The Williamstown Equestrian

11/01/2024

146 Dogs rescued from ONE home.
Let’s pull together and help!
Consider donating by dropping off, or sending straight to their door via online purchase 💞

10/31/2024

If you are in this drought and your horses are on grass there are some things to consider.

Grass that is trying to survive with little water is in a state of stress. It will almost always test lower in nutritive value if the water has been absent very long. Vitamin e is one very important thing to think about in a drought state if you are grazing your horses.

Not only will the grass have less E at this time, but your horses also won't have the opportunity to store it to get through the winter with a lack like nature designed them to do.

If your horse has an illness or injury, E is one of the things that the equine body uses to help heal itself. Therefore, if it is short already in the grass, then your horse has to fight something off, he/she may be whoppingly short and start showing symptoms of ataxia (More people will start to think EPM but will not have the spinal tap performed ) or itchiness or eye issues.

If you are living in drought, you really might need to consider supplementing with a quality source of Vitamin e and maybe even continuing in some form throughout the winter.

This really dry grass is usually found to be much lower in protein content also. You may notice that your horses look kind of meh or perhaps your youngsters don't quite appear to be thriving. It may be necessary for you to add a commercial source of protein if you are seeing these things. It is also important to remember that your hay grown during drought will Also be lower in protein, so getting equines through winter looking great may take more effort on your part.

We already know that stressed grass is grass that high in NSC, and going into fall this can be a double whammy.

Make sure that you are watching the crest on your horse and also how they are walking and turning a curve at least once per day and preferably twice.

If you have horses that already struggle with laminitis or EMS or Cushing's then you REALLY REALLY need to take protective measures.

Once a horse has had a bout with laminitis then you owe it to them to never let it happen again. This is Work with a capital W and takes a lot of love, effort and diligence on your part.

During this drought and the following winter, it may help you to take similar stance pictures in 3-week intervals for comparison. Sometimes we have a "blind" effect because we see them every day and are not as apt to notice changes.

10/31/2024

happy halloween
🎃🖤👻🎃👻🖤🎃

10/31/2024

We have a surprise coming next week! And we Can’t Waitttttt!!!!!!
🍬🍭🧁🧁🍭🍬

10/29/2024

Is it really THIS beautiful on October 29th?? Pony baths, tank top ridin’ weather. I’ll take this every day, 365 🙌🏻
🌞

10/29/2024

CLIENTS 🌟
Making sure I haven’t left anyone out 💥
I will be teaching Saturday the 9th and Saturday the 23rd in November (quite possibly the 30th but not 100% sure, waiting on vet visit confirmation.)
I’ve chatted with a bunch of you, but would hate to accidentally skipped over someone. So! If you haven’t heard from me about a Saturday you’re wanting, send me a message!
And as always, Thank YOU or your continued business 🫶🏻

10/27/2024

10/27/2024

Great Advice!

10/25/2024

Riders‼️
If you only read half of the things I post, let this be one of them 🙃

“INSIDE LEG TO OUTSIDE REIN.” 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

I’m sure every equestrian in the world (who has had lessons / watched lessons) has heard these words howled from across the arena at some point in their lives…

Although it is well intentioned advice, in many cases it can create further problems which serve to be quite a road block for progression amongst horses and riders…

Whilst being able to execute these aids effectively DOES have a beautiful influence on a horses way of going… In order to execute these aids effectively and have a positive effect on the horses way of moving, the horse has to firstly understand quite a number of steps and the rider has to have the skill to deliver aids independantly…

A lack of the above, is the reason this advice so often fails and instead ends up leaving a bunch of frustrated, perplexed riders and equally frustrated horses who are uncomfortable in their bodies 😣😤.

So in terms of the horses understanding, let’s take a deeper dive into some ingredients that are necessary to have in place BEFORE truly riding from inside leg to outside rein is a possibility…

1️⃣ A horse should have an understanding of basic foundational yields. They should be able to both move the hind end and the shoulders a few steps laterally in response to your leg going on. They should not feel ‘stuck’ on anyone of their legs. Developing these yields will enable you to talk to each hind leg and each foreleg in isolation. The forequarter yields enable you to develop the feel and understanding to move the horses outside shoulder off of your outside aids and the hindquarter yields develop the understanding to influence the inside hind from your inside aids. Eventually you should aim to be able to do these yields with the smallest of changes in your body and with a clear slack in the reins.

If you can currently put your leg on in a number of ways and the ONLY response you get from your horse is to move forwards, then you really need to spend time teaching / revisiting these forequarter and hindquarter yields in order for him to start understanding a more lateral response to the leg.

2️⃣ Being able to yield to rein pressure. So whether you ride bitless, in a snaffle, a rope halter or something else, you should be able to pick up each rein individually and have your horse bending and softening through their entire neck, poll and jaw to the left and the right. Make sure you can do this from a standstill first and that you are not having to use force to hold them in the bend… Release when they release… Progress onto asking for a few strides in walk until eventually you can have your horse bending softly to the inside rein down a whole long side. Make sure you can do this with outside bend to. Finally progress to the trot.

3️⃣ Now the horse has an understanding of the above, you can now use your inner rein, leg and seat aids to achieve a correct inside bend and to move the horse off of your inside aids in order to create lateral flexion throughout the horses body.. At this point if the steps have been done correctly there should be no brace, resistance or blockages in the horses body.. The horse should begin to feel looser and more relaxed, seeking the rein down and out… All those good things. It should feel very nice for both you and the horse. You should not feel as though you need to ‘hold’ the horse into this position or micromanage him/her to stay there. He/she seeks this position because they learn it feels good, therefore it is self reinforcing!

At this point you can begin to take more slack out of the outside rein, until you can begin to feel a soft, elastic connection to the outside of his body… It should not feel restrictive.. You should not come back with your outside hand as the outside of his body needs to lengthen in order for energy to flow smoothly… If you loose energy through the outside shoulder, the skills you developed with the shoulder yields, will allow you to communicate to and shift the balance of the outside shoulder.

Once everything comes together, It should just feel as though you are simply moving the energy off of your inside aids, feeling it being met into your outside rein and then allowing that feeling to flow through into the forwards movement. You can test your ‘inside leg to outside rein connection’ by regularly giving the inside rein. If you have done all the steps correctly, the horse should remain bent laterally around your inside leg when you give on this rein.

👆🏼THIS is the true definition of riding ‘inside leg to outside rein.’

At this point you can use exercises and school figures such as spiralling in and out to further improve inside hind leg engagement and inside leg to outside rein connection.

I can’t stress enough, the outcome of the above coming together is a horse that feels soft, loose, swinging through his entire body, his steps will feel rhythmical, his back will feel lifted, he will be seeking the rein down and OUT and it will feel enjoyable and effortless for BOTH of you. If you have not achieved this feeling you need to retrace your steps and figure out what ingredient(s) are missing!

It might sound complicated, but when you break each component down individually and work on truly achieving one thing at a time, everything begins to slot together and make sense.

Attempting to ride “inside leg to outside rein” before the above has been established is like trying to bake a cake, but you don’t have any flour, you don’t have any butter nor any sugar 🤷🏻‍♀️… How can you be surprised the cake has turned out rubbish!?

10/23/2024

Hay You!
Happy Wednesday!

10/18/2024

📣CLIENTS📣
Friendly Reminder, that Audra is out of town next week 20th-27th.
“Rent A Rides” are available to selected riders and will be assigned with a time/day and horse. If you’d like a ride, send a message 🙂
Grooming, grazing, and pony smooches also available to all🙃

10/18/2024

Sometimes ya gotta dust off your jump saddle and go back to your hunter roots 🙃🤭

10/16/2024

Wow. We’ve been busy.
We haven’t even mentioned the marvelous time we had at the Fall Classic 💫 🍂 💫
rocked it- tackling some “first time” goals, & putting our horses first 🫶🏻
As always, it was a wonderful atmosphere for riders of all ages and experiences, supportive & fun show crew, and good vibes 🤗
Only 17 days until we hit the road again!

10/15/2024

🫶🏻💖🫶🏻
Soooo much love in this photo
💙💛

10/12/2024

Twas a beautiful day 🌞 🏃🏼‍♀️

10/12/2024

❗️Riders ❗️
Or parents, grandparents, etc. etc.
If you or your rider have/has been riding for at least 2 years, has found a discipline they enjoy and want to continue riding:
It. Is. Time. ⏰
It is time to make the investment and purchase a saddle for them.
Saddles are not designed to fit every rider perfectly (I wish!). Therefore the “lesson saddles” they are riding in now, probably aren’t the best fit. Those saddles are there to help introduce the rider to the sport, not to carry them through the next 10 years as an equestrian.
A saddle can affect the riders seat, upper leg, lower leg, hips, upper body, hands…literally everything!
Saddles can help a riders position or hinder it.
Not sure where to start looking?? Don’t worry, Ms. Audra can help ya!
🎁 Christmas will be here before we know it! 🎁

10/08/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/wrAZERsnRV1EWY9K/?mibextid=UalRPS

10/06/2024

📍UPDATE: We have reached capacity and are no longer taking reservations. If you already submitted a reservation you will receive an email with your stall assignment or a notification that you’ve been placed on the wait list.

Contact [email protected] or 352.414.7883 with questions.

———

In anticipation of next week’s storm, World Equestrian Center – Ocala will open to equine evacuees and owners, beginning Monday, October 7 at Noon.

➡️Updated Reservation Process:
Reservations can be placed using this link: (no longer available)

Required Health Papers: Proof of a current negative Coggins test (within 12 months).

Owners must purchase and use a minimum of two bags of shavings in each stall from the WEC Feed & Bedding Store. Order here: bit.ly/3Ml4COP

Stalls are open to horses only.

Please note that stall availability is limited.

10/03/2024

🌟 Available for Adoption 🌟
Isn’t he precious?
Send us a PM for more info!

10/03/2024

just melts my heart
gahhhh I love this kiddo
🥹😭💞

💙💛

10/03/2024

10/03/2024

🚨If you can’t make it on any of these days, drop off your donations at the barn and we will Make Sure they are delivered! 🚨

10/02/2024

Heaven?
Is that you?
🧐 📷