Equine Services by: Ajia

08/16/2024

We were country before country was cool. But it’s still cool that so many of my favorites are “going country!”

F-1 Trillion out tonight at midnight

07/22/2024

In the performance horse world we talk about “mental toughness” in a competition setting… I think we should shift the conversation to “mental surrender.”

People brag about competitors having “ice water in their veins”…how would your mindset change if you embraced the fact you’ve got the Holy Spirit in your veins? THE spirit of almighty God living on the inside of you working through you.

The need for control is what stirs up anxiety- let it go…invite His presence in that space.

The best sports psychology advice ever written can be found in the book of Philippians:

Philippians 4:6-8
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

2 Tim 1:7 amp
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

A “sound mind” is focused on what God says about your circumstances. A sound mind produces sound emotions, a sound mind produces sound decision making.

To me having a good competitive mindset comes from intentionally realizing the presence of God. The sanctuary that I can take with me whether I go.
Nerves create tension and resistance.
Tension and resistance create mistakes and bobbles.

Being at peace and focused creats fluidity and smoothness. Smooth is fast.

07/14/2024

Burnout
A lot of people ask me about burnout.

The truth of this sport is it’s not really all that fun. In fact, if you want to be competitive, it really boils down to discipline.

Now I’m not saying don’t enjoy it, but to get to the top of any sport is hard. If you talk to a pro athlete, it’s a lot of work for them too.

After working all day, sometimes the absolute last thing I want to do is ride. So here are some things to help keep the clarity:

•Know why you’re doing what you’re doing.

I have implemented a rule for myself where I ask “why” I’m doing something I don’t like, and if I don’t have a good answer… I stop doing it. For example: why am I riding naughty two year olds? Because I like how they feel when I’m done with them… even though I don’t like it lol. That’s a good enough reason for me to push through.

•Seek help if you get stuck.

There are wayyyy to many resources these days for someone to get stuck! Reach out and get help. Even Olympic level riders have trainers.

•Good tunes 💯

This one saves me. I can usually push that much harder if I just tune it out with my favorite playlist.

•I start with my hardest first lol

I know some people do this the other way around, but I like to get the bad kids over with so I enjoy who’s left. lol

•Have good goals.

This is one I live by. Seek what you speak until you see what you say. Have levels to your goals, smaller goals, medium goals, large goals, along with weekly goals, monthly and yearly goals. 5 yr goals and 10 yr goals.

•Set deadlines.

This is probably the most important one. Hold yourself accountable. Set specific shows you’re training for, associations, year end, etc. >BE TRAINING FOR SOMETHING<

•Find the boundary between struggling to success and knowing when to cut your losses.

This ties in to getting help… but don’t listen to every fb Karen there is and make life altering decisions. Make sure you take your advice from someone who is doing what you want to be doing or competing at the level you want to be at. There are a lot of people out there who will try to squash you. Don’t let them. Find someone you trust to give you an honest evaluation. Remember, even though this sport is hard, you still should enjoy many parts of it. You should see glimpses of success.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again, many of my lofty goals carry to the next year. That doesn’t make anyone a failure. So keep pushing my friends!

📸 Attached is a picture of my two yr old, I promise after working all day she is the absolute last thing I wanted to saddle, but I did and she did so good! I know everyday that I choose to put time in to her, I will get it back out. Remember, they can only put out, what you put in!

07/13/2024

07/13/2024

ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ Qᴜɪᴛ.

•

Quit listening to people who don’t like you. Who don’t want what’s best for you.

Quit letting the voices of the nay-sayers. The ones who always have something negative to say.

Quit sitting at the table with the gossipers.

Quit comparing yourself. Quit believing you need to be someone different to achieve anything great. Quit wishing you were in someone else’s shoes. (this!)

Quit being hard on our bodies and calling them anything other than miraculous.

Quit the negative self talk.

Quit choosing people pleasing over honoring your needs.

Quit being so hard on yourself.

Quit tolerating being lied to, disrespected and gaslit because you want to be a good person. It’s okay to see the truth in people too.

Quit letting the past haunt your future.

Quit letting insecurity control you. Quit thinking you don’t measure up. Quit thinking you aren’t deserving of good things.

Quit ignoring your inner voice and start listening to your heart.

Quit playing a side part when you’ve been the main character in your story all along.

•
International Professional Rodeo Association
Mid States Rodeo Association
Taylor Finley

07/12/2024

Our Miss Teen Rodeo Washington Contestant!

Pageant- October 11, 12, 12, 2024 in Ellensburg, WA

Make sure to leave a comment of support to our young lady competing!

07/10/2024

Pole Bending Anyone?? Brandon's arm has officially been twisted enough... he is tossing in a pop-up Pole Bending jackpot race tomorrow night (7/10) after barrels. Man is he going to be tired on Thursday... He must really like you guys! $25 Entry Fee, 80% Payback, $10 office fee. No late fee if you enter just Poles or enter Barrels & Poles!
If you have already entered for Barrels, please just message us if you'd like to add poles (email/ text/ FB) If you aren't in the barrel race, and want to run poles, fill out a race entry online or enter at the race. Want to keep Pole Bending part of the Wednesday Night Line up, and money added? Be sure to volunteer to help during the race, and bring all your friends! Let's make it great!
https://www.cognitoforms.com/BrandonAmos/MRBRAJuly10thSummerJackpotRaceEntryForm

06/20/2024

06/18/2024

I may have stepped down from my coaching position but I am still so thrilled for the Tumwater Equestrian Team! I still coach many of the girls privately and it’s always a pleasure seeing the hard work pay off for these young athletes. Tumwater took home the REGIONAL win for drill as well as the two man cattle sorting!

06/05/2024

Everyone's got a different definition of "broke" but boy, this one sure is. I was part of the purchase process when the lister bought this gelding in 2018 and she has done so much with him since then. He gets compliments everywhere he goes and really is BROKE with all the buttons. HONEST seller.

Send a message to learn more

06/04/2024

1: Ride with a purpose, be aware and don’t touch your horses face unless you are asking for something specific. Give them the opportunity to do the right thing (ask) before you tell them what to do.

2: A horse cannot learn to not make a mistake, unless they have made said mistake. Its ok to make mistakes. Doing it wrong is how we learn not to do it wrong again.

05/28/2024

Happy Memorial Day from myself & everyone’s favorite flag toting paint pony!

05/14/2024

We secured our spot in January and had the pleasure of spending last weekend with Lindsay Schulz and Judy Schomer for a two day barrel progression clinic! The weather was perfect and it was extremely validating to see so much of what I already implement in my program be the focus of the entire weekend. We see success in our industry and assume these people have secrets that we don’t know about. Not to discredit the talent these women have because that, of course, is evident.

During lessons I try to drive home constantly that the difference between what’s commonly know as “fancy broke” and what I call a “backyard broke” horse is not necessarily their ability to do flying lead changes, slide to a stop, clock well, etc - It ALL stems from their ability to do and UNDERSTAND these base line, fundamental, foundational maneuvers. How it all starts with the groundwork and applies whether the horse is on its third ride or third year competing.

That concept was driven home for me last weekend. It was great to be reassured that I am on the right path with my personal horse and am sharing quality information with my clients as well. Having it broken down, small nuances being brought to light, seeing it all applied and benefit so many different levels of horses and riders was eye opening.

I feel so blessed to do this for a living and love that there really is no “end” to learning in this industry.

XO Horse & Cattle Co.

05/08/2024

𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗲"

In the stallion business, I keep hearing this term "nothing mare" being thrown around a lot. Instead of getting into debates about it, I usually just try to change the subject and move on.

The term seems to be tied to whether the mare herself had any earnings or earnings as a producer. If not, then she's considered to have a bad or questionable "pedigree." But historically, a "good pedigree" wasn't always determined by high performance.

Imagine if legendary mares like Smart Peppy ($500 total earnings) and Grulla San (100% Foundation mare) were disregarded as "nothing mares." We wouldn't have stallions like Smart Little Lena or High Brow Cat without their influence!

Chers Shadow dam of Metallic Cat had only earnings of $1,675 and if it weren't for her we wouldn't have the horses we have today.

Speaking of High Brow Cat, did you know he was actually a very stubborn and difficult horse to train initially? Imagine if they had just given up on him during training because they thought very little of his dam. No High Brow Cat!

Look, I get that the easier path is to breed a top stallion to an earning/producing mare. But that's NOT the only way. Just because a mare is a "nothing mare" doesn't mean she's actually nothing to her owner. That "nothing mare" could be the next big thing!

𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 "𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙨" - 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪! (Written by EM Watson)

Send a message to learn more

05/02/2024

We are so blessed that we are able to donate our facility to help support Cristi Vanderhoof. You continue to be in our hearts and prayers.

Ways to help ~
Ride for Cristi. Link for show info/go fund me page and shirts can be found.
A Hill of Beans Espresso Has made 2 special drinks for Cristi with a percentage of the proceeds being donated from the purchase of those drinks.
You can also follow along with Cristi’s medical updates at Cristi's Update Page

If there are anymore fundraisers going on please tag them here or let us know. We are happy to share them.

04/30/2024

To know Cayden is to know the Moon.

Cayden w/ Never Ending Threads took the photos you see on my business cards and Moon was alongside us for the shoot (of course). As animal lovers who see their pets as a part of the family, we all know that the only downside to loving them the way we do is that they can't live forever.

🌙{to the moon} i have been searching for the words for over a week now…they still aren’t there cause I don’t want to believe this is real {on Sunday 4/21/24 I said goodbye to my moon 🐾🪽after many long talks and cuddles she let me know it was time} I miss her every second, she was my best friend and always will be, she showed me how to love something with no bounds, she showed me a love that was unlike anything else, I saved her life so she could save mine🖤 i can still hear her walking across the floor and what I would give to smell her stinky little breath, and spend too long in bed cuddling in the morning for now I will clinch the blanket the smells like you and still has some dirt on it from your adventures {see you soon my moon} thanks for loving me everyday even on the days I couldn’t love myself🌙🖤🪽

04/27/2024

** Updated Flyer **

Entries will be email only for future shows 📧[email protected]

04/26/2024

Be humble enough to continue to seek knowledge.
Be humble enough to listen to good advice.
Be humble enough to help teach the next generation.
Be humble enough to have the respect of your peers.
Be humble enough to be a good sport when it doesn’t go your way.

Be a winner.

www.betweenthereins.us

04/25/2024

Send a message to learn more

04/25/2024

HOWDY ALL! We are two weeks away from the kickoff of the 2024 Playday Series!! Registration is open online www.meridianriding.com . It's time to let the good times roll. Family, friends and lots of memories.

04/24/2024

A reminder for those who want to participate in equestrian gaming -- our first 2024 gaming show is scheduled for Saturday, April 27th at OREC.

Our volunteers groomed the arena, mowed the grass and are ready to host riders from around the area. Competition begins at 9:30 a.m.

Bring your horse to participate -- or just come to cheer on your friend or family member!