Next Generation Thoroughbreds

09/20/2025

Awesome opportunity

08/29/2025

For many riders, the obsession with “finding a distance” can turn into a daily battle. We walk into the ring convinced that every jump is a test of whether we can see that perfect takeoff spot. But at Balmoral, the philosophy is different. Instead of chasing the distance, the focus is on rhythm, pace, and track. When those pieces are correct, the distance takes care of itself.

At its core, riding to a jump is about presenting the horse with the same canter stride again and again. Rhythm is what makes that stride predictable. Horses are creatures of habit, and they thrive when the canter feels like a steady drumbeat. A consistent rhythm keeps the horse relaxed, balanced, and mentally prepared for the effort ahead.

When riders change the pace every three strides—slowing, kicking, pulling—the horse is left guessing. That uncertainty often leads to missed distances, chipped jumps, or long, weak efforts. Rhythm, on the other hand, builds trust. The horse knows what’s coming, and the rider can focus on steering and balance instead of panicking about “seeing” something.

Rhythm doesn’t mean slow. In fact, one of the most common corrections at Balmoral is asking riders to go forward. A plodding canter rarely produces quality jumps. Instead, the horse needs impulsion, the power from behind that creates a strong, jumping stride.

Think of pace as the energy within the rhythm. The right pace feels like you’re riding forward to the base of the jump, not crawling or rushing. It gives the horse the power to push off the ground and the rider the ability to stay with the motion. Without pace, rhythm falls flat; without rhythm, pace becomes chaotic.

🔗 Continue reading the article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/08/27/the-power-of-rhythm-why-pace-and-track-solve-distances/
📸 Photo © Carly Nasznic

08/11/2025

"On Tuesday, I went to the USEF/USHJA Town Hall Meeting during Pony Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park, which occurred while USEF Pony Finals was actively showing. While all the top brass were there and claimed to be ready to listen, the event was poorly marketed and even more sparsely attended.

And maybe that’s good, because it showed exactly why change feels impossible in this sport.

I sat there and listened to the governing body blame the stewards for not upholding the rules. I heard them blame trainers. I sat there as punishment was discussed. I sat there while they failed to explain our sport to new members. I heard them discount lifelong horsepeople. I heard them contradict themselves. I heard our longtime leaders profess the need for a culture change.

I wondered if they were part of the same sport I love with my whole heart. The sport where most people are good, where they welcome others in, lift them on their way up, and, maybe more importantly, on their way back up. It’s the sport where horses should come first every single day, and where trainers, judges, stewards, and grooms work so hard they forget to eat, skip the restroom, and think of nothing but their responsibilities. It’s the sport fueled by a dream that demands micromanaging every detail of a horse’s care and performance—a lifelong obsession with creating our best selves and training horses to perform magic.

What I didn’t hear at the Town Hall was anyone truly taking responsibility for our future. Sure, they wanted to pass more rules. But more rules are not a culture change. Since I joined the federation, more and more governing rules each year has been the constant. And more championships. More horse shows. More classes. More pressure. More importance placed on every competition.

The continual “more more more” burdens the people actually doing the work inour sport. It’s nothing new, and certainly not a new direction.

I couldn’t help but sit there thinking of the quote often attributed to Einstein, “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage, to move in the opposite direction.”

I listen to these meetings, feeling that they are so at odds with my lived experience at the horse shows. Over thousands of interviews, friendships, and horse shows, most people truly want to and seek out following every single rule always. Posts come up almost every day on The Plaid Horse Adult Amateur Lounge asking for clarification of the rules. Instead of being a standard for our sport, rules are being consistently contradicted or ignored for their own national championships with no repercussions. I frequently ask about rules to those working in the governing body, and often find myself feeling belittled and told that I don’t understand.

Why is our rulebook so hard to follow?

I watched at the Town Hall, our leadership unable to explain our sport to newcomers at the top level. I heard a chain of contradictions in examples that horses shouldn’t shake their heads with enthusiasm after a fantastic effort, while we are sitting in a meeting ostensibly about drug and medication rules. The rulebook is incomprehensible to newcomers and old timers alike. It is nearly impossible to follow, even for people who want to do every single thing they can to respect the sport. The rules in our (many) rulebooks are not simple or easy to understand.

This is not normal. This doesn’t happen in other sports. The NFL Rulebook is 92 pages. With horses adding complexity to our sport, it would be natural to think that our rulebook would be somewhat longer. And it is… it’s 1,290 pages. Of course, that doesn’t include the separate drug & medication rules.

This doesn’t need to happen in our sport. Most people want to follow the rules.

Instead of making clear and comprehensive rules, which at this point would likely require throwing the rulebook in the trash and making a single clear and cohesive document, the tactics seem to be attempting to make a common enemy of trashing our professionals, our sport, our judges, our stewards, and our community.

When we attack each other, the call determining our future is coming from inside the house.

🔗 Continue the full article by Piper Klemm at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/08/11/lets-make-it-easy-to-follow-the-rules/

08/04/2025

Athlete: Coach… I think I want to quit.

Coach: Okay. Then let’s talk about why.

Athlete: I’m tired. All the early mornings, the pain, the pressure. Sometimes I wake up and wonder what I’m even doing this for.

Coach: That’s not quitting. That’s being human. Doubt shows up when you’re close to something that matters.

Athlete: But I’m not even sure I’m good enough. I look around and see people stronger, faster… happier.

Coach: Comparison is a liar. It shows you everyone’s surface but hides their struggle. You don’t need to be better than them. You need to be better than yesterday.

Athlete: What if I never win? What if I give everything and still fall short?

Coach: Then you’ll walk away with something most never touch—truth. The kind you only find when you’ve emptied yourself for something bigger than comfort.

Athlete: So… you think I should keep going?

Coach: I think you already know the answer. You wouldn’t be having this conversation if you truly wanted to stop. You just want someone to remind you that it’s worth it.

Athlete: It hurts, Coach. Some days, it really hurts.

Coach: Good. That means you care. And nothing worth having comes without pain. Now breathe. You’ve made it through every hard day so far. Don’t quit before the breakthrough.

08/03/2025

Unpopular opinion: Know when to back off.

Horses are not machines. Make sure you find a trainer that knows when to push, and when to back off.

Get you a trainer that pays attention to your horse and their needs.

Some horses are such people pleasers, such hard workers, so trusting and willing, that they'd follow people into their own breaking point; and the wrong people will push them past it.

Make sure you find a trainer that recognizes the limits in your horse and doesn't try to experiment with their mental or physical soundness for faster results.

Like it or not, sometimes days off teach your horse more than constant daily pushing will.

They cannot speak, but the right trainers can still hear them. Make sure they listen.

- Good Secret Horsemanship

📸 Max & Maxwell: Equestrian Photography

07/23/2025

🕊️ One of our own now rides the Heavens 🕊️
We are heartbroken to hear that one of our cherished Local Champions, Vivian Powell, has passed away.

Vivian was a shining light in our community—full of heart, grit, and passion for the sport. Her presence touched so many lives, both in and out of the ring.

In honor of her legacy, Vivian’s family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to her Venmo to support something close to her heart. They hope to sponsor a young equestrian to show at WEC, Vivian’s favorite place—giving someone else the chance to chase their dreams.

⚠️ Please verify the account by the last four digits of her phone number: 1765. Sadly, a fake account has been created, so please double-check before donating.

Our thoughts are with Vivian’s family, friends, and every soul lucky enough to have known her. She will always be a part of the Local Champions family. 💔🐴

09/24/2024

The U.S. Equestrian Federation has announced that as of Dec. 1, the use of progestogens in stallions and geldings while competing at USEF-licensed competitions will be prohibited under Chapter 4, Drugs and Medications, of the USEF rulebook. Progestogens are still permitted in mares.

09/14/2024

09/01/2024

Hate to say it but its true! You have to be selfish to make it in this industry

BY Piper Klemm I love this time of year because it is such a privilege to see the level of competition we have coming up in our schedule—to watch the best hunter and equitation riders all compete under the same roof, and to watch the most magnificent horses tackle every challenge Indoors throws at...

08/30/2024

UPDATED

You have likely heard of the tragic death of over 70 horses at the Buetler Ranch in Elk City, Oklahoma. Horses that are descendants of over five generations of legendary rodeo horses perished when accidentally fed horse feed that was contaminated with Monensin, an ionophoric antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections in cattle and sometimes mixed with cattle and livestock feeds. In cattle, it can improve feed efficiency and average daily gain.

However, in horses, tiny amounts of monensin causees damage to the mitochondria in horses, and disrupts the sodium potassium ion fluxes in the heart, leading to cardiovascular failure.

Attached is a list of horse feed mills that are ionophore free - no ionophores are on the mill property and risk of contamination is eliminated. Ionophone "safe" mills have separate facilities and equipment for livestock and horse feed production, however, ionophores are present and the risk of contamination is not eliminated.

This list is not exhaustive. In California, Stable Mix made by Elk Grove Milling and Integrity Feeds made by Star Milling are both ionophore free facilities.

If in doubt about a feed manufacturers ionophore status, call or e mail them. Unfortunately, some small local mills may not be able to guarantee ionophore free status.

UPDATE! Dr Rachel Mottet of Legacy Equine Nutrition has updated their list of ionophore free equine feed mills. Her team contacted all the mills listed to verify their ionophore status, a huge task!
Here is the link to that document.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17IVu88GVlLU04C3uitCTPHQ5Q2cB-khka_-eMJaMSCY/edit?fbclid=IwY2xjawE-069leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZsDAwMxkfCeS5Oq4osuGzIi2GXrhepntpC1ObUyxrlHRqjBQTAgPdrLug_aem_-mb63idLfO55NZmTqeKnVw&gid=0 =0

And,Bluebonnet was spelled incorrectly, in the photo - Bluebonnet is named after the flower, not a hat!

08/11/2024

This is a nice one