Hidden Hollow Stable and Farm

10/11/2024

08/21/2024

The Benefits of Horse Riding: A Combination of Strength, Timing and balance

Make Them Carry Their Saddle
A father of a darling girl and I were talking last week and he said that he wanted his daughter to ride more and not have to do the work part of the catching, grooming, and saddling. I smiled as I explained.
Riding horses is a combination of strength, timing, and balance. Kids in this country are physically weak (unless they are actively involved with weight training and physical conditioning 4+ times a week.)
When you walk out to the field, you are clearing your stress from being under fluorescent lights all day; feeling the sun soak into your bones. As your body moves on uneven surfaces, it strengthens your legs and core.
When you groom your horse (especially currying), you are toning your arms and stabilizing your core.
When you carry your saddle, your arms, chest, and back are doing isolated strengthening work.
Being near horses, calms and makes you tune into the splendor of these empathetic animals.
When you ride at a posting trot, it’s equivalent to a slow jog calorie burn wise.
After a lesson, the riders are physically tired and mentally quiet and balanced.
Horses feel your heart beat and mirror your emotions back.
Riding large and somewhat unpredictable animals makes you resilient and pushes your expectations.
Working with horses is so much more than learning how to ride.
So parents, make your children carry their saddles. Don’t do the hard parts for them, as long term it actually hurts them. To advance with their riding, they must get stronger. You can help by doing the high parts.

08/10/2024

No more bugs thanks to all of my barn swallows! Happy horses chillin on the weekend!

07/27/2024

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 🐎❤🐎
This is so important.
Copied and pasted from a friends post.

07/19/2024

Oh yes! 😂 www.haresandgrace.com 🇬🇧

06/30/2024

PONY CAMP

06/26/2024

They are never just RIDING SCHOOL PONIES❤️🐴

One day you may move onto bigger, fancier horses, but never forget the school horse who made you, as without them, you wouldn’t be able to ride anything at all.

The patient soul that tolerated your bouncing while you figured out how to sit the trot.

The kind mare that didn’t walk off when you stumbled up the mounting block, trying to get your foot in the stirrup.

The sweet gelding that picked up the trot even though your body was telling him to do the exact opposite.

The saintly angel that never spooked, which was a dam good thing because your balance was precarious at best.

Too often we forget where we came from. We move on to the next chapter in our lives and say, “Oh my gosh, I’m learning so much! I’m going so far! I could never do this kind of thing on that old school horse!”

But infact you could, you were just not ready to do all these things back then.

But that school horse gave you the confidence to move forward. That school horse took care of you in all respects and allowed you to take the time you needed to find your way. You couldn’t have become the rider you are today without that riding school horse, always remember to love them unconditionally for our riding school horses are what help start your dream, make dreams come true and get you ready for those bigger dreams 🐴

05/31/2024

Magical night

05/30/2024

Beautiful Aladdin and Kelly

04/06/2024

03/21/2024

“You do nothing with your horse.”

Sometimes the horse needs to be doing nothing.

Sometimes they need the pressure of timelines and goals taken off completely.

Sometimes they need to just be enjoyed as a pasture puff, living life just being a horse and being groomed and doted on, with no expectation,

Sometimes “doing nothing” is the ticket to getting the horse to a point mentally and physically where they are capable of doing “something.”

Sometimes horses are happiest just “doing nothing” forever and they don’t owe us labour.

It can and should be normalized to enjoy your horse simply being a horse.

So, “doing nothing” isn’t really “doing nothing,” it’s giving your horse the time and space they need to decompress.

And, contrary to how it sounds, it can actually be doing an awful lot to rehabilitate your horse and heal their mind and body

So, here’s to the equestrians who are currently “doing nothing” with their horses.

I’m sure your horse appreciates you for giving them the time they need.