McCormick Sport Ponies, LLC

01/10/2024

I’m so excited for this cutie to arrive!! Look at those knees 😍 Ashbrook Apollo

01/07/2024

Exciting news everyone! Meet Ashbrook Apollo! Apollo will be making his way stateside in the coming weeks. He’s a 5yo full Connemara gelding, super sweet, athletic, and cute as a button to top it off! He’s done a little bit of jumping and XC schooling. I can’t wait to bring this sweet boy along a bit!

01/03/2024

Hi All! I’m still working through vettings on the ponies I rode in Ireland. As soon as I know what I’m importing, I’ll let you know! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

01/01/2024

Happy New Year, friends! 🥳 I’ve been so blessed to spend my year riding and training some wonderful horses and ponies! Best wishes to you all! Let’s see your favorite horsey pictures from 2023!

12/13/2023

It’s not too often that you can hop on a four year old that you’ve never seen before and safely ride off on your own, down the road! That is what trying this sweet boy looked like today- no arena? No problem. He’s got an incredible brain for a youngster! Only in Ireland! Connemara ponies are just amazing.

12/11/2023

Fabulous first day back in Ireland!! I’m viewing 14 ponies and horses this week. Let me know what you are looking for- I’d love to help you find your dream Irish partner 🇮🇪🏇🏼🇮🇪

11/28/2023

First snow of the season and the wind is icy cold! April is snug as a bug in a rug while she awaits her departure for her new 🏠

11/27/2023

🎉 A huge congratulations to the new owner of this sweet mare, Ballynastanford April!! Can’t wait to see you ladies having a blast in the hunt field! It was a pleasure bringing this mare along and she will definitely be missed ❤️

11/16/2023

SO MUCH HAIR 😅 let’s see your before and after pics of your fluffy ponies!!

11/16/2023

Halfway there! I’ve never clipped a bay pony before- only greys! They really change color!!

11/02/2023

Ok friends, just for fun! Let’s see your “baby” riding pictures! I started riding when I was 5, courtesy of a riding lesson gift from my great-aunt, the only other horse person in my family. Despite the fact that I look about 5 here, I’m actually 10yo and this was the summer I discovered riding English and JUMPING at horse camp! Can’t wait to see yours!

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween from April and I! We are having a perfect fall day! 🎃

10/24/2023

Updated sales videos for Ballynastanford April. Don’t miss out on this sweet, talented mare.
Dressage: https://youtu.be/WrVBtto06iI?si=Hb8C3F-_XE3529o-
XC: https://youtu.be/D6O-PedS92U?si=o8rxV9JpOpHX4YgP
SJ: https://youtu.be/UDMssd8cWlU?si=TtnzhYCVXmqR411i

10/05/2023

Let’s hear it for the ponies!!

Kristine Hegglin has made it her mission to prove that ponies can be excellent dressage partners, and her nearly decade-long journey with Holstein’s Harlequin has done just that. 

10/02/2023

This is gold!

We went to the Jessica von Bredow-Werndl demo today at the lovely Addington Equestrian hosted by Equestrian Management Agency
The event was really well run (and a great Christmas present from Judy Fw )

💫Wow wow wow 💫

Jessica is a European, World and Olympic champion, so we definitely had high hopes for her demo.
It is safe to say that the day exceeded all expectations, Jessica's passion and joyful approach shone through whilst working with very talented horses and riders.

I thought I might share a few of my key notes from the day (maybe not all 10 pages on my phone...)
Some of what Jessica said really resonated with me, some points were a refreshing reminder, and others took an entirely new angle/solution to things.

✅️The Young Horse - it's all about good experience, creating the happy athlete. Although at times it's easy to hang on with a young horse, lengthen the rein, slow down, praise the horse, and breathe.

✅️ Give them no reason to run away, give them a moment, and let them look around (especially mares!). Over excitment is a good thing, it shows the horse loves to move. It's better than kicking around trying to create energy. Allow the horse to gain self-confidence, give them space in the contact, don't fear mistakes. Don't suppress them in their natural energy. Influence their character in a positive way.

✅️Warm-up time should be as short as possible and as long as necessary. If teaching a new movement, teach it at the beginning of the session after the warm-up. They are more focused at that time.

✅️ Centre line then leg yield into shoulder in. This is Jessica's exercise for all horses as a warm-up. The leg yield helps relax the horse, and it allows you to get your leg on and wrap around the horse ready for communication.

✅️Don't always praise with hand. It can be a shake in mouth. Use voice for reassuring.

✅️ Walk breaks are super important. How do they give you everything if they don't get a break regularly. It also sets you up for competition, practising switching the horse on and off.

✅️Medium canter, use travers before collecting the canter to engage the inside hind leg within the canter. This helps with showing the horse HOW you want them to collect (e.g, hind leg under).

✅️When asking a question (e.g, canter balance), don't be afraid to let the horse make mistakes, make the correction, and carry on. Having a mistake is a learning process.

✅️Suppleness is found behind saddle, not in the neck.

✅️Only go as much forward as you can do without holding them in contact as young horses. Choose a tempo that you can give the rein. Let them find their own balance.

✅️If they have a joy to move, thats what a grand Prix horse needs.

✅️Long neck- short body. Younger horses need a slightly more lifted neck.

✅️Always feel responsible for the exercise, if it doesn't work, change it.

✅️It is easier to explain horses to 'jump' more under with the hid leg by SLOWING DOWN. Explaining HOW we want them to move (e.g hind leg under). Listen to the footfall of the hooves, if it's loud in front it is often an indication of an unbalanced way of going.

✅️Less is more!

✅️Look for the big picture when training, how should it look? what is needed to make it look like this? If you want to change something you have to do it consistently.

✅️Always train long line of half passes with shoulder in. It's the in and out that teaches them how to carry themselves.

✅️Travers through corners helps activate the hind end through the corner.

✅️The neck follows the ribcage. It's all about the ribcage.

✅️Warm up/cool down is an easy jog, not an expressive jog. It's a stretching out for the back. You must still want the hindleg from the first movement (e.g when you first move off). Don't let the horse run away from the hindlegs and then try and explain later that you want them on the hindlegs!

✅️Slow down!

✅️Tell them how great they are and they will become greater!

✅️Don't train extended trot- it happens when the balance in the collection is better.

✅️With the changes, ignore the mistakes, praise the correct ones. Riding a circle with changes on makes the horse supple and even both ways within the change. On the circle, move the body away from the direction of change to open the side of the body for the change.

✅️If the horse paddles out behind in piaffe, add the sideways. Piaffe in shoulder in and then out in shoulder in. Focus just on the transitions in and out, not the piaffe itself. It's ok to be tense in piaffe, stay in it, work through it, explain it! It's not stressful, use shoulder in. Sideways (shoulder in) is a door you open (a vent) to allow the energy to positively go somewhere. This helps the horses find the right solution. Piaffe from ground first is essential. Then ask for it sitting on the horse, but still with someone on ground.

✅️Get them infront of your seat!

✅️Don't focus on the horses weaknesses, look for their strengths and use them to improve the weaknesses.

✅️Within canter Pirouette, flex to outside to connect with the inside hind leg. Don't train whole pirouettes, train them HOW to use their body.

💫These are a few of my notes💫
I think it was very clear from the way Jessica presented herself, although she is world number 1, it is all about the journey training horses to Grand Prix.
To sign off Jessica wanted to remind us that...

It's great to have goals, big goals. But more importantly is the how...how we interact daily with horses, how we act with our horses as partners, how we train.
When you win a gold.. it's a few moments of a high. What stays with you is the journey, the horse who did everything for you. We want our horses to be excited and happy to see us, happy to move. This is what it's all about. It's about the love. The joy. Is about the journey and we are privileged to spend our time with them.

💫💫💫

09/22/2023

My favorite thing about training horses, especially young ones, is getting to experience their growing confidence as they learn their jobs. I took April XC schooling yesterday and she was so confident and game! We both had a blast!

09/15/2023

Perfect pony got FIRST place her FIRST time out!!!!! 🥇 🏇🏼 🤩 I’m so proud of this girl!! (Ballystanford April). With the greenies, I always aim to have a positive experience and I don’t really worry about the ribbons- I’m absolutely tickled that she won ❤️❤️❤️

09/15/2023

This girl is ready to rock her very first horse trial! Go April! (Also, this weather couldn’t be more beautiful!!!)

09/09/2023

Connemaras representing!

Georgia Wilson and Gabby Blake put solid scores on the board for the British team at the midway stage of the European Para Dressage Championships team tests

09/04/2023

“Don’t get too attached!” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this warning about my sales ponies. Honestly, I love each and every one and I think that is an advantage. I sell on a super small scale- only one or two ponies at a time- this allows me to really get to know each one intimately so that I can find exactly the right person for them. I think the best way I can ensure that my ponies have a happy future is to make sure that they are extremely safe whether you are in or out of the saddle AND make sure that I find a person that appreciates that particular pony’s strengths (and weaknesses). Each pony has its own distinct personality, just like us ❤️ this girl (Ballynastanford April) is an absolute gem and is looking for her new person. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you are interested!

09/04/2023

Yesterday morning, April and I popped down to Chester County for a lesson with Jimmie Schramm- the goal of the morning was to improve the quality of April’s jumping and maintain straightness- I think we were successful! I am so thankful to have access to upper level professionals, like Jimmie- I find that having another set of eyes is imperative when bringing along young horses, especially when you usually ride on your own (like I do). I find it incredibly helpful to check-in as needed to make sure I’m not missing anything, as well as learn new ways to approach different issues.

08/24/2023

April is pony ride approved! She took good care of her little passengers this morning 😍

08/24/2023

Gosh, this pony has the best temperament!!April was an absolute saint this morning- a friend brought her kiddos over to the farm for pony rides. April patiently packed her little passengers around the farm and then stood quietly in the aisle for 40 minutes while the kids brushed her (let’s just say her right shoulder is VERY clean hahaha).
✅ April is Kid Approved!

08/23/2023

Hi friends! Let’s talk about ways to approach “spooky” obstacles when we are riding out and about. The other day, the farmer baled his alfalfa field and now there are plastic covered round bales around the farm- aka “pony eating death traps” lol. For some reason, they really spook the horses. My goal is always to encourage a horse’s curiosity to overpower their flight response. So…how do we do that? When April first saw the bales, she stopped and her head went up in the air. In that moment, I just sat as relaxed as I could and gave her the time she needed to process what she was looking at. I don’t press the pony forward in this moment. I want them to associate me with feeling safe. If they go to turn around, I simply keep them facing in the direction of the “threat,” but I do not push them towards it. Then, I wait. I wait until I feel them exhale and relax over their back. Be patient 🙂 at first, this may take a few minutes. The more often you use this approach, the quicker the process becomes. Then, when they relax, allow them forward- I keep my reins loose and talk to them, encouraging them to check it out! I let them get close and encourage them to sniff the “scary thing.” I find with this approach, you can encourage them to be curious, instead of scared! I took her trail riding last week and this approach really paid off- when she sees something scary, in a few minutes she’s asking if she can go see it instead of hightailing it in the opposite direction! I’d love to hear how you handle the unexpected when you are out for a ride! (As for the covered hay bales, she now tries to B-line for them becuase she now knows they are filled with alfalfa 😂)

08/20/2023

This is why I do what I do ❤️ I love nothing more than hearing that my former sales ponies are happy, healthy, and loved.

08/13/2023

Ballynastanford April: 2018 Imported Connemara Mare, 14.2hh

Miss “April” has the most wonderful quiet and kind way about her. Just one look in that sweet eye and you’ll fall in love! Don’t let her height fool you. She is a very traditional type of Connemara- her sturdy build will easily carry much taller folks! This pony is the perfect mix of whoa and go and not spooky.

April has all of the great hallmarks of a good Irish Connemara pony- great brain and temperament, excellent feet (barefoot!), easy keeper, naturally balanced gaits (that are VERY smooth and easy to sit), athletic, and willing. April is ready to go out BN eventing, but she could go in any direction! She has a very correct dressage foundation and she did a bit of foxhunting in Ireland prior to her import. April loves hacking out, happily crosses creeks, is traffic safe, and extremely tolerant of dogs zooming around her. She is the same pony every time you bring her out for a ride. Going away for a week of vacation? Come back and hop on after a week off and she is exactly the same as the last time you rode her. In addition, she doesn’t blink at going out for a ride in the wind or rain (extra bonus of an Irish pony!). She is a very straightforward ride and amateur friendly- she would be suitable for a well-riding kid with a trainer or an adult amateur- she is only five years old, but she is an old soul and very safe. She would be a phenomenal mother/daughter share!

April is super sweet and easy in the barn- she will stand in the cross ties all day to be groomed and fussed over. She loves snuggles! April is not at all mare-ish. She can be turned out with mares or geldings with zero drama. She loads and trailers like a dream and stands quietly for the vet and farrier.

A full set of pre-import X-rays and pre-purchase exam are available to interested buyers. April is up-to-date on all vaccines, worming, and teeth.

April is a Class 1 traditional type Connemara mare with all Class 1 breeding- she would make a great addition to your broodmare herd as well!

Located in Bernville, PA. Mid-fives- to increase with competition record.

https://youtu.be/z8TF8J_Lih0

08/13/2023

Sneak peek from our XC schooling today! April was a super star! This pony is so much fun and such a reliable girl!

08/12/2023

April has been wearing her fancy pants lately! She is just about ready to find her new 🏠- please reach out if you are interested in this super pony!