all" & done

You've SUCCESSFULLY supported my Small Business for $0.00 and less than 30 seconds of your time. This is also a good way to keep up with our weekly post.

Thank YOU for supporting small and local buiness.

(Copied) but wanted to share as this is an amazing way to help us small business owners! 💕

10/13/2023

Miss Athena! This gorgeous girl came to me in December 2021 as a yearling. Started groundwork/ground driving to under saddle in no time. She’s a great presentation of a Friesian/Percheron cross. She’s doing wonderful in her next chapter in life of driving!

As always, thank you Montana Canter Photography for taking such wonderful pictures of the horses. ❤️ and Tyler LaBauch for trusting my program with your girl! ❤️

07/24/2023

🎉🎉Congratulations on the new owners of Queso! He has found a wonderful home! 🎉🎉

⚡️⚡️Great Barrel Horse Starter Prospect ⚡️⚡️

7 year old, 16 hand grade quarter horse gelding. Queso started his early life with the barrel pattern under an NBHA rider but was sold to a lesson program as he didn’t have what was needed (1d/2d). He was rode around English and Western, primarily doing trails, obstacles, barrels, jumping, and whatever else he was pointed at. Queso loves kids and a kind rider! He prefers someone who is confident and knows what they want from him. He doesn’t buck, rear, or bite, he just gets insecure when his mouth is snagged on. Queso would make an excellent starter barrel horse for a kid, young adult, or adult looking to get into it. He loves the pattern and definitely has the drive!
He stands tied all day, either single or cross. He’s bathes and grooms quietly. He stands for the farrier great. He does require front shoes as he can get sore barefoot. He is up to date on shots and coggins.

Queso is located in Maiden NC.
He is priced mid-high 4 digits.

07/12/2023

⚡️⚡️Super cool prospect! ⚡️⚡️

“Johnny” is a 17 month old half Quarter Horse and Friesian cross stud c**t (being gelded 7/12/23). He stands 15 hands and is jet black. Very correct legs, great feet, and a good mind. He cross ties, stands for farrier, grooms, and baths.
Johnny is a natural mover at all gaits. He would excel nicely in a program for dressage, either English or Western. Would make a nice versatility horse.

Priced mid-high 4 digits.

If interested, please contact Paige with a text or call at 704-488-1017

06/28/2023

Tuesday vibes 🥰😎 #

03/25/2023

A little late posting but here are a few pictures from the HDRHA show back in January! Ice In His Veins was a good boy for our entry in the Novice Horse. Had a couple bobbles but he showed so well. 💜

03/13/2023

He sure is a fancy c**t! ✨✨

01/14/2023

It was a beautiful day giving a few lessons off of my stallion! Good job, girls! They may have the reining bug now. 😉

12/02/2022

Don’t ever tell me anything with horses is easy. 🤣 This is AM feeding (close to 60 horses between stalled and pastured), 47 stalls cleaned, an assembly line of 4 horses tacked and ready to throw a leg over for training sessions (I have 2 other training horses and couple more coming 😁), 2 lessons (groundwork and riding lesson), turning out, and concluding with PM feeding. Does anyone want a job cleaning stalls? 🤣🤣

I’m not complaining at all! I love my career and I’m extremely fortunate to do what I love. ❤️ Just makes your body ache a lot. 😉

10/27/2022

Can’t wait to swing a leg over this cutie 🥰 Tony is by Electric Code and out of a mare by HF Mobster. He’s super athletic and so good minded. I love starting babies ❤️

10/15/2022

For my fellow barn owners/ trainers out there!

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

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