Trails End Equestrian Center

07/26/2024

A small stab in the heart is what you feel when you put up the day's riding list and you see riders sinking heavily in their shoulders when reading which horse they are assigned for the lesson. A small stab in the heart for that horse that for an hour will carry around a rider who has already decided that he does not like his horse. A small stab in the heart for the horse that did not choose the rider himself but still does his best, lesson after lesson.

Riding is a privilege and something you have chosen to do. If you chose to ride at a riding school, your instructor assumes that you actually want to learn how to ride. The instructor's highest wish is that you get good at it.

Often there is a plan and a thought as to why you are assigned to that exact horse. Before you mount up next time, ask yourself "what can this horse teach me today?" All horses have something to give, a feeling or a new tool in the box.

The art is actually in being able to get a lazy horse to move forward, to get an uncertain horse to gain confidence, a naughty horse to focus or a tense horse to be released. It takes work. If you think a horse is boring, it's more likely that you don't ride the horse as well as you think! It's not easy to be confronted with your own shortcomings, but it is in that very situation that you get the chance to truly grow as a rider.

The excuse that "it's not my kind of horse" is actually a really bad excuse. A good rider can ride any kind of horse. A good rider has trained many hours on different types of horses to become a good rider. A good rider can find and manage the gold nuggets in every horse.

If we absolutely want to ride, it is our duty to strive to do it as best as possible, even if it's only for fun. We owe it to every horse that carries us upon it's back.

Copied and shared with love for all of our horses, ponies and riders 🐎❤🐎

07/05/2024

Thank you Darla Lee! What a pleasant surprise! Thank you for such amazing customer service! We love our Easy Tags!

05/26/2024

04/27/2024

🍀 Level 1 Championships 🍀
Congratulations Suzanne Sue Scruggs Rogowski and Sleepy Ever After! Finalist in the Level 1 Select Western Pleasure! Great Ride!!!

04/24/2024

Congratulations to Brooke Pitts and Invy my Chrome on her 10th place finish out of 74 entires in the Level 1 Amateur Hunter Under Saddle. Great ride! 🦕💚

04/23/2024

Congratulations Isabella Stanley and Who Said Im Lazy 4th place in the Level 1 14-18 Western Riding and 9th in the Rookie Youth Western Riding! Congratulations on a great ride!

03/17/2024

02/27/2024

♥️

🦄All Hail the sacred lesson horse!🦄

“One of my biggest frustrations in this industry is the lack of understanding and consideration for the role that lesson horses play. So often, I see riders complaining about lesson horses for a huge variety of reasons: for their perceived lack of quality or value, for having to ride one they don’t like, for not getting to ride the one they do like, for their trainer not having enough lesson horses, or for the lesson horses not being available at their convenience when their personal horse is out of commission. I’ve dealt with all of the above and I know I’ll continue to do so, but I think it’s important that people understand the reality of lesson horses, and that’s that they aren’t here for your kid to ride forever and climb the levels with your one or two lesson a week commitment. They’re here to get you started, safely and productively, while you decide just how far you want to take this.

Lesson horses are incredibly special creatures. They have to be easily caught by beginners who don’t know how to properly approach a prey animal. They have to stand like statues on the crossties while tiny kids take the better part of an hour to get them clean. They have to hold their head still while beginners jam the bit into their teeth for the fiftieth time in a row to put the bridle on. They have to stand still at the mounting block while someone stands for too long with all their weight in the left stirrup and then slams down on their back with no consideration for their comfort. They tolerantly teach riders who are unbalanced, uncoordinated, and unclear, who catch their mouths and bounce on their backs and kick at their sides, and every single time, they are expected to just come again without so much as a swish of their tail or pinning of their ears. And any time one of these horses has a moment where they act like a regular horse or force the rider to really ride, they’re labeled annoying or rude or bad or lazy or whatever.

Lesson horses are not intended to take you up the levels and jump big jumps and win all the classes. If these horses were this beginner-friendly and this tolerant AND the hack winner with an auto lead change, you couldn’t afford them! That’s not to say these horses can’t be winners if you ride them well and pull your weight, but their ability to win in the show ring is not where their real value lies. Lesson horses exist to bring new riders into the sport. To teach them the ropes and get them started, lay a foundation and prepare them to make a bigger commitment to the sport by leasing or purchasing the next step horse. Lesson horses are not responsible for chasing your Olympic dreams for you. They’re responsible for getting them started in the first place. For riders to act like a lesson horse isn’t valuable because he isn’t the winner in any company is ignorant and unfair.

Every horse you ride has something to teach you. Whether it’s the crotchety old school pony who likes to root when you’re not paying attention, or the younger lesson horse who will only pick up the right lead if you ask *just right*, or the ultra reliable skip-change king, they all will add to your toolkit that you can one day apply to the fancier model you get to take you to the next level. Don’t forget about all the lessons you learn along the way and remember that without lesson horses, you wouldn’t be riding at all!”

Written by Jeanette Arnaout

**Thank you so much for all of the shares!! The fact that this took off the way it did shows that people love and appreciate their lesson horses, as they should!! If you wish to share my words with your own photo, I would really appreciate being given author credit **

02/18/2024

Hitting the pen in 2024 is Brooke Pitts
and Envy My Chrome aka Zeke! We are thrilled that Zeke will be staying with us! Watch for Brooke and Zeke in the Novice and Amateur Hunter Under Saddle, Equitation and Showmanship! 🦕

02/18/2024

We’re so excited for this new team to hit the show pen!!! Look for Suzanne Sue Scruggs Rogowski and Sleepy Ever After aka Ember in the Novice Amateur Western Pleasure and the Select Western Pleasure and Miranda McIntosh in the Level 1 and Sr Western Pleasure! 😴😴😴

02/18/2024

English Tack and Riding Apparel Online at Equus Now! Shop English horseback riding tack and rider apparel in store and online!

01/29/2024

Trails End is in search of a riding instructor to add to their staff. Ideal candidate will be capable of coaching beginner/intermediate/advanced lessons. Candidate should be capable of teaching western and english on the flat disciplines and have an understanding of stock breed horses. Must be a knowledgeable horse person and a team player. Would be working in conjunction with other instructors and facility owner. Come be a part of a growing program with wonderful clients!
Please PM or call/text if interested 937-470-2228.

01/21/2024

Congratulations Addison Stanley!!!

01/19/2024

01/16/2024

01/15/2024

WAY TO GO! Great job Dawn Marie!!!!

01/09/2024

What a wonderful three days we had at winter camp! We had repeat campers and new campers! We look lots of lessons, learned about horses, played games on horse back and made horse crafts! We thoroughly enjoyed the kids! Here’s a little video of Lynix demonstrating English and Western riding on Fruitloop, her pool noodle horse she made at camp! Great job Laurel Peiffer, Mariah-Ann Crawley and Miranda Sams- McIntosh! Enjoy the video!

01/02/2024

In the spring of 2022 Isabella Stanley walked into my barn with a hunt seat horse named Huntin For My Coat. They stayed that day. Soon after we started showing. It didn’t take me long to figure out that quiet little girl had a competitive fire inside her. She gives me and her horses her all every single ride. I always tell the joke that I could tell that kid to sit trot and walk off and come back three hours later and she would still be sit trotting. Her work ethic is unmatched.

In January 2023 we started with two new horses. Walk N After Midnite for the hunter under saddle and Who Said Im Lazy for the western pleasure. We quickly realized Indy was going to be a pretty sweet horsemanship horse and we went to work. As the year progressed it became very apparent to me that chasing the Honor Roll title for both her horses as a thirteen year old was well within reach. So in the words of Dr. Seuss “Oh the places you’ll go! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.” CONGRATULATIONS Isabella! What an amazing finish to your 13 and under career! We are all so very proud of you and the boys!

(Unofficially)
Isabella Stanley and Walk N After Midnite
2023 AQHA Youth High Point Champions Hunter Under Saddle

Isabella Stanley and Who Said Im Lazy
2023 AQHA Youth Wester Pleasure High Point Champions
2023 AQHA Nov Yth Western Pleasure High Point Champions
2023 AQHA Rookie Yth Horsemanship High Point Champions
2023 AQHA Nov Yth Horsemanship Reserve Champions

Jeff Stanley
Amber Stanley Doug McIntosh Addison Stanley
Miranda Sams- McIntosh

12/26/2023

She Sure Is Good
2014 AQHA Mare
Absolutely stunning mare available for an in barn show lease! Bellini can win the halter in the morning and win the pleasure in the afternoon. She is ready to go in the horsemanship and started in the showmanship. Located in Moraine, Ohio.
Call/text Miranda at 937-470-2228.