Alicia Swinton Equestrian

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!