Legacy Farm Inc.

10/25/2024

Show team has been putting in the hard work this year and it shows across the board! Well done to all of our riders!

08/11/2024

The team never disappoints!!! Ty to everyone who worked so hard to make the day a success and a special thank you to their fearless leader, Cameron Banks

07/31/2024

A small stab in the heart is what you feel when you put up the day's riding list and you see riders sinking heavily in their shoulders when reading which horse they are assigned for the lesson. A small stab in the heart for that horse that for an hour will carry around a rider who has already decided that he does not like his horse. A small stab in the heart for the horse that did not choose the rider himself but still does his best, lesson after lesson.

Riding is a privilege and something you have chosen to do. If you chose to ride at a riding school, your instructor assumes that you actually want to learn how to ride. The instructor's highest wish is that you get good at it.

Often there is a plan and a thought as to why you are assigned to that exact horse. Before you mount up next time, ask yourself "what can this horse teach me today?" All horses have something to give, a feeling or a new tool in the box.

The art is actually in being able to get a lazy horse to move forward, to get an uncertain horse to gain confidence, a naughty horse to focus or a tense horse to be released. It takes work. If you think a horse is boring, it's more likely that you don't ride the horse as well as you think! It's not easy to be confronted with your own shortcomings, but it is in that very situation that you get the chance to truly grow as a rider.

The excuse that "it's not my kind of horse" is actually a really bad excuse. A good rider can ride any kind of horse. A good rider has trained many hours on different types of horses to become a good rider. A good rider can find and manage the gold nuggets in every horse.

If we absolutely want to ride, it is our duty to strive to do it as best as possible, even if it's only for fun. We owe it to every horse that carries us upon it's back.

Copied and shared with love for all of our horses, ponies and riders 🐎❤🐎

06/18/2024

So well said!

https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2022/01/19/you-are-a-student-not-a-customer/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR12-UyRExYLz-E75JiuEW70XNKuUZ07z5M6eOfTpHJbQ3J6F5WxPG9PtK0_aem_cr6faDuPprk1Rg2YHmM02w

By Emily Elek  I’m not into that customer stuff.  You know what I mean. There are so many in this business who refer to their “customers.” And the customer is always right…right? Except the barn is not an outlet mall. Our customer support team is run by small ponies with an agenda.  And I...

06/10/2024

Things my young horse has taught me about sport psychology

Success is not linear. Highs, lows, forwards, backwards. Buckle up.

Keep your head down but chin up by setting small goals. One foot in front of the other and you’ll be amazed to see just how far you’ve come without realizing it. You’re getting where you’re going, you’re just not there yet.

Progress is a reasonable expectation, perfection is not. Perfect often gets in the way of good enough.

The outcome is never within your control. Your effort and attitude are.

Mistakes are a good thing. It means you’re learning. Put your ego aside and and be coachable.

Appreciate the process. You get to do this, you want to do this, you don’t have to. Riding, especially competing, is a privilege not a right.

Emotional control is mandatory. Lose it on your own time, not on your horse’s time.

Ask for help. Learn something new. Try something different. It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.

Resilience and confidence are flip sides of a coin. Exhibit resilience to grow your confidence, establish resilience by leaning into your confidence.

06/08/2024

We are in need of a Friday and Saturday evening barn worker. Turnout, hay, water, pick a couple of stalls. Roughly 6:30 pm - 8 pm. Email [email protected] or PM

Send a message to learn more

06/04/2024

So thrilled to welcome Raging Tempist aka Teddy to the farm, and congrats to Adriana on his lease!! Really looking forward to developing this promising youngster!

05/29/2024

Legacy Farm Inc. in Telford still has a few spots open for summer camp this year! Our weeks are:
6/17 -21
7/8-12
7/22-26
8/5-9
Camp is 9 am to 3 pm Mon - Fri and includes fun filled days of horse activities, riding, games, crafts and friendship! Give your child a summer to remember! www.legacyfarmllc.com or [email protected] for more info.

05/25/2024

05/20/2024

A wonderful day at sommerfield yesterday! Well done to all our riders!

05/07/2024

If your canter length is not 12 feet (3.6 m), you're making it difficult for your horse to find a good takeoff spot. Show jumping courses are designed to accommodate a standard canter stride length and are not adjusted to each horse's stride. This means courses with related lines (ie all of them!) and distances in combinations will be significant challenges if you can't maintain a 12-foot (3.6 m) canter.

Yes, it's possible to jump clear without a standard stride, but you'll need a great "eye". You've probably seen the "old school" riders who hold and hold and hold until they "see a spot," then they chase it down. This approach requires a reactive horse, bigger bits, nosebands, martingales, and the often yelled instruction of "MORE LEG".

There are better ways to achieve consistency.

Inconsistent stride lengths increase wear and tear on your horse, which we want to avoid at all costs. I'm not saying you don't need an adjustable canter or a sharp eye—because you do—but it should be subtle.

We've all heard people say, "riders just sit there; the horse does all the work." You CAN learn to ride like that, but it requires careful preparation. If you don't have one yet, get a long tape measure and use it for the free exercises on my website (link in comment). You'll be on your way to improvement!

Most jumping riders practice straight-line distances, but it's just as important to master the 3.6 m (12-foot) stride on curved lines. At home, you can test this by placing two poles on opposite sides of a 20-meter circle. Canter around the circle and count how many strides you take between the poles.

You should be able to canter eight non-jumping strides for each half of the 20-meter circle. If this is new to you, you might end up with around ten strides, or even more. Here's the maths: The circumference of a 20-meter circle (C = πd) is about 63 meters, which is 17.5 standard canter strides. For simplicity, we'll call it 18. Subtract two strides for the poles, leaving 16. Half of that is eight.

Don't say that's too hard! Your phone has a calculator, and if you rotate it, you'll find a scientific calculator with a π symbol. If you want to be a jumping rider there are no excuses for being lazy about distances and canter length. You cannot improve what you do not measure.

One day, you'll face a combination off a half-circle approach. If you're counting ten strides between the poles on a 20-meter circle, how will you safely jump though a combination approached from a turn? If you can't maintain a 12-foot (3.6 m) canter by riding eight strides over poles on the ground in both directions, please hold off on jumping courses for now. Nail down the right canter so you can handle bigger tracks harmoniously without pulling and chasing. Your horse will thank you.