Gates Equestrian

12/21/2025

Thank you for celebrating with us!

12/18/2025

The annual Joe Fargis clinic, previously scheduled, has been postponed to July. We will provide a grass jumping field and an outdoor arena. If you wish to be included, please send me a private message. Washington State Hunter Jumper Association

12/17/2025

Hello to our new home. We would like to extend our gratitude to Brick Road Farms, LLC for hosting us for the last two years. Brick Road Farms, LLC

12/15/2025

In a world where everyone wants more riding time, trainer Geoff Case says the secret isn’t luck—it’s effort.

“People always ask me, ‘How do I get more chances to ride?’” he said. “The answer is simple: show up, pay attention, and work hard when no one’s watching.”

For Case, the difference between a rider who gets one opportunity and one who gets a hundred is professionalism.

Case learned early in his career that the riders who get called on are the ones who are there. “Half the time, opportunity looks like being in the right place at the right moment,” he said. “If you’re at the barn, if you’re helping, if you’re ready—you’ll get asked.”

He’s not talking about luck or timing. He’s talking about commitment. “You can’t get a ride if you’re sitting at home,” he said. “You have to be around. You have to make yourself available.”

That means doing the small things that make big impressions like helping tack up, walking a course for someone, or simply being on time every day. “Trainers notice,” Case said. “We always remember the kid who’s early, who’s dressed, who’s ready to help. That’s the one we trust to get on a horse when we need someone.”

He’s seen it time and again: a rider who’s quietly sweeping the aisle or holding a horse gets a surprise catch ride simply because they were nearby and prepared. “If you’re ready, those moments happen,” Case said. “If you’re not, they pass you by.”

Once you do get the chance to ride, Case says attitude is everything. “If someone hands you a horse, treat it like it’s the most important ride of your life,” he said. “That’s how people know they can count on you.”

He believes the best riders make every single ride look like a privilege, not a chore. “Even if it’s just walking a horse, do it like it matters,” he said. “That’s the difference between someone who’s hungry and someone who’s entitled.”

That level of care shows in how you cool out the horse, how you clean your tack, and how you talk to people around the barn. “Being a good horseman is being a good professional,” Case said. “The horses feel it, and so do the people who might give you your next chance.”

Case doesn’t mince words about what separates long-term success from short-term promise. “Work ethic beats talent every time,” he said. “Talent’s great, but if you don’t work, it doesn’t matter.”

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/12/12/the-professional-habits-that-get-you-opportunities-to-ride/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

12/13/2025

Equestrians spend a lot of time, money, and effort to be able to ride their horses. Whether you take multiple lessons a week or one a month, time with a good trainer is a privilege. It’s important to set yourself up for success, especially when starting with a new trainer or attending a clinic.

A good lesson will give you takeaways that last far longer than the time in the ring, but students have to do their part. Here are my tips for getting the most out of your lesson.

1. Arrive on time to be mounted in the ring at the appointed time so you are not late (and stressed).

If you’re late to your lesson, you’ll miss out on valuable information that you may not get back depending on the schedule. Your trainer also has a schedule to keep, and it’s frustrating (as well as unfair to others) when some arrive rate. Plus, the added stress of rushing to get ready will not help your riding. Get there early, give yourself plenty of time, and enter the ring relaxed and ready to learn.

2. Have everything you need organized in a bag or backpack.

Again, this helps your mental state for your lesson. Plus, it’s great to be prepared if your instructor asks you to add a spur or crop. It never hurts to be over prepared!

3. Focus. Focus. Focus. Listen carefully and do your best to follow directions.

It doesn’t matter if you had a hard test at school or a stressful day at work prior to your lesson. Try to flush everything else from your mind, and focus on your horse and the help coming to you. A good trainer will never get upset at someone making mistakes while trying to learn, but failing to listen to directions will leave everyone flustered.

4. A positive attitude is important.

When things don’t go well, remember that challenging yourself is hard. Take the mistakes as learning opportunities, and continue to push harder. A poor attitude will almost always ensure failure.

5. Don’t decide you already know a better or different way.

There are countless ways to teach something. Just because you’ve been doing it a certain way for a long time doesn’t mean that’s the best way. All horses respond differently. Be open to new ideas. After all, you showed up to hear the trainer’s expertise!

6. Watch what’s going on around you.

Watch the other riders in your group when they’re taking their turn. See who was able to follow directions. See how their trips worked out. Learning isn’t limited to what you are doing. You soak a lot in by observing.

7. Study the horses too.

Watching the others is also a good way to learn about different types of horses. Quick ones, lazy ones, horses that are heavy on the forehand, horses that go around with their head up in the air. See how the riders navigate their different strengths and weaknesses, and what does (or doesn’t!) work out.

8. Be open to a lifetime of learning with horses.

This is not a sport that can be learned overnight. The best riders are lifelong learners who are completely open minded. They listen to everything, and try their hardest. You don’t even stop learning, so never stop trying to improve!

📎 Save & share this article by Robin Greenwood at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2021/04/08/8-ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-every-lesson/

12/13/2025

Magic!

12/11/2025

12/05/2025

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀?

Because every “neat” moment you see in the ring - the clean flying change, the tidy rollback, the effortless distance - is built on a mountain of basics: rhythm, balance, straightness, clarity, repetition, and trust.

The real magic lives in the base of the pyramid - not the shiny bit at the top.

Advanced work only works when the foundations feel solid, repeatable, and understood by both horse and rider.
And that’s exactly what creates the horses who are genuinely 𝘧𝘶𝘯 to ride… the ones who jump easily, land balanced, turn like a dream, and both accelerate and wait when you ask.

So yes, I love riding the advanced stuff too.
But I love the basics more - 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦.

11/30/2025

HOTEL RESERVATIONS NOW OPEN FOR THE
2025 WSHJA ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET
BOOKING LINK at www.WSHJA.org homepage

11/30/2025

11/25/2025

No words needed.. ❤️🙌