Hidden Gem Equine

15/08/2024

I had someone ask me this week why attendance is one of the factors that affects scheduling.

I thought it was an odd question, because it has a pretty simple answer...open lesson times don't pay bills. So scheduling someone who isn't going to show up regularly isn't a good business decision.

But it really goes deeper than that.

One of the most profound lessons that horses teach us is commitment. Commitment to caring for them, commitment to bettering ourselves, and commitment to setting goals and achieving them.

If you aren't attending the lessons you scheduled (horseback riding or any other sport) regularly, you're missing this point. Your progress will be minimal and you'll end up frustrated.

Holding space for someone who isn't committed to that space will suck the life right out of you. (Read that twice, because it applies every single day of your life). It isn't just a financial drain. It's tough to get excited to teach someone who isn't committed to learning.

So yes, I'm going to schedule riders who are committed to learning and who attend regularly first. Their enthusiasm keeps me going when the day is kicking my butt. They remind me that this purpose is far bigger than just what is happening in the arena.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. 🤣

15/08/2024

Watch for my tips and tricks on perfecting your horse's mane!

13/08/2024

We had a great time at one of our favorite venues, Revel Run in Dexter, MI for the Cobbletsone Horse Trials. As always the cross country courses were well built and designed offering great questions for each level to be challenging runs and good prep for later season move ups. And the Foxhole, now finished, was great for an after ride refresher. Thank you to the owners, organizers, sponsors, vendors and volunteers for putting on a wonderful event.

I had the pleasure of coaching John Meyers and his Notorius C.A.T for their first run at Modified. Other than a processing moment jumping down into the water they were confident and ready for this move up with a clear show jump.

Anabelle Friend and Tator Cz’alad finished on their dressage score again in Open Training to finish 5th. Her young mare, Best Cause, came along for her first event and got some great exposure but was a bit reluctant to leave the crowd in warm up. Normal young horse thing and we will work on it and try again!

Lindsey DeAngelis showed that all our hard work is paying off guiding her Sweet Posse to one of her best shows jump rounds ever. The mare is a cross country machine and had a very easy lope around Novice. Her other horse, Apollo Rocket, keeps learning so much at each run. He ate up the cross country course and thinks his job is pretty cool.

Christina Kelly finally got to come to a show! They had a stellar dressage with a super score and are working on knocking the dust off and getting back in the groove over jumps.

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11/08/2024

19/07/2024

Close date is here! Enter now for our Summer Dressage Classic at Meadow Lake. This is a super relaxed environment to get your final scores toward regionals.

Go to MeadowLakeEC.com/events for more info.

We are also hosting a clinic with Brian MacMahon, our “S” judge, the day after the show. Contact us to sign up!

14/07/2024

This 💯. No matter how “quiet” or steady a horse is there is a settling process. It’s not going to be the horse it was in its trial for awhile.

"New Home Syndrome"🤓

I am coining this term to bring recognition, respect, and understanding to what happens to horses when they move homes. This situation involves removing them from an environment and set of routines they have become familiar with, and placing them somewhere completely different with new people and different ways of doing things.

Why call it a syndrome?

Well, really it is! A syndrome is a term used to describe a set of symptoms that consistently occur together and can be tied to certain factors such as infections, genetic predispositions, conditions, or environmental influences. It is also used when the exact cause of the symptoms is not fully understood or when it is not connected with a well-defined disease. In this case, "New Home Syndrome" is connected to a horse being placed in a new home where its entire world changes, leading to psychological and physiological impacts. While it might be transient, the ramifications can be significant for both the horse and anyone handling or riding it.

Let me explain...

Think about how good it feels to get home after a busy day. How comfortable your favourite clothes are, how well you sleep in your own bed compared to a strange bed, and how you can really relax at home. This is because home is safe and familiar. At home, the part of you that keeps an eye out for potential danger turns down to a low setting. It does this because home is your safe place (and if it is not, this blog will also explain why a lack of a safe place is detrimental).

Therefore, the first symptom of horses experiencing "New Home Syndrome" is being unsettled, prone to anxiety, or difficult behaviour. If you have owned them before you moved them, you struggle to recognise your horse, feeling as if your horse has been replaced by a frustrating version. If the horse is new to you, you might wonder if you were conned, if the horse was drugged when you rode it, or if you were lied to about the horse's true nature.

A horse with "New Home Syndrome" will be a stressed version of itself, on high alert, with a drastically reduced ability to cope. Horses don't handle change like humans do. If you appreciate the comfort of your own home and how you can relax there, you should be able to understand what the horse is experiencing.

Respecting that horses interpret and process their environments differently from us helps in understanding why your horse is being frustrating and recognising that there is a good chance you were not lied to or that the horse was not drugged.

Horses have survived through evolution by being highly aware of their environments. Change is a significant challenge for them because they notice the slightest differences, not just visually but also through sound, smell, feel, and other senses. Humans generalise and categorise, making it easy for us to navigate familiar environments like shopping centres. Horses do not generalise in the same way; everything new is different to them, and they need proof of safety before they can habituate and feel secure. When their entire world changes, it is deeply stressful.

They struggle to sleep until they feel safe, leading to sleep deprivation and increased difficulty.

But there is more...

Not only do you find comfort in your home environment and your nervous system downregulates, but you also find comfort in routines. Routines are habits, and habits are easy. When a routine changes or something has to be navigated differently, things get difficult. For example, my local supermarket is undergoing renovations. After four years of shopping there, it is extremely frustrating to have to work out where everything is now. Every day it gets moved due to the store being refitted section by section. This annoyance is shared by other shoppers and even the staff.

So, consider the horse. Not only are they confronted with the challenge of figuring out whether they are safe in all aspects of their new home while being sleep deprived, but every single routine and encounter is different. Then, their owner or new owner starts getting critical and concerned because the horse suddenly seems untrained or difficult. The horse they thought they owned or bought is not meeting their expectations, leading to conflict, resistance, explosiveness, hypersensitivity, and frustration.

The horse acts as if it knows little because it is stressed and because the routines and habits it has learned have disappeared. If you are a new human for the horse, you feel, move, and communicate differently from what it is used to. The way you hold the reins, your body movements in the saddle, the position of your leg – every single routine of communication between horse and person is now different. I explain to people that when you get a new horse, you have to imprint yourself and your way of communicating onto the horse. You have to introduce yourself and take the time to spell out your cues so that they get to know you.

Therefore, when you move a horse to a new home or get a new horse, your horse will go through a phase called "New Home Syndrome," and it will be significant for them. Appreciating this helps them get through it because they are incredible and can succeed. The more you understand and help the horse learn it is safe in its new environment and navigate the new routines and habits you introduce, the faster "New Home Syndrome" will pass.
"New Home Syndrome" will be prevalent in a horse’s life until they have learned to trust the safety of the environment (and all that entails) and the humans they meet and interact with. With strategic and understanding approaches, this may take weeks, and their nervous systems will start downgrading their high alert status. However, for some horses, it can take a couple of years to fully feel at ease in their new home.

So, next time you move your horse or acquire a new horse and it starts behaving erratically or being difficult, it is not being "stupid", you might not have been lied to or the horse "drugged" - your horse is just experiencing an episode of understandable "New Home Syndrome." And you can help this.❤

I would be grateful if you could please share, this reality for horses needs to be better appreciated ❤
‼️When I say SHARE that does not mean plagiarise my work…it is seriously not cool to copy and paste these words and make out you have written it yourself‼️

13/07/2024

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10/07/2024

We had a great time taking 6 of our event horses to get some show jump practice at the Robert Murphy Show this weekend. It was a great opportunity to work on developing a plan and executing it without pressure. Mistakes were addressed in the next round and everyone finished with a beautifully executed trip. Everyone won some ribbons and some $ too! In eventing it is so easy to put way too pressure on oneself in dressage and stadium as it is so easy to accumulate penalty points.

08/07/2024

We have a BUSY August at Meadow Lake! You can view more info and enter any of our August shows at MeadowLakeEC.com/events.
📌August 7: USEF/USDF Summer Dressage Classic
📌August 8: Brian MacMahon “S” Judge clinic
📌August 10: Cross Country Equestrian Competition (new to CCE? Think eventing derby style show)
📌August 17: Mini Trial, Combined Test, and Dressage Show

07/07/2024

Some great products and tips for your grooming before and after ride regimen.

We really love Epona products at HGE. We are not sponsored by Epona but would love to be!!

02/07/2024

We had a great weekend at MSEDA Dressage at the Park albeit a very hot one.

Chrissy Westfall rode April McCain’s Moppi for a very successful show at First Level getting a score of 69.7% to win her classes and earn Reserve AA High Score for the show!!! She also got both her First Level scores for her Bronze. This is only Chrissy’s 2nd USDF rated show ever and she knocked it out of the park. Proud trainer moment!!

Anabelle Friend rode her Tater CZ’alad at their first USDF show for some incredible scores also and some blue ribbons. She tackled First 3 and Second 1 and practiced her eventing test. Anabelle and Taz achieved close to 70% and got 3 scores towards her Bronze in 1 weekend!! Way to put in the work Anabelle. It was so nice to take this sometimes anxious horse to a straight dressage show and do multiple tests to really help him figure it out. Of course he thought halting at X on entering was super weird and wrong. 😂

Nikki rode her mount, Last Word in Third 2 for the first time. Exactly one year ago Sunday this horse did his first dressage test/show ever. He was a top Int’l Derby Hunter in his previous life. He’s come a very long way in a year to be competitive at Third level. Lots more work and improvement to do but very proud of him!

Sam and Sirena rode their first 2-3 tests and came away with excellent comments from the judges and great learning moments to continue into the rest of the season. Second level is hard, but Sam is working so hard to make it a success!

Thank you to MidSouth Eventing & Dressage Association for putting on this show. We always enjoy it!

30/06/2024

Want to have a beautiful shiny coat on your horse? Currying your horse is an integral part of the grooming process. The curry loosens the dirt and dander from the skin, helps remove loose hair in the shedding process, and brings up the oils in a horses’ coat for the shine. It’s also a nice massage and scratch for your horse.

Watch for some tips and tricks on how and why to use a curry comb.

26/06/2024

Due to popular requests , we have shorten our two day weekend clinic to one day!

Join us July 13 at Meadow Lake Equestrian Center for Hidden Gem’s Yoga for Equestrians! A clinic that specializes on targeting and strengthening your position in the saddle through yoga. Clinic fee is $175 and closing date is July 5. Email [email protected] for more information!

Nikki Jewell is a horse trainer and yoga instructor, YTT-200 and additional Yin training graduate. Nikki grew up focusing on training and competing on the A circuit at the national level in the hunters. She then transitioned into Dressage and Eventing, earning her bronze medal and coaching students through the 2* level. You can learn more about Nikki and Hidden Gem 🔗 https://nikki-jewell.squarespace.com/nikki-jewell

18/06/2024

A great yoga pose to practice your jumping position is extended child’s pose. This is super for what you should feel in your hips, shoulders, and back. Bringing your hips back over your heels and extending your arms forward with a neutral flat back is the same balance and feeling you want at the top of the arc of the jump.

Interested in learning more about how yoga can help strengthen and correct your position? Check out my yoga for equestrians clinic in July!

13/06/2024

The schedule for our Yoga Clinic is out! 🧘‍♀️

We have a limited # of stalls available for rent for the clinic. Closing date for sign up is July 5 with a $150 non refundable deposit due by closing date ( the remainder is due on day 1 of clinic). We will have a maximum of 8 participants per clinic. To sign up message Nikki Jewell at [email protected]

06/06/2024

Have you ever wondered how yoga can help you improve your position? Nikki Jewell, horse trainer and riding instructor is also a certified yoga instructor! Join us at the Ashley Inn for the first ever Hidden Gem Yoga for Equestrians. This yoga clinic uniquely offers unmounted and mounted sessions to help improve your position and balance in and out of the saddle.

04/06/2024

Had a great time at IEA Horse Trials this weekend. The organizers and volunteers did an amazing job keeping the show running smoothly for sold out attendance!!! I can’t imagine how much work went into hosting 3 classic format divisions and a full HT for 6 levels! Brody’s courses are always fair and well designed for SJ and the xc courses used a lot of the vast park and gave our horses a fun run!

I had fun with some substitute coaching students this weekend. Hayley Palmer and Sir Edward have found their gallop and had a super confident xc run to finish 8th in Open Training.

Stacy Johnson and Altruismo joined us from IL. After an oops moment in dressage Mo was incredibly game in the rain on xc and clean in a sloppy SJ to finish in 6th in Open Novice. This little horse has such an amazing jump.

Nikki Jewell piloted Marion Caldwell’s 5 yo Belle to finish on their dressage score for 4th in Open Beginner Novice.

Molly DePerna and Mannulus showed some grit to jump a double clear round in the pouring rain very late on Saturday. Cheeto is a mudder! A double clear xc on Sunday had them finish on their dressage score in Open Starter in 4 th also!

03/06/2024

Thank you to Pinnacle Equine Laundry & Repair for keeping all of our blankets clean, repaired and waterproofed!

03/06/2024

Entries close today! All entries must be received by midnight tonight (6/3) to be considered on-time.

We cannot wait to see everyone for our mini trial (pre-starter through novice), combined test (poles through intermediate), and dressage show (including western dressage). We even have jump rounds and lead line! There’s something for everyone.

Enter online today! Meadowlakeec.com/events.

02/06/2024

Please share with your horsey friends!

20/05/2024

Thank you Lindsey DeAngelis, Meadow Lake Equestrian Center, and all the sponsors for a great show on Sunday. Amazing prizes given at a mini trial!!

Maddie and Louis did their first show together and won! He handled all the activity with ease, was confident, and such a good boy. Hard to believe how far he’s come in a short time.

Molly DePerna and Mannulus had an amazing day winning on their dressage score of 20.3!!

Chrissy Westfall and Moppi stepped up to 1-2 won First level with a great score of 71.8%!

20/05/2024

You’ve already brought your young horse to enough competitions as a non-compete that you can ride them around fairly relaxed and they accept hectic surroundings. The number of outings this takes depends on the horse. It is also helpful to bring your horse on other types of field trips. If your horse lives at home, trailering out for lessons is a great field trip. Going to public equestrian parks is also a good excursion. After as many outings as it takes for travel and new places to become non stressful it is time to take the plunge.

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Read more 🔗https://nikki-jewell.squarespace.com/blog/2024/5/17/positive-experiences-build-confidence-introducing-your-young-horse-to-competition-part-2

15/05/2024

The sandbox was not our friend this weekend at River Glen but everyone rallied, slayed some prior demons, and ran clear xc!

Anabelle Friend and Tater CZ’alad finished 4th and Hayley Palmer and Sir Edward 8th in the same Open training division.
Lindsey DeAngelis and the young Apollo Rocket moved up to Beginner Novice and had a brave xc run also finishing 8th in their division.
Aurea and freedom had a wonderful first outing together at beginner novice with three strong phases to finish in 3rd
Dory Tuohey and Autumn Rhythm had a scary fall in SJ but are thankfully both ok and on the mend.

09/05/2024

I am a horse trainer. I have been a horse trainer my whole life. I started on this journey because I loved horses. As a young girl and a teenager I lived and breathed horses. My horses lived in my backyard so I was lucky enough to do all their care and see them when I woke up and before I went to sleep. Then horses became my job. While trying to build a business around other peoples’ horses I didn't own a horse of my own for a long time. I had school horses. I had sale horses. They weren't mine though. They had a job or an agenda. Of course I loved all of them but I couldn’t completely let them into my heart because then I could never let them go. And that is bad for business. And then came Lotus.

And even though it was a pretty dumb idea financially and rationally I bought this horse. I wanted to be a girl that loved her horsey again. I wanted a horse in my life that had no agenda. He wasn’t for sale. He didn’t belong to someone else that I had to answer to or get him ready for. There was no rush or external pressure. No one could change their minds and take him away from me. I could open my heart completely and let him in.

Read more: https://nikki-jewell.squarespace.com/blog/2020/3/6/a-girl-and-her-horse

07/05/2024

Meet Najib, a 6 year old Dutch Warmblood by For Romance out of a P*k Bube 1 mare

Naj was imported as a 3 yo as a sale project for a partner and I to do together. Only a few months into the partnership, due to unforeseen circumstances with the barn Hidden Gem was based out of in IL closing, my partner moved her other horses closer to home and Hidden Gem relocated to KY. In a wonderful turn of events I was able to buy my partner out and be the sole owner of this sweet talented then 4 year old.

Then in May of 23, he came in from the field one day with severe back pain. He was soon diagnosed and treated for Lymes Disease, but the back pain never got better. Through many x-rays, ultrasounds, and bone scans the vet team at Rood and Riddle could never pinpoint a diagnosis or cause other than knowing it is muscular. He gets lots of modalities daily, regular bodywork by Beth Sabor, focused nutrition, supplements and chinese herbs. The biggest thing to help him has been his rehab work. Working with Dr. Megan Repking of Vetspine long distance for additional insight to develop a unique physical therapy program that focuses on slow strengthening of his back has been the biggest help. I've been doing lots of long line work, in hand, ground work, etc- which is working! Now we have added working with weights on a surcingle and with a saddle, weighted boots, only canter, over poles, hill work. His back pain definitely improves with and after work.

While I don’t know if he will ultimately have to retire at a very young age or make a full recovery back to competition, it is looking like a year after symptom onset I will be able to try to ride walk soon. This horse has made me think outside the box more than others in my career. He has led me to look into and learn way more ground work. Originally to deal with his red zone phobic reactions because my go to ways were not working. And then in his lengthy physical therapy! He has helped me grow in my horsemanship and education. He’s the soundest most spectacular looking unrideable horse I’ve ever seen.

Read Naj's full story 🔗 https://nikki-jewell.squarespace.com/blog/2024/5/7/meet-najib-a-6-year-old-dutch-warmblood-by-for-romance-out-of-a-pik-bube-1-mare

03/05/2024

03/05/2024

A properly put on a hairnet with my Charles Owen Kylo. It is important to practice putting on your hairnet prior to competition and to make sure your helmet fits correctly with your hair in it!