European Riding Academy

01/29/2025

Psst, if you get stuck by Viewpoint on Foothill it goes through to Cedar Link…you can avoid waiting 20+ minutes for flaggger to let you through 🚙

01/01/2025

10/27/2024

EOH course ready for Halloween Fun Show on Sunday. Looks like the rain will have stopped by the time we get to that phase.
Fun to glance some previews of costumes. I shall try my best to get some pictures during first warm up of these creative costumes 🐴❤️🎃👻

10/22/2024

😂 it’s very difficult to take a picture of wings on your back and Isabella’s head too. 🤣

Today, I rode her through the WE course from Saturday, using wings on my back to make sure she will be ok with it during upcoming WE Halloween show. These will be part of B.’s costume 👻💕

She didn’t mind at all when I got her ready with these wings on my back. When I picked up the pole to carry it down with us, she did get a little worried. Obviously, the pole is more scary than the wings. So, of course, I did some whacky maneuvers on the ground first.

Under saddle, it only took a few minutes to help her relax, by giving her obstacles to focus on:
Double slalom: walk and trot ✅
Drums: walk and trot ✅
Trot pole/jump: walk and trot ✅
Bridge: ✅
Jug: ✅
Switch cup: ✅
Back Up L Corridor with bell: ✅
Rope gate: ✅ - she is fairly well patterned on that by now, both directions
Pen: ✅, even with TOH, walk and trot
Remove pole, spear ring, replace pole: ✅ just can’t keep a straight line yet, and only ride that one in walk

Rode it all left handed, as B. is left handed. I think they two of them will be doing just fine this Sunday ❣️🐴🎃

10/20/2024

Last EOH workshop before our Halloween show next weekend! 👻

Reminding all of many small details to achieve better scores, and once again, the importance of a proper line to approach each obstacle to set up one’s horse for success. One also must be mindful to not cross an obstacle line, which hasn’t been completed yet.

It was fun to see how each rider and horse combination tackled all 9 obstacles as if in a show. Some had excellent strategies between obstacles, others got themselves DQ’d, others still, simple made things too complicated, but most performed obstacles very well by then.

Most fun of all, I got to ride Cowgirl while teaching. She is an excellent demo horse by now. All Foto credits go to Cowgirl’s owner. Thank you!

10/16/2024

Isabella had a pedicure today 😆 Happy to report that her farrier Joe Joseph Jordahl said she is wearing her hooves even again and her shoulder seems normal. Thanks to her chiropractor Jim Shackleford 💕… it does take a small village, doesn’t it?

Later that afternoon I rode her very lightly, re-visiting some of the supplying exercises learned from Carol McArdle, especially those helping to lift her shoulders. Quick ride, mainly to supple and relax 🐴❤️

10/06/2024

Yesterday’s EOH workshop reduced from 7 to 4 students. So I saddled up Isabella to use as a demo horse for certain obstacles, which means, at some to show what to watch out for and to correct with fine tuned aids. Others, she was a great demo horse to use.

We practiced the pen, spear ring, back up L, figure 8, 2 pole side pass, and a small jump.

Good old Page is a good example for “slow and steady wins the race”. He surprised owner how well he did on side passing with just a few small corrections. 😘
Lil Bit turned a lil bit stubborn on the side pass, had rider dismount to show her from the ground and then ride it again. That worked. She also surprised her rider how high she can step up to just walk over the jump. 😆
Cowgirl is doing it all fairly well, biggest challenge is not to let her do it on her own! We also discovered a strong imbalance the rider has to work on her part to avoid haunches falling out in circles 🙃
Roxy is like “been there, done that”, riders biggest challenge weren’t so much the obstacles as the correct approach and forward trot in between 😁 once we put them all together.
At that point riders got to choose to either trot or canter in between. Saw some very good up transitions. And we all discovered riding correct down transitions is more challenging, yet very important for next obstacle performance.

Isabella also parks very well and for the group picture at the end of class she entertained us all with the whip in her mouth 😂

09/22/2024

Great class today, actually went even better than expected. 🐴💕

Everyone was kept busy, teaming up two by two to work each obstacle precisely. What is better than learning while having fun?!👏

All the horses did very well, even Isabella!!! 🥰

Then towards the end, putting all 6 obstacles together, trotting in between, keeping in mind best line of approach and not to cross an obstacle that hasn’t been completed yet. Next time, we will add the canter too ❤️

Pictures are from that part of the class as I was way too busy before that point.

09/21/2024

Excited for tomorrow’s EOH workshop. We will be learning the specifics of 6 obstacles with 6 riders.
Our Halloween Show 🎃is just around the corner and I’m not sure who is more excited, the riders? Or the instructor? 😆❤️🐴

09/15/2024

My crew enjoying their morning turn out 🐴🥰❤️💕💙

07/02/2024

As of today, we have availability for boarders, who like to join our happy place at Majestics Stables:

2 stalls with runs, full care includes turn outs in the mornings and picking out hooves on way back in, shavings, mucking, hay, fed twice daily, and supplements prepared by owner. Feed room and tack room.

3 two-horse paddocks and 1 single horse paddock, these are partial care. Owners muck themselves. Hay always included

We have a covered arena, an outdoor arena with newly added sand, two round pens and an L-shaped obstacles arena, besides almost 40 acres to hack around on, wash racks, 2 inside the barn, 1 outside, plus some hitching posts.

Trailer parking available too.

Interested to join our amazing barn community? Call Dagmar for more details and an in person tour to see if we are a good fit at 541-210-4820. Leave a message or text when I’m unavailable to answer.

06/28/2024

Day 4 of camp was putting things together we practiced these past 3 days into a little drill team fun pattern.

Lil Bit got a bit crumby not being able to keep up with Isabella, whose walk and trot are naturally more forward. It took A. a bit by surprise, and she had to learn how to ride more proactive to make needed changes to keep with the pattern of the team.

That, however allowed Tango to not fall behind Lil Bit, as that might make want him to canter to catch up, a skill for young A. to practice on longe line a bit longer first.

Marie was surprisingly content to bring up the rear, literally close to Tango’s rear at times. Since these two horses are best buddies, C. doesn’t need to worry about it and just focus to keep her moving. It’s great to see her trotting with such confidence.

P. is getting very comfortable on Isabella, developing a good trust relationship with this young horse, that still can act unpredictable at times. Like shying away from a feather in the wind or today, the p**p bucket being placed in a different corner. Isabella has come a long way, she just made a quick, small circle and then came right back to reassure herself that bucket wasn’t going to eat her after all. 😂 All the other horses just stood and waited for her.

We bathed and hand grazed the horses while learning about body parts. Little C. surprised us all with her knowledge.

At the end, we got to practice the safety know again.