Knop Equine & Cattle

01/28/2025

Why $50 to $80 for a Riding Lesson is the Bargain of a Lifetime! 🐴

At first glance, $50 to $80 might seem like a lot for a riding lesson. After all, it’s just 30 minutes or an hour on a horse, right? But here’s the kicker: that price doesn’t even begin to cover the full value of what you’re getting.

Let me break it down for you:

When you pay for a riding lesson, you’re not just paying for the time spent in the saddle. You’re paying for decades of knowledge, years of training, and an entire operation dedicated to creating a safe, fun, and rewarding experience.

You’re paying for an incredible partnership between horse and human—something most people only dream of experiencing.

You’re paying for the *generations of knowledge and skill* that went into breeding or selecting a safe, reliable horse—a horse that can teach a beginner to steer or build confidence in an intermediate rider.

You’re paying for the *thousands of hours* that trainers and instructors spent educating that horse, putting on the miles, and teaching it to be patient, forgiving, and downright saintly.

You’re paying for the tack: saddles, bridles, bits, saddle pads, girths, and all the fittings—carefully selected for comfort, fit, and durability. You’re also paying for the endless supply of grooming tools, from curry combs to hoof picks to detangling spray.

You’re paying for feed: hay, grain, supplements, and the occasional treat. You’re paying for veterinary care, including vaccines, deworming, dental work, and emergency visits. Don’t forget the farrier—someone has to keep those hooves in tip-top shape.

You’re paying for the blankets: rain sheets, winter rugs, coolers—whatever is needed to keep the horses happy and healthy in every season. You’re paying for the halters, lead ropes, and fly masks that keep them comfortable and safe.

You’re paying for the facilities: the arena footing, jumps, fences, barn, and tack room. You’re also paying for the equipment that maintains it all—tractors, ring drags, hoses, water buckets, muck rakes, shovels, and the never-ending repair bills that come with running a stable.

You’re paying for the labor: the early mornings and late nights, the endless stall mucking, the feeding, and the hauling of hay bales. You’re paying for the nights someone walks a colicky horse until the vet arrives.

You’re also paying for the *risk*: every time a lesson horse takes a rider, there’s a chance they could end up hurt or permanently lame. These horses are worth their weight in gold, and it’s my job to keep them safe, healthy, and happy. That’s why they’re only worked a certain amount, jump sparingly, and have strict limits on their workload.

So when you hear, “$50 to $80 for a lesson,” what you’re really getting is the result of years of dedication, hard work, and care. You’re getting a piece of a much larger puzzle—the kind of puzzle that most people don’t see but that makes those 30 or 60 minutes possible.

It’s not “just a lesson.” It’s a lifetime of expertise and a whole village behind it.

I am grateful to my team and the incredible horses for all they bring to people’s experiences. 💙💛

If you are looking for a riding facility here are some tips 📣

1. Do your due diligence before selecting just any facility for you or your child to ride at

2. If it doesn’t feel safe, trust your gut!

3. Any given day, someone wakes up and decides to become an instructor bc they have horses and want to make a buck. ***⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Unfortunately, most of them have a little to no prior experience, and or claims they know more then they actually do ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

4. Instructors/trainers should have references and insurance! This is a business at the end of the day and everyone should be protected.

5. Accept the word NO. Trainers have lesson horses and your best interest at heart. They are not trying to ⭐️HOLD YOU or YOUR HORSE⭐️back to be mean. The amount of students we have received from other programs that are riding or surviving beyond their capabilities is horrifying. What may take you one week may take another rider a month. Everyone needs to go at their own pace to do it properly and safely, This is not a race but something to enjoy at your own pace 🤠

01/27/2025

Here is the Available lesson times this week Jan 27th through Jan 31st

Hope everyone has a wonderful week 😊😊

01/26/2025

How else would some of the Rodeo team spend this beautiful Saturday but with their horses practicing their skills ❤️

Not only did we have beautiful weather to enjoy we have a special visitor, Miss Rori Unger, to give our horses some tlc ❤️❤️

01/21/2025

This is related to the think before you stick post on which vein you are hitting.
This is a result of putting Banimine, a common drug used, in the artery vein causing this affect.

If it’s bright red it goes to the head

This is a mild case it could be a lot worse sadly and can even result in death.

Think before you stick, and educate yourself on where each medication can be administered.

Remember
Bright red goes to the head, deep red has the go ahead

01/19/2025

01/16/2025

Evening conversations with Fayth are the best❤️

01/16/2025

When one of the Rodeo girls insisted on working Miss Ruby, a personal 4 year old gem, you let her because you know the capability of both horse and rider❤️❤️

Love good minded young ones and handy kids that you know and trust that they could handle situations if they arise, both a proud product of our program.

Right here is a prime example of taking your time with your babies and training them right. It is also an example of a rider working long and hard to learn how to work them properly.

Even tho temps are not the most desirable at the moment, we are still here putting in that hard work to achieve our goals❤️

01/09/2025

Despite the cold ice and snow everyone is doing great!!

But to play things safe with the upcoming snow coming in this evening and tomorrow we will not have lessons the rest of the week, hopefully 🤞 we will be able to get some in next week!

Until then enjoy some shots of smoky snuggles❤️

01/08/2025

This is a carotid artery vs jugular vein stick!
If the injection were given into the artery (rather than the vein, as it should be), the results could be detrimental, leading to seizures and in worst case scenarios, death. This is because the carotid artery would immediately carry the medication directly to the brain.

You can tell the difference of the vessels based upon the color of the blood. The arterial blood is oxygenated and hemoglobin-rich, thus a bright red color! The deoxygenated venous blood is that darker, deeper red.

“If it’s pink you gotta think… if it’s red go ahead”

Bright red = artery.
Dark red = vein.

“Bright red goes to the head”

Knowledge is power, think before you stick. If you have never seen a horse drop from a seizure highly not suggested

You may wonder why we pull back into the syringe when giving injections in the vein. This picture explains why. We don't pull back to make sure we're in the vessel, we do it to make sure we're in the RIGHT vessel. Today I went to give an injection and pulled back and saw blood brighter than I wanted. I decided to go and get a new dose of sedation and once again pulled back and then gave my dose of sedation. The syringe on the left was my first injection and the syringe on the right was my second injection. Does anyone know why I shouldn't have injected that first syringe? And had I injected that first injection, what would have happened?

01/07/2025

With road conditions heading out to the barn still undesirable, we are going to cancel lessons today and tomorrow. I will keep everyone posted about later this week.

Everyone stay safe and warm!

01/03/2025

Some of the Rodeo team venture over to Reflections Equestrian Center before the bad weather arrives to run some barrels and this team showed up!

Several new PR and couldn’t be more proud of them all!!

Great way to start 2025!!!

01/01/2025

As 2024 season is a wrap and we welcome a new year here is a highlight and shout out to our growing Rodeo team❤️

Hard to believe back in 2021 I had this dream that most called me crazy for and started out with one team member and To end the 2024 season with 36 is a true blessing.

Not only has the numbers grown but the skill level of each and every one of these kiddos have as well!❤️

So proud and blessed to have each and every one of them and can not wait to watch them grow and glow in the 2025 season ❤️❤️

12/30/2024

Available lesson times this week 12/30 — 1/4.

Holiday Hours :
New years Eve— Closed
New Years Day — Closed

Few lessons times available this week due to the holiday and Competitions so message us soon to get your times in. We will be back to normal schedule come 1/6.

Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and have a Happy New Year!!

12/28/2024

Went over to Reflections Equestrian Center today to get one last run in for the year and these kiddos didn’t disappoint!!

Peewee division 1st, 2nd, and 3rd went to Knop Rodeo team girls congratulations Ava, Quinn and Lily!!

Novice Miss Braylynn and Esther came home in the $$. Esther coming in the $$ in the Rockie class as well!

So proud of these kiddos!

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas to all from our family to yours.

May your Christmas be filled with joy surrounded by love and happiness.

12/24/2024

Horses are so much more than what meets the eye. Yes they are beautiful creatures that some find quite intimidating, but with the right surroundings and mentors they can completely change your life.

When Savanna 1st came here for lessons i honestly thought she didn’t like it and really questioned if it was myself or she just not into it, that is how shy this young lady was. When she asked to try the Rodeo team I was thrown back saying you do realize you will have to go fast at some point, as she boldly looked at me and said yes I know and this is what I want to do. From that day on she has been paired with Trigger. This team has blossomed into something that will just pull at your heartstrings . As it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, it took heart and that is what both of them have plenty of.

Trusting the process is something I have started from the very beginning, And for those who have trusted me and the process the results say the rest. Very proud of this duo from going from a 34 seconds barrel pattern in 2022 to running their 1st 16 together in 2024. Very blessed that her and her parents believed that we could make this possible and believed how much work it was going to take when I said this isn’t going to be an overnight thing or even a year long experience, it is a livestyle. Savanna is here daily working on her skills to become the best version of herself, and seeing her today from day one speaks volumes.

Proud of you kiddo, can’t wait to see where the 2025 season takes you❤️

12/23/2024

Fayth over fear is something that I have been saying forever but now it means a tad bit different. Anytime I find myself overthinking about things completely out of my control these 3 words in my head, “Fayth over Fear”

This little one isn’t short of amazing, not only will she just light up your day from just being her, but also her story will touch your heart. When I 1st met this brave soul she was just getting her leg braces and still having to have assistance to walk. As a mother myself I couldn’t imagine the strength it took for her parents to go through this process. But from having complete assistance to just walk, to having the strength to sit on a horse with assistance, to sitting alone on a horse with balance, then to walking one alone and now riding solo. This girl is an inspiration to all of us daily and we love her to pieces.

So if you’re on the fence about whether or not to get them into this sport and give them the love for this animal that can completely transform their lives, I say do it!! From learning disabilities, anxiety, depression and even physical disabilities I have seen these animals transform their students into something they could only dream of.

Today’s shout out goes to Miss Fayth and herfamily for truly showing us what it means to persevere when all odds are against you.

❤️Fayth over Fear ❤️