Dance At Dawn Farms Eventing

10/02/2024

We are very excited to announce that Dance At Dawn Farms Eventing is moving!

If you follow our owner/trainer Kayla Robinson you may have already known about this, but we wanted to make an official announcement on this page. Here’s the full message from Kayla:

I am so, so incredibly thankful for every single one of my supporters, clients, friends, and found family in Pennsylvania. When I bought this farm, I had no idea what it would turn into. I didn’t expect to end up with a lesson program that very quickly overtook my life outside of my “day job.” I have met so many incredible people and have made so many connections that it’s almost hard to consider leaving. I’ve helped people find their passion for riding again, helped brand new riders grow into incredible horsemen/women, and helped others improve their riding to reach their goals.

My husband and I have always discussed moving a little farther south, though we never really knew where we’d end up. We’ve finally settled on Kentucky, and are working on selling our farm/purchasing a farm near Lexington so I can continue to grow my program and pursue my personal goals of moving up the levels of eventing with my horses!

My program will change drastically with this move, but I’m hopeful that this will be the right move for us and for me to reach my goals one day. I won’t lie that it’s a little hard to post this, and I am very sad to leave my current clients, friends, and found family behind, but I am SO excited for this next chapter.

I want to thank you all for your support. I wouldn’t be here without every single one of you!

At this time, I will no longer be taking on new students until we’ve settled in at our new place. My final “official” day of regularly scheduled lessons here in PA will be October 24th.

Stay tuned later this year for updates about our new farm, and new training programs I’ll offer out there.

Included are a handful of some of my favorite photos/memories with all of my students, coaches, and mentors here in PA ❤️ I missed a few photo opportunities with other students, but if I had photos, they’d be in here too!

06/28/2024

Super proud of our student Gabby who took her little pony Kora to their first ever show together today! She brought home a BLUE RIBBON in the Optimum Time Poles class, and rode like a champ!

It’s always amazing to see my students move past their fears and crush their first show. Can’t wait to get them back out at another show sometime!

As always, thank you to Ship's Quarters Farm for hosting these amazing schooling shows that are the perfect first outing for all levels. 🖤🐎

06/16/2024

A fun day of schooling today at Windurra USA! Tale of Dixie and Tiny Dancer are besties (obviously) and both did incredible today! Happy to have gotten this in before the heat wave.

05/27/2024

Finished out the weekend with an XC clinic with Boyd Martin where we got to try out a sunken road which was not quite as terrifying as I expected it to be! Unfortunately I don’t have any video because I didn’t have a groom today but it was super fun and a great learning experience for both of us!

05/27/2024

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

We’re spending it with our horses of course. And what a memorable time it has been!

From a clinic with Brendan Wise on Friday, which one of our students and Kayla Robinson had a wonderful time at, to the The Maryland Horse Trials Highland Trials both Saturday and Sunday it has been such an incredible weekend! And now today, we are heading out to the Boyd Martin clinic at Windurra!

But first, here are some photos from our weekend so far. ❤️

Fondue (JC: Fondtastic) did absolutely incredible at her first ever NOVICE horse trial. Leaving Kayla in tears of joy for just how well she did. She’s the red bay in the photos below.

Cali (Tiny Dancer) went to her first ever horse trial this weekend and we decided to “go big or go home” and just jump straight in at Beginner Novice. The bar was set very low for this youngster because show environments previously REALLY stressed her out and we had to send her out for some much needed training with Brendan. She came home a completely different horse, and yesterday she was an absolute dream! More happy tears were shed when she cantered through those finish flags.

The journey with every horse is not always fun. Sometimes it’s filled with tears, frustration, and even a little doubt, but you’ve gotta appreciate that journey when it all finally comes together. It is SO rewarding. And now we keep working on the next milestone… better dressage tests, more confidence through every round we do, and eventually, when the horses are ready, their next level. No matter how long it takes ❤️🐎

As always, very thankful for Erin Gilmore Photography for getting such amazing shots of my girls ❤️❤️

Thanks to our sponsors, and the brands that keep us looking fancy for all these events 🐎

Arion Sellier USA
Esprit Equestrian Wear (discount code in comments)
Grand Impression Design Co.

03/25/2024

You know I couldn’t resist getting some dressage shots too to show off our fancy new dressage ensemble thanks to our incredible sponsor Arion Sellier USA! We look like super classy professionals now that we don’t have to use my monoflap for the dressage phase 💁🏻‍♀️

Nevermind the fact that I forgot my gloves for dressage because I was rushing a little bit yesterday morning. She did such a good job in the test, even if the score didn’t reflect it. I think it was our best ride yet!

Dance At Dawn Farms Eventing
Esprit Equestrian Wear

03/25/2024

I’m going to start off with the exciting stuff first. We finished 6th yesterday, with one unfortunate rail in SJ which I think was just because we just got a funky distance.

Our dressage was okay, not what I hoped for but better than other tests we’ve done for sure!

We ran clear through XC despite Fondue’s protest at my request for a slow and steady pace. It was only BN after all, we didn’t need super speed! She’s such a lovely mare, but she likes to take over sometimes out on course and we need to find a happy medium where I don’t micromanage too much and she doesn’t push for what I call “Mach Jesus” all the time. It’s a work in progress, but we’re getting closer! And our up bank was by far the best we’ve ever done, so I am thrilled with that for sure!

Dance At Dawn Farms Eventing
Arion Sellier USA
Esprit Equestrian Wear

03/11/2024

That face you make when you clear the fence that scared the absolute 💩 out of you 😅🤣

Sponsor shout-out
Arion Sellier USA
Esprit Equestrian Wear

Thank you Maya Kuntze Photography for capturing this shot, despite the miserable weather so I had an epic photo from our first Novice round!

Dance At Dawn Farms Eventing

03/10/2024

It was a wet and wild ride yesterday at The Maryland Horse Trials Go Green Derby! Fondtastic and I took on a Novice course for the first time ever and not only went clear but also had one hell of a fun ride! We were a tad slow, so we had time penalties but honestly I am 100% okay with that for our first attempt at this level. We’ll still be starting our real season with BN a few times before we move up at a horse trial so we can continue building her confidence. This mare is just perfect ❤️

We wore the Sage Green Esprit Equestrian Wear breeches, which I absolutely love! Use my code DanceAtDawnFarmsEventing to get 5% off your first order if you’d like to get a pair of your own! They’ve got loads of other fun colors too 😉

And of course, we had our Arion Sellier USA bridle.

We used the saddle blanket I got with Crazy Wild Bill two years ago at Canter for a Cause (they ran out of pink ones and who knew this would come in handy for a GREEN derby! 😃)

Special shout-out to my coach Angie Francart / Sleeping Fox Farm Eventing for all her coaching and advice to help get me to this point.

And of course, where we got Fondue from - After The Races and Aftercare Charles Town - Equine Encore Performance at Charles Town

The farm that After the Races has been renting for the last several years will be going up for sale and they are trying to purchase it so please consider donating to their cause to save their home! Donation link on this post OR you can go to their page directly and donate there also.

02/24/2024

Another fun day at the derby! We were unfortunately a little too fast this time. Last time we were too slow, this time too fast, something tells me next month we’ll get it down! And hopefully next month finally not have a rail. Today’s rail was courtesy of me saying “we won’t be too slow this time” and Fondue challenging the brakes when I gave her some wiggle room on the speed 🤦🏻‍♀️. We’ll get it. There were a lot more manageable moments today. I’m super proud of her.

When she applies herself and doesn’t just speed through it, she’s certainly got some scope 🤩

Dance At Dawn Farms Eventing
Sponsors/Ambassadorships:
Arion Sellier USA - bridle
Esprit Equestrian Wear - breeches

These are the Merlot breeches to go with the pink theme of the derby. Use code DanceAtDawnFarmsEventing when you order 😊

02/05/2024

Important announcement for our followers who loved for our farm tours!

We will be discontinuing that offering beginning this year (2024). We have not had much interest in our tours since we began requiring a pre-payment for scheduling, and with our changes in priorities pushing us more toward competing with our lesson clients/horses we are officially pulling tours off of our services list. We are very sorry if you were considering doing a tour this upcoming year, but assure you that this decision isn’t something we made lightly.

That said, if you’re following because you’re looking for lessons we do still have three openings available staring in February or March. Please reach out if you’re looking to level up your riding this year! We’d be glad to help.

02/03/2024

Isn’t she beautiful? 😍 Now I just need my stirrups to arrive and we get to be extra fancy dressage queens over here 💁🏻‍♀️

Thank you Rosemary Cawood and Arion Sellier USA for this beauty. I can’t wait to try it out! May just try it without the stirrups today… 🤣
Dance At Dawn Farms Eventing

01/19/2024

Lesson Openings!

I know it’s a snow day today but show season is literally right around the corner. If you are looking to level up your riding and prep for this season now is your chance!

We have:

Monday 7PM weekly opening starting in March 2024
Tuesday 7PM weekly opening available now
Tuesday 5:30PM biweekly opening starting in March 2024

We offer:

🐎 Detailed and Effective coaching tailored to your goals & skill level
🐎 Lesson horses for you to ride OR option to haul in
🐎 Regular opportunities for off farm schooling at many local venues
🐎 Opportunity to take lessons from other upper level professionals when clinics are available or they’re available for haul ins/on farm lessons
🐎 A very detailed show schedule with opportunities for everything from Dressage to Recognized Eventing!
🐎 Opportunities to lease our lesson horses
🐎 A horsemanship focused program where if we are unable to ride we will do other lessons that will help improve your strength and balance in the saddle or help you improve your horse care & overall horsemanship skills!
🐎 An ON FARM cross country course that we’ve got plans to continue building on this spring and summer, including adding water! ***Please note this is in progress and not yet complete. But as weather permits we do have plans to move this effort forward and hope to have everything but water done by April 2024, leaving the water to be completed in May/June 2024 once our fields have dried out enough that we can excavate safely.

Please feel free to reach out to Kayla Robinson or Dance At Dawn Farms Eventing for more information. We can setup a time for you to meet the horses and see our farm and get started!

Photo courtesy of ASPCA Right Horse photographers from the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover. Featuring tack & gear from our sponsors/brands we are an ambassador for

Bridle: Arion Sellier USA
Breeches: Esprit Equestrian Wear (use code DanceAtDawnFarmsEventing for 5% off your first order)

01/19/2024

If you are considering switching to Eventing, they’ve now introduced a Starter level for new eventers which is much more welcoming than Beginner Novice. They’ve decided to include that at the AECs now too! We would be happy to help show you the ropes of Eventing and get you on track to get to the AECs if that is a goal of yours this year or next. Reach out! We have three lesson openings available at the moment and would be thrilled to help you work toward your goals.

Lesson openings are for ADVANCED BEGINNERS and up only! We are not taking on any total beginners at this time!

Open and Junior Starter Divisions to be offered at 2024 USEA AEC

01/19/2024

More Leg!

I try to stay quiet most of the time when controversial issues come up, because quite honestly I like staying out of it and just enjoying my quiet little farm with my amazing clients and horses. However, lately, I can’t ignore it because it’s coming up far more often and people who I’ve never heard of are making statements that absolutely blow my mind sometimes. The most recent example was a long post going on and on about how trainers who say “more leg” are not good trainers and essentially are inadequate. The other premise of the article was correct. You cannot simply add “more leg” all the time and fix the issue of a horse not being forward or moving off your leg. It does take more than simply squeezing harder or giving a little kick, but the idea that hearing an instructor say “more leg” means they’re not effective at coaching is blasphemy. Chances are, you hear “more leg” in every warmup ring across the US and the world. You should expect to hear it there. That’s what a short phrase is meant for! You see, at home we don’t say “more leg” as often. Sometimes we don’t say it at all. Sometimes we say it often because we’re working on course or grid work and we have to, but have you ever asked yourself why?

Let me explain…. My instruction at home is much more in depth. We break things down and I explain it in excruciating detail in most cases. I explain how we use our leg, our hands, our crop, and maybe a spur if it is needed. I go over just how hard to squeeze, how to squeeze or push, how to supplement with the crop, when to supplement with the crop, and when to get louder with the aids if you’re not getting the response you want. I teach my students how to ride but more importantly how to FEEL. They have to understand the feeling they’re looking for and how to achieve it. They need to understand how each part of their body works together to achieve their goal. They also have to understand how to get a response from a horse, ride a “spicy” or “spunkier” horse, and how to correct a “disobedience” when it happens. (They should also know how to feel/tell the difference between a disobedience and a pain response, or know when they’re not sure and assume pain, but that is a totally different discussion!)

Now, let’s take that massive amount of word vomit and apply it at a show. Do you think that I should be taking them to a show if I need to explain what they should do in more words than just “leg!” Or “more leg!”? NO. Absolutely not. I teach them in detail at home so when we go to a show and they hear me shout “more leg!” Or “use your crop!” They know exactly what to do, how to handle it, and achieve what we want. Otherwise, I am sending a rider into a show ring where I CAN’T coach, and hoping/praying they remember their course and come out alive. It would be irresponsible of me to not make it so all I need to say in the warmup is something as simple as “more leg” or “get him more forward”. And quite honestly, you will only hear a handful of short phrases from me in that warmup ring because I am trying to be both respectful of other coaches and riders AND direct and to the point so I can get my commands out quickly! If I can see that my short phrases (which they have been trained on and understand ahead of time) are not working, then I will pull them to the edge of the ring, out of the way where I can quietly coach them or chat with them in more detail. I leave you with this little nugget of wisdom - when my student is two strides before a jump and needs more energy, I can’t fit 15 words in, so I fit two - “add leg!”

http://danceatdawnfarms.com/2024/01/19/more-leg/

01/16/2024

No filter needed. What a beautiful view post-snow storm here at the farm ❤️