Vrolikheid Riding School

24/04/2025

If you ask various riding instructors what creates a good work ethic in a student, I have heard many say it derives from the attitude of the parents.

Parents who value and encourage digging in as the way to achievement, versus the parents who feel that work, especially manual labor is “beneath” the child.

It can come right down to two opposites, “let the kid do it and figure out the value of effort” versus “let the groom do it, so my kid doesn’t have to get her hands dirty.”

What I have seen over many decades is that there are plenty of kids from highly privileged backgrounds who grab a shovel and pitch in and help, and plenty of not so well off kids who won’t voluntarily lift a finger, so there’s more at play than degree of family wealth.

But either way, it often filters down from Mom and Dad how the child responds and reacts.

06/03/2025

24/02/2025

Be careful what you teach your horse by accident. 🫣
• I’ve seen people repeatedly bring their horse to the indoor or round pen and turn them loose and encourage the horse to run around… just to create a horse that “needs” to run the moment they get to that workspace.
• If you gallop at the same spot on a trail ride, you’re gonna have trouble NOT galloping that spot next time.
• I watched someone give an IV shot. They pressed on the vein to get it to pop up, and the every time the horse bobbed her head, and this person would take a moment and start over. I finally pointed out they were accidentally training the mare to bob her head.
• If you catch your horse and immediately take them away from grass, freedom, and friebds, you might yea h them to not get caught. Instead, halter them and then curry for a few minutes (if they like being groomed) or take them to a better patch if grass. Do something enjoyable. (Thankfully our horses enjoy working/teaching lesssons and come right to us, but you get the idea.)

These above are typical ones. Lisè and I KNOW BETTER, but a few years ago we accidentally taught Rave to rear every time we passed the parents 🫣
At the end of a leadline lesson we told parents to get their cameras out and have Rave rear. It was fun! (His rear is tiny and controled and the kids loved it!) Well, in the context of this post it’s easy to guess what happened- rear means we’re done!!! So 20-30 minutes into a lesson, especially if we passed by the parent seating he would stop a d set up to rear. Opps! So yeah, we don’t do that anymore.

21/02/2025

No foot no horse...
This illustration demonstrates how the inside of a "normal" hoof works.
Very interesting🌼

11/02/2025

Aghhh...just enjoying some hot days by hosing the horses and our farrier paying us a visit and early morning rides.

11/02/2025

Sometimes we forget how hard dressage can be on our horses, how confusing it must be, how difficult it can be for different abilities and talents.

Dressage asks for precision, strength, and partnership. Every movement we refine, every aid we perfect, challenges our horses both mentally and physically. It’s not just about beauty—it’s about discipline, trust, and endless effort.

So when progress feels slow, remember: your horse is trying too. Be patient, be fair, and keep striving. The journey may be hard, but the harmony you create is worth it. Keep riding with kindness, and your horse will give you their heart in return. Every day your bond wil strengthen

16/01/2025

Even though today there's only five babies left, we're still enjoying the biggest and the smallest treasures on the farm.

07/01/2025

🧱

01/12/2024

In dressage, every ride, even if you get placed last, is a step forward in your journey. The courage to enter the arena is a victory in itself, and every effort teaches you, shapes you, and brings you closer to the partnership and skill you're striving for. Every journey is individual and every journey is different. Your goals are yours and shouldn’t be influenced by competitors around you. Enjoy your own journey.