Foxtail Ridge Equestrian

06/07/2024

💯

I read a theory about why so many riders lack a deep command of basics, and it was explained like this---

Correct basics are hard to master because there is an enormous amount of repetition involved, and if someone has tried something hundreds, possibly thousands of times, and still can’t do it, it is easy for the person to conclude that he/she is taking on an impossible challenge.

In his book “Mastery,” George Leonard wrote that on the quest to become good, there will be long stretches of “seeming non-improvement.”

Like watching grass grow, change is happening, but so slowly that it can’t be measured daily, weekly, or even monthly. But at some point, for those who stick with it, “suddenly” they can do things that before they couldn’t do.

The issue is giving up in frustration before putting in those many many many many months of practice.

That is ONE theory. I am sure there are many others, but this one does ring true.

05/22/2024

💯

Imagine you’re assigned a partner project in school. Only one of you gets to read the directions for the assignment, and then you have to explain it to your partner in a language that is secondary to both of you. You’d expect some miscommunications and misunderstandings, right?

That’s basically what’s happening while riding a horse. Whether in a lesson or a ride of your own direction, you as the rider are the only one who knows the assignment. It’s then your responsibility to relay that information to your horse, speaking through intention and cues that are a second language to both you and your horse. Your horse doesn’t understand what your trainer is saying he’s supposed to do - he’s relying on you to tell him.

Keep this in mind any time you’re riding and you feel like your horse isn’t listening, or you get frustrated with a missed distance or a sloppy transition. Remember that you’re the only member of this team who knows the assignment, and your horse is relying on you to tell him the game plan. Sometimes we make mistakes in our cues or our timing, we start thinking too many steps ahead or we forget to clue him into the next movement in time. Sometimes the horse is a little distracted, or tired, or not feeling it today. But most of the time, he’s doing his best he can with the information you’re giving him!

04/07/2024

Tall and handsome 2017 TB gelding. This athletic horse is ready to go in any direction. PM for info 🦄
Ramona ca 92065

03/13/2024

Novella is warmed up and ready for Del Mar Seaside Tour week 5! This is the beginning of her 6 year old year and she is feeling strong and amazing. We are gearing up for the biggest classes in both of our careers on Friday. Let's show them what a young Thoroughbred can do!

12/11/2023

💯

Trainer - What day is it
Student - Wednesday
Trainer - What day is it
Student - The 5th
Trainer - What day is it
Student - 😡
Trainer - I kept asking you the same question and you gave me the right answer, but I didn’t accept it as right. So you changed your answer, got frustrated and confused. This is exactly how your horse can feel if you miss the release!

09/22/2023

The last week of training before TVN week 1 is upon us! Noel is looking sharp ❤️

09/19/2023

Stars Gone Blue
2006 14.1 hand welsh/TB large pony
She is a fancy pony with some good mileage at pony finals. She can have a bit of a motor and needs a kid who is comfortable with that. Stars is honest, sound, and ready to find her next show partner. Low 🖐 Ramona Ca ❤️🦄

09/15/2023

Photo Finnish "Finn"
16.1 hand 7 yr old TB gelding. Sweet, kind, safe and cute. He has a wonderful disposition and is easy for even a beginner to handle. Finn would make a fabulous first horse for someone looking to do jumpers, eventing or county level hunters. Lowest fives, Located in Ramona Ca

09/13/2023

Oh my gosh, thank you so much Tina and Faith! They built a new derby jump for us to practice with and it's absolutely stunning! I'm in love ❤️ 😍
Finn tried it out for us today. He approves 👌

09/12/2023

Kid has running homework??! Sweet! Let's go!

09/08/2023

I saw this and had to share. This puts in perspective a horse's skeletal structure compared to humans. For example, what we call the "knee" on our horse friends is actually the "carpus" which is the wrist. The knee on a horse is actually their stifle. Fun facts!

09/05/2023

Excellent breakdown!

"I didn't think riding lessons would cost that much..."
Well. We wish it didn't. But, if you don't own your own horse and you ride a school horse (horse owned by a riding barn), there is a harsh reality behind the expenses.

As the cost of living for everyone increases, our horses are no exception to that. The days of $5 60lb good quality hay bales is over. Grain is no longer $15 per 50lb bag. So how much does it actually cost today (in 2023, in North East America)?

Let's break it down...
Hay $12 per 40lb bale - 1 bale / day = $360 / month (no access to pasture + free choice hay)
Grain - $30 / bag - 1 bag / week = $120 / month
Bedding - $7 / bag - 3 bags / week = $84 / month

(For reference, these numbers used to be $5 / bale, $15 / bag, $5 / bag )

So far, for just basic supplies for your horse we are at $564 (in comparison to 5 years ago it being $270), excluding any labor costs or facility costs....let's keep going.

Your stall fee (mortgage/rental) will run $350 / month on the low end (with an indoor arena). I have seen dry stall fees cost as much as $500 as well.

The following fees would be divided amongst horses on the property...

Insurance $50 / month
Manure removal / arena/facility maintenance $50 / month on the low end
Utilities $75 / month

Without labor, we are at $1,089.00

Let's say your horse gets a total of thirty minutes of care each day (turn in, turn out, stall cleaning, water bucket refills/cleaning). That 30 minutes probably doesn't include blanket changes or any additional services aside from general care.

Good barn help will not get out of bed for anything less than $20 / hour, so totaling per month your horse would cost $300 per month, assuming your horse didn't recieve more than 30 minutes of care each day. If you run your facility plus teach, you can't be in 2 places at once, so some help is necessary, especially if you don't cut corners in your care.

We are now at $1389.00

We have not accounted for vetting, farrier, or supplements. Let's do that now.

Farrier - $250 every 5 weeks (low end) so let's call it $200 every month (my personal farrier charges $275-325 for 4 shoes, but to keep Facebook from resulting in uproar over expensive shoeing costs - I've estimated it low)
Vet - assuming your horse is healthy annually you would spend maybe $700 so let's say $60 per month if divided
Supplements - that tried and true schoolmaster you ride probably needs some joint support, so let's buy a lower end joint supplement at $50 / month

We added an additional $310.

Your school horse now costs $1,699.00 per month, and there are many more costs associated (like your tack, equipment, tractor, trucks, trailers, etc)

Okay. So how does this school horse pay for himself? Let's say the horse does two 1 hour lessons per day, 5 days a week. That means the horse can produce income 40 hours out of the month. To break EVEN (theoretically, because any horse owner knows the pricing listed above isn't even as comprehensive as it should be) you would need to make sure the horse worked twice a day, 5 days a week, and charge $42.50 per lesson.
Realistically, If you do not overwork your school horse, the horse is probably working 30 hours per month, which would bring us to having to charge $60 per one hour lesson to break even.
But wait....Our instructor hasn't even gotten paid yet! So let's give them $20 per hour, which of course is low. And for reference, that would mean your instructor makes $600 per month.
Now we're at $80 per lesson.

So when you call any facility, and their lesson price is $80 or less, think of this cost break down!
We don't do this for money. We do it because we love to share our passion with the next generation of riders. We wish this weren't the case financially, like the rest of America and how the economy is. We want so badly to have horses be affordable for everyone, but these are the real, true, uncensored costs of owning a horse today. If riding schools don't charge what they need to in order to stay afloat, I fear one day the horse industry will not have school horses, and the only people who will be able to ride are the ones that can afford horse ownership outright, and then pay for lessons on top of that.

*disclaimer* these prices are based on our experience of pricing in the industry. Pricing may vary based on care and diet provided to horse, area of the country, and specific horse requirements. This pricing is assuming the horse is receiving top level but basic care (free choice hay, quality grain, etc). There may be cheaper options available and there may be more expensive options available. I'm sure there will be many comments that say "those are low" or "those prices are high". We are happy to share receipts as these are the legitimate prices we pay!

08/27/2023

Wow! What an amazing day at the No Show!

Skylar and Dharma took on 0.65m for the first time and did such an amazing job.

Faith stepped in to catch ride Stars in the .65m and absolutely nailed it.

My baby horse Noel gained some more ring time at 0.80m and we successfully practiced everything we've been working on.

All in all, such a productive and wonderful experience. I am so greatful for this life and adventure

A huge thank you to the No Show for creating this opportunity to gain miles for the kids and greens 🙏

08/24/2023

No Show ready!! Stars Gone Blue and Dharma Rea are ready to take on their .65m!

08/12/2023

Walk away for a second, come back to the crossties, all the ponies have picked out bows 🤣🦄

08/10/2023

Took my baby girl and boy out for a "horse show-esque" overnight adventure to Hansen Dam Horse Park. I'm so proud of their wonderful attitudes so far. It takes a lot to build a baby horse into a seasoned pro. A HUGE thank you to Amy Hess of for your training expertise over these two days!

#

08/06/2023

I love waking up to news of my former horses being awesome. My baby is at her first show with her new rider and putting out excellent scores ❤️
I cant wait to see what they accomplish together

07/28/2023

The process of horse consignment is tricky business and I take it very seriously. There are so many emotions involved, including the former family, new family, and especially the horse. I can only imagine what the horse is going through. Leaving their current home and familiar faces, transitioning to a whole new environment where you meet many new people, and then finally being taken home by someone new to begin a whole new life. I do my best to learn as much as I can about each horse as quickly as I can in hopes to make the best matches possible. I bond with each horse and try to help them through what I can only imagine to be a terrifying and stressful process of leaving everything you know behind. I do my best to prepare them for what they need to do next and help them navigate the transition. I have made my mistakes over the years, learning each time. When it's done right, it's a beautiful thing. Nothing makes me happier than running into a former horse (as I'm dropping off another) who is thriving with their new family. It was amazing to see Gemma (now Tiger Lily) looking beautiful, happy, and healthy with her family ❤️❤️

I'll admit, it was pretty special when she very clearly recognized me and was in my pockets ❤️❤️

06/23/2023

3 Ottbs stepping up to the 3'3! Loving these guys and gal 🦄♥️🦄

06/12/2023

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! It felt amazing to peel off the sweaty riding pants and boots, trade them in for a bikini and dive in to the beautiful ocean. I'm still salty though 🤣

06/02/2023

Vinny is really stepping up these days ❤️

05/22/2023

Can't be too careful I guess! ❤️
I think we've got a jumper/eventer here 🦄