M&K Equestrian Center

09/02/2025

08/31/2025

We will have a full care board stall available October 1st. Horses go out 7 days a week, stalls cleaned daily. . Indoor arena, 2 outdoor arenas. Haul out for trails a few times a year. Cattle sorting once a month, through the winter. Come join the fun!

08/25/2025

Some ways to tell if a kid is truly interested in learning how to ride---

1, Does she/he volunteer to set fences in jump sets so she/he can watch?

2. Does she/he then pay attention, or does she/he keep looking at her/his phone?

3. Does the rider take on practicing working on her/his seat by dropping the stirrups and sitting the trot without having to be told to?

4. In a jumping barn, has the rider memorized the basic distances between jumps in in-and-out lines?

5. Has the rider practiced walking those distances to have an accurate stride?

These are simple examples. There's a saying that you can make someone DO something by promise of sufficient reward, or by threat of sufficient punishment, but it is impossible to make someone WANT something.

Wanting comes from within. A teacher told me years ago something along these lines---"The kids who are going to get good, you can't stop them no matter what. The kids who are not, you can give them everything, and they still won't."

So it begins more with creating motivation than actual instruction. Figure out how to do that and the rest gets easy.

08/19/2025

Yesss!!!

08/17/2025

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. 🤣

08/14/2025

Thank you Sam Stuart for dragging the outdoor arena! You’re turning into a pro!

08/13/2025

✨Show up nervous.
✨Show up unsure.
🙌🏽Just don’t stop showing up.

Every champion started as a beginner who felt awkward, out of place, or not ready. The difference? They kept riding into the arena anyway.

Your confidence is built in the doing — not in the waiting.
💪🏼So saddle up, even when your hands shake.
Because one day, you’ll look back and realise… this is where it all began. 🐴✨

08/13/2025

Dear Rider,

When I coach you, my words are here to guide you. I might remind you to soften your hands… take a deep breath… follow the horse’s motion… or count out your strides. These verbal cues help you organize your body, focus your attention, and feel supported as you learn.
But there’s more going on beneath the surface.

As you learn to ride, coordinating aids is a complex challenge. It’s totally normal for things to get a little messy - and sometimes confusing for your horse.

That’s where it's critical for me to step in, to support you both.

When I walk alongside you and your horse, I’m not just there for safety or to guide you through the steps. It’s more than that. My energy, posture, placement, stride, and even where I direct my gaze all communicate with your horse.

Over the years, I’ve studied how horses communicate and respond. I’ve learned to subtly use my body to influence your horse through countless hours of groundwork:

I can match or adjust my stride to help set or regulate tempo.

I can position my body to encourage your horse forward when you’re stuck, or block the energy to help slow things down so you can rebalance.

I might adjust my posture, change my energy, or simply offer comfort when your or your horse feels unsure.

I can’t do it all for you, but I can support you both as a team.

This isn’t magic, it’s a conversation, spoken through presence, energy, and movement.

My hope is that, as you grow, you’ll become fluent in this language too. You’ll learn to feel and influence your horse’s attention, balance and rhythm - not just with your hands or legs, but with your whole body, both in and out of the saddle.

I share this as inspiration and insight into the magic these beautiful animals offer. As you continue to put the pieces together and grow in moments of present connection, I will gently fade away, and you’ll become one who carries this magical gift too.

Sincerely,

Heather Henken

08/13/2025

Cattle sorting getting closer!! First sort date in Oct!!