Alicia Swinton Equestrian

03/08/2025

Girth length explained! I get this often....people think our girths are too long because they use ones too short. Here ya go!

02/14/2025

🩷

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01/18/2025

This!!!

"When the nosebands are looser when this trial begins, I would earnestly ask that judges take in an impression of the horse using their right-side brain functions, using feelings and impressionistic capacity, to see if the horse is happy and relaxed. The judges may see more horses with slightly open mouths and relaxed mobile tongues. They may see soft chewing of the bit. They may even see the horses’ teeth a little..."

With the FEI clamping down on tight nosebands this year, Kerry Mack takes a closer look at why the new rule has come about, the importance of regulating noseband tightness, and how the new rule may affect judging...

Read more: https://www.equestrianlife.com.au/magazine/issue-108/clampdown-on-overtight-nosebands/

01/11/2025

Teach students where THEY are at.
I get it- instructors think they are going to save their students time and agony by teaching them “right” the first time… (and I’m not saying the alternative is to teach them wrong, but rather, I understand where the mindset comes from.) But you can’t teach beginners to use advanced aids, just like you can’t pick up a canter on a horse getting their 5th ride with the same set of aids you would use on a Grand Prix horse.
You have to teach students that there is a process, and then teach them to trust the process! 

For instance, I teach beginners not to pull back to steer, but to point both thumbs where they want to go! We steer with our eyes, and both hands, and our belly button. But someday we are going to step into the inside stirrup, and use our seat to send the horse into our outside rein, and steer our horse with inside leg to outside rein connection.

Another for instance, is that I teach green riders to set in a little bit of a chair seat, and ride with hands quite wide, thumbs practically pointing out. This prevents leaning forward, anterior pelvic tilt, tight immobile hips, constant subconscious pulling backwards, looking down, twisting the wrists, and other common issues that beginner riders often run into. It’s so easy to put them in a more elegant position later! But in the beginning, I just want them sitting deep and their hips moving with the horse, and hands soft.

When we first start talking about bend, I’m not horribly picky. Get ANY bend!! I’ll take anything: lateral poll flexion, ribcage bend, or even lateral bend at the base of the neck (which later down the road, we don’t want much of). Once the rider is starting to get something, we will talk more about where the bend is coming from.

One of the hardest things, as an instructor is knowing how far down this path you can nudge your Rider. I have some students that do best if they know the next couple steps. It helps them recognize the importance of the step they are on. But I have other students that if I tell them too much about the progression, they overthink and shut down and can’t help but feel like they should be further along

12/04/2024

Written by Amy Skinner "When you pay for a lesson or training, you aren’t buying an hour of my time. You’re paying for thousands of hours of sweat, struggle, success and tears. You’re buying injuries, mistakes, and revelations. You’re buying nights awake thinking about a horse or student I need to help more, thinking about what could be bothering a certain horse. Searching on the internet about possible medical causes for certain behaviours. You’re paying for the time i spend updating owners late at night about how their horse is doing. For the emotional toll it sometimes takes on a trainer when an owner is dealing with big emotions. You’re buying hours of hauling hay, mucking stalls and grooming, of carefully checking your horse over like It was my own. You’re paying for my further education, because i still take lessons as frequently as possible. You’re paying for my care, concern, over dinner conversation, and you inevitably become a central part of my life.
You can’t put a price on education, or personal development, or the bliss of finally being “with” a horse. Thank you for sharing with me, teaching me, and letting me teach you, while I put food on my table and hay in my barn with the most fulfilling job ever. "❤️

11/07/2024

This! "Delete, block, unfollow for your own mental health"
Can't agree more that the path less taken in taking your time with the horses.🩷

I think that one of the most unhealthy things that we do as a society, and especially in the horse industry, is compare ourselves, our lives and our progress to the next guy.

I’m guilty. I used to do it, too.

I used to think my horse was “behind” because I was focused on the basics - stretching, transitions, straightness, building confidence, growing our relationship, etc. And other horses the same age were pumping out upper level movements like they were going to the Olympics as 6 year olds.

Let me tell you, all that liberty work, cross training, hacking, stretching, etc. that I did (and still do) was well worth it. My horse is stronger - physically, mentally and emotionally. She’s solid, confident and only getting better by the day. Those tests movements are not a problem.

Enjoy the journey with your horse.

I don’t know what the other guy is doing anymore.

It’s none of my business.

Delete, block, unfollow - for your own mental health.

🌻 Cara

📸 Max & Maxwell: Equestrian Photography

09/04/2024

Great show! Thank you!

Photo! Looks like Team Alicia Swinton had a good run at Pacific Equestrian Center Show #5!

High Points:

Eventing: 76.563 USEA Eventing, Beginner Novice Test B - Alyssa Fenstermaker on Furst Romantic

Open: 70.441 FEI Prix St. Georges - Natalya Slipchenko on Fortunatto EDI

AA: 70.571 USEF Second Level, Test 1 - Michelle Pappone-Beedy on Louisa

Western: 73.333 WDAA Level 1 Test 2 - Lucia Dizon on CFF I Told You So

Please add any photos to this post from Show #5!!!

08/18/2024

I can't help falling in love with all of the products! I love working with innovative, creative, and forward-thinking companies like Majykequipe. They produce great products that help protect our partners in all 3 phases, using materials that won't trap heat or irritate your horses skin. Thanks for being a part of team ASE majykequipe!🇺🇸

Pictured is the Ergonomic fleece jump pad with custom shims, ergonomic 'superhorse' monoflap girth with neoprene FREE liner, and 4 set of dressage sport boots. DM me with questions! Alicia20 will get you 20% off your next order at Majykequipe.com
Shoutout to Artistic Equine Studios 📷 magic🥰

07/02/2024

Is it just me, or does this picture make my horse look big?😅....
Touché rocking the combination at Twin Rivers!

07/22/2023

LATE POST!⬇️
Some pics of twin rivers! All the team did amazing and learned some great lessons in how to manage your horses in the heat!
Maya Burke placed 7th in her division on Luna. These two are a pair to be reckoned with. Kennedy placed 3rd on Gigi in the Novice ending on her dressage score and 2nd in beginner novice also ending on her dressage score with Atticus. Addi M did her first training level and I couldn't be more proud! This girl has overcome some obstacles, and they will be a pair to watch!
Claire continues to grow with Scooter and completed her 2nd event at starter! I couldn't of made a better match with horse and rider. These two are the best together! Addi D and Leo continue to impress and grow! They placed 4th in a large starter division ending on their dressage score! And tank had 2 unfortunate rails cost us our top 3 ribbon but he continued to grow up and become so much more rideable! This horse never says no, and will be a true eventing star moving up the levels!

07/03/2023

The is HUGE! Why we teach horsemanship lessons and why I truly believe they are vital to an equestrians journey ⬇️

03/22/2023

I am lucky.

I have fallen. I have been kicked. I have been stepped on. I have been bitten.

I’ve had falls that could’ve and should’ve caused permanent injury.

I’ve had falls that have broken my fingers, wrists and hands and continued to ride through such injuries.

I’ve had falls that could’ve gravely injured me and robbed me of the very job and activities that bring me so much joy.

I had one fall in particular, a few years ago, where I landed so hard I thought I may have broken my back. Every fall before this, I had been able to just get up and go catch my horse. This time, when I tried to get up, the pain was so sharp I had to take a knee. I felt like I was going to be sick.

Since this fall, I’ve had back soreness and body soreness issues. My low back, hips and knees are not great.

Recently, I had an MRI. I was expecting bad news, but instead I got good news.

I am lucky.

I have beaten up my body and needlessly put myself and horses in dangerous situations that are entirely avoidable and could be made so much safer just by training with more patience and thought.

I could’ve robbed myself of a lot of longevity and caused permanent injury.

But, I am lucky.

That luck has made me consider what it would’ve been like if I hadnt been so fortunate.

If these injuries had caught up with me.

Oh, the anger and frustration I would feel.

Others are not so lucky.

Others are still actively endangering themselves doing the same things I once did. Being applauded for it and told they’re gritty and brave.

It isn’t necessary. It isn’t worth it in the long run.

We don’t need to endanger ourselves as riders to the extent that is normalized.

Horses can be dangerous on a good day, but far too often in training and care, us humans throw gasoline on that figurative fire and create situations that are much more risky than needed.

Safety is cool.

Patience is cool.

Not injuring yourself is cool.

We can be safer. We can stress horses out less. We can preserve our bodies more and we can yield the same results or better just by taking a step back and relaxing.

We don’t need to create dangerous situations in the name of training.

You can train to avoid such dangerous situations.

And your body will thank you.

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Learning resources: http://MilestoneEquestrian.ca/resources

Webinars: https://milestoneequestrian.ca/shop-milestone

Patreon: http://Patreon.com/sdequus

10/07/2022

Tank loving his beamer and nebulizer sessions before showing

07/31/2022

Twin Rivers 6/2022 ASE team all top placings 🏆

07/31/2022

Twin Rivers HT 6/2022
Sarah and Mojo ⬇️