Turtle Hollow Dressage

05/18/2024

Our security system. Watching for turtles.

04/18/2024

Beautiful wisteria in Uden NL

12/13/2023

Lots of exciting changes coming our way! Congratulations to Gretchen Scott, the new owner of Turtle Hollow Farm. No doubt the farm will continue with exciting ideas and energy. Turtle Hollow Dressage, Claudia Tarlov, will continue to teach and train as before. Gretchen and I welcome your visit. The same excellence in horse care and training opportunities will continue.

Early photos of some of my fond memories of Turtle Hollow. It is truly a special place with a past full of inspiring moments and a future full of opportunities to train and enjoy our equine partners.
❤️

11/10/2023

Riders!

Have you ever met another horse owner at breaking point? No?

Actually the answer is yes. Yes, you have.

They don’t wear a t-shirt, They might not have told you. In fact I’d put good money on them NOT looking rabid & crazy & bellowing ‘LOOK AT ME! I’m as close to the edge as you can get!!
But I can tell you this:

You have met someone who underneath their bluster & brags was secretly wondering how they are going to meet their next haylage bill

You might have met someone who won 3 classes but they were physically & mentally spent.

You might have met someone who has a swanky lorry & posh tack but terrified they are making an utter arse of themselves.

You might have met someone who laughed, joked & acted without a care in the world who inside was riddled with self doubt & fear.

You might have met someone who is just so tired of being strong when it all feels like it is going wrong for them.

So just imagine if you met someone & you gave them *that* smile, you asked if they needed a hand with anything when they were struggling in a warm up, you told them ‘well done’ after their clear round.
Just imagine how lighter their heart would feel if you just asked them if they were ok when they looked worried. Just imagine the joy that could be spread by sharing your moments of idiocy to make someone who’s had a bad day feel better.

No horse has ever jumped better because their rider has bi***ed about someone else. No rosette was won because one person slated another. Making someone else feel bad won’t make your life suddenly all sparkles & free gin. Fact.

In all honesty the best days can be had with poles flying like skittles, dressage tests of utter chaos & walks of shame back from eliminations on the cross country course. The days when you laugh like loons about stupid things you’ve done & cheered on your fellow competitors, they are the days when you come home a champion, no matter what the scoreboard says.

People say that the horse world is ruthless, that it is bitchy. But some of the kindest things I’ve ever witnessed & the best friends I could ever hope for have been made in the horseworld. I know it’s not a bad place.

Let’s be the fist bumping, cheerleading kind sport that we know we can be.

A candle stays just as bright even when it lights another.
Word.

09/08/2023

Why we opt for as much field time. Both in turnout and field training, our horses are pretty sound and relaxed. We can't do overnight turnout for the most part, as our thunderstorms are so fierce. But any time we can get them out on grass, we do.
I love this philosophy.

Carl clearly expressed that not everyone is in the position to give their horses the horsey life with ample turnout in fields, but this is their personal choice for the mental and physical well-being of their horses.

08/31/2023

A longtime supporter of our sport needs our help after Idalia. Every farm owner's fear in a hurricane has occurred here. Many small gestures can have huge results. Consider helping if you can.

*spotfund is the easiest place to create beautiful and free online fundraisers. It takes just minutes to start raising money today.

08/31/2023

I love the heart and mind this stallion passed to our three boys here! Happy retirement, dear boy!

The 20-year old breeding stallion Lord Leatherdale has returned to his owner, Gert-Jan van Olst, in The Netherlands and has been retired from sport.

08/24/2023

Our staff is hard-working and thorough.

08/08/2023

17 months apart.

08/08/2023

Watching Isabel Werth's beautiful warm-up.

08/08/2023

Doesn't fit in my luggage 😒

08/08/2023

Beautiful day in Schijndel.

08/06/2023

Uh oh.....

08/04/2023

Can you see a dog?

07/22/2023

Minke contemplates current barn mouse situation.

06/18/2023

❤️🐴

01/26/2023

We are having a super fun tag sale on Saturday, January 28!
Lots of good stuff, from polos to a horse trailer, saddles, bridles, saddle pads, riding apparel. Some new and unused! Don't miss it!

12/09/2022

Booster rocket separation. Awesome launch!

12/08/2022

Booster rocket separation

12/03/2022

EDUCATION

11/30/2022

Little guys acting like big guys.

11/22/2022

Summer foals making friends. Winter foals. Still friends.

11/15/2022

We don't allow poison here. Too many raptors and dogs.
Recently we were adopted by a released feral cat. (Snipped ear, neutered, thanks.) He was very elusive until we fed him. Then he went to work. Today is rat #2. No trap has done as well.

11/14/2022

11/12/2022

The father of my horse, Lord Leatherdale. This is him at Van Olst in NL in 2019.
Now we know why my horse was named Identiek, Dutch for Identical.

11/11/2022

Never doubt that you can fly. 🐴🦄

11/11/2022

So. Unbelievably. Excited!!!!!
This boy has a fantastic future. Thank you Identiek and Jill Hardt for working together with me to unlock so much!
Also thanks to Femke Voet and Toine Hoefs for making this possible.

11/10/2022

All is well, thanks to our team's efforts! Lots of wind, but our hurricane code construction makes a big difference. The horses were quiet and ate hay through it all.