Still Waters Farm

08/26/2024

I'm looking for a few horses.

1. Preferably under 16hh, solid 2'6", can move up to 3' for child coming off large pony. Local level hunters, Eq, medals. Don't need to win the hack, but must be sound with a good lead change. No pro rides at shows and minimal at home.

2. Large pony-small horse for kid coming off small pony. A little green is OK. Local level. Nothing scary-bucking, very spooky, manageable for client at home. Under 10K.

3. Larger horse, 16hh+, some show miles, ready to do 2'6", ability to do 3', a little green OK. Will board with me but need no buck or silliness. Manageable by teen in program. Lease

4. 2 horses for college program. Horse you want off your bill that needs some time with riders in a program. Must be sound enough to work almost every day. Ability to jump 2'6". Kind enough for a variety of riders. Again, not prone to bucking or frequent spooking. No pro rides. Not fancy, just useful. No maintenance other than farrier. Care lease, possible purchase lower 4s.

08/07/2024

We need one more horse for the Longwood Equestrian Team for the 2024-2025 school year. It is a care lease situation. Must be able to w/t/c with riders of varied levels and jump at least 2'. Sound enough to work consistently. We don't need perfect, a little green is OK, it will get a lot of experience and good training, but not any prone to bucking or major spooking. Not to even mention rearing or other dangerous behavior. Please message if you have one you'd like us to consider.

08/04/2024

Happily Ever After is still making dreams come true. The better Madeline rides, the more she gives.

07/28/2024

A fantastic day at the Virginia Commonwealth Games at Liberty Equestrian.

07/12/2024

This is happening at the Sweet Briar riding center July 24-28. I'll be auditing some mornings with students. Reach out to me if you'd like to watch with us. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn from a top professional. (It's also fun!)

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ushja.org%2Fnews%2Fushja-news-1%2Fparticipants-selected-2024-mz-farmsushja-emerging-athletes-program-regional-training-sessions&h=AT0hQX-dj7IfET6GuW6eywr6ZOIY3ThyG5Zm-II0pYPJ8sCmAEOAwOc9cQVnkbGYlFerXvZiQH5pNmJKquiMySnqyCQ_YENYrl66inLwwnRKnMhYewbhO5T5fax1_8RzlEuQKiZBZ6RX1f1fsw&s=1

The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the participants of the 2024 MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Regional Training Sessions to be held between June and August. Over five days, these athletes will participate in mounted flatwork, gymnastics exercises and coursework with...

06/27/2024

Their very first little Hunter Derby was a huge success. The hard work at home paid off and they knew how to answer all the questions the course asked. Plus, it was really fun. Thanks SWVEP for holding it.

06/26/2024

We are off to a pretty good start at House Mountain.

06/15/2024

This is a fun program. One year my students and I won for our zone. It’s free. You might learn something. Make sure you put me down as your trainer. 😊 If you are asked a question you don’t know the answer to, please bring it up in your next lesson.

Are you ready to put your horsemanship knowledge to the ultimate test and compete for incredible prizes and national recognition? Challenge yourself—and your barn besties—with these team and individual opportunities to showcase your equine expertise!

05/18/2024

This is a beautiful place to show with a fun, friendly atmosphere. I am the course designer and will be announcing. See you there!

HCIBH’s Hunter Classic Horse Show is June 1st. Classes for all levels of horse and rider. Click here to register today!

https://www.howardcountyironbridgehounds.org/?p=129

05/08/2024

We had such a rewarding show at Randolph Macon College. Yes, we got some good ribbons, but that wasn’t the highlight. Emma and Hayden had the best connection they’ve ever had over fences. Jules did a wonderful job helping Hayden to settle in and feel brave. My younger student made me proud when she handled the roll backs in her eq class with confidence like we’d practiced. My girls all worked together helping and supporting each other. And somehow, the rain held off and we stayed mostly dry. A good day, indeed. I love the days when my students are able to deeply enjoy a partnership with these amazing creatures. That makes my heart so happy.

04/27/2024

And that is the end of the first semester for the new Longwood Lancers Equestrian Team. Starting a new team is hard with so many unknown factors. This team will always be our first. 💕 We all learned a lot, and some of it was about riding. I’m so proud of their determination and the grace they’ve shown each other. I’m going to miss them so much. (Katelyn wasn’t here for the picture) Thank you Claire, Riley, Peyton, Olivia & Kerrigan.
And thank you Anne Tyler and Heather. See you all in the fall.

04/24/2024

A lovely trip for my young rider and her pony.

04/24/2024

Things are really coming together for this pair. The feeling when you find the rhythm and pace that give a smooth flowing trip is exhilarating. We had a really good time at the VT horse show.

04/10/2024

This sweet mare is ready to have one person to call her own. She loves to spend time with her people. She’s also athletic and brave. Blue Bloods Thoroughbred Adoption and Placement was kind enough to send her to Longwood for our Equestrian team. Her adoption fee is very reasonable.

5 year old TB mare.

04/04/2024

03/31/2024

Hollins hosted a fun horse show on Sat. It was a wonderful learning environment and I appreciate their love of teaching. My riders made progress with each trip in the arena. Some good ribbons are the icing on the cake.

(Sometimes you catch the ears up, and sometimes you don’t ha ha)

03/30/2024

It’s going to be a beautiful day for a horse show.

03/07/2024

It’s a beautiful morning here at the farm.

02/23/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/CGMLtVrqhqCYtoh2/?mibextid=WC7FNe

02/19/2024

When I went out to check on horses last night, and throw them each a little more hay, I saw this in the sky. It was so beautiful and unusual. 

02/17/2024

Now that’s a roll top!

01/28/2024

Good show at the SWVHJA Benefit Show. I’m very proud of my rider. Not just for the ribbons, but becasue she learned from each round and made improvements to finish better than she started. And that pony, well, she’s wonderful.

01/25/2024

This is an interesting article that supports my feelings on bedding in stalls. Thick bedding is more labor intensive when it comes to cleaning. And more expensive since you'll likely need to throw out more. However, we owe it to the horses that work for us to do what will make them comfortable. We tell them where they will sleep, what they will eat, and how they will work. A comfortable bed seems a reasonable thing to provide.

"Horses typically sleep more when they have deeper bedding—which might also affect their moods and, consequently, their well-being and physical and mental capacities, said Amber Matthews, MSc, equine lecturer at Hartpury University, in Gloucestershire, U.K."

"They found the horses spent significantly more time in REM sleep—as well as non-REM sleep—in the deeper bedding, Matthews said."

"The horses that had a better night’s sleep tended to show more optimism in the cognitive bias test, Matthews said."

https://thehorse.com/1116268/poor-sleep-might-make-horses-grumpy/?fbclid=IwAR1PzkCIyyYHHWgQ-gUktXAL4QpeZSpybW2_II3sBX5k8wRkJSpePPH_UZU

Research showed that housing horses on deeper bedding might improve sleep quality and mood.

01/18/2024

Dashing through the snow? More like a little canter, maybe.

01/18/2024

A beautiful horse and young woman enjoying a snowy lesson. Fun day.

01/08/2024

It's this season. Pro tip-Rub some conditioner on your saddle before you ride. The leather gets extra stiff and slick when it's cold out.

12/25/2023

Twas the night before Christmas and the trainer made the horses wear silly hats for pictures. Wishing you the love of the season from Still Waters Farm.

12/24/2023