The Riding Academy

08/21/2026

NOTICE OF UPCOMING BUSINESS CHANGES

Dear Current & Past Barn Families,

I wanted to reach out personally and give everyone advance notice that there will be some changes coming to my personal life and equine programs beginning in September.

I know that changes can naturally bring questions and uncertainty, which is why I wanted to give everyone some advance notice rather than have those changes come as a surprise.

At this time, I don’t have all of the details finalized, and rather than share information that may change, I’d prefer to wait until I can give everyone clear and accurate information about what those changes will mean moving forward.

I expect to know considerably more toward the end of September, and I will reach out to each of you personally with details as soon as plans are finalized and I know exactly what will be changing.

In the meantime, nothing is currently changing with your lessons, boarding, or other existing arrangements until I speak with you directly. Please plan to continue your programs as usual.

Of note, however, there are a few changes happening with our horses in the coming days:

Heidi will be leaving for her retirement home on Wednesday or Thursday, so please come say goodbye — and bring plenty of apples and carrots for her!

Some hard decisions regarding Charlie are also being discussed with the vet on Monday. This will leave us with Gracie as our lesson pony and Mouse as our sole retirement boarder.

I also want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank each of you for your business, your trust, and the privilege of being a part of your equestrian journey — whether that has been for years or just a few weeks.

Coach Johnson
The Riding Academy of Grand Junction

Photos:
Memories of Heidi and Charlie from the beginning. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🔥2016-2026 ten years of love and lessons!

You lit little hearts on fire that still burn bright today!
You loved without demand, giving wings to their dreams.
We cannot thank you enough for the little bit of time we had.
We send you to better pastures, pain free and full of love.

07/04/2026

05/10/2026

When I was a boy the greatest complement someone on a horse could receive was being called a horseman, and at that time the term was inclusive of women. It was also a vailed insult to be called a rider in certain circumstances, meaning you were not a horseman. For example, in a hunt Field if someone could not control their horse and bumped into you, you might say to them, "You are quite a rider".

To become a horseman, you must learn the fundamentals of horsemanship. Many of these principles are very detailed. One fundamental of balance when riding is the 5 degree rule. A rider must not lean back in the saddle more that 5 degrees.

Why? Because any greater lean than 5 degrees will potentially unbalance your horse. This is because once you lean beyond 5 degrees, you will have moved your center of balance away from your horse's center of balance to the point that your horse will very often have to rebalance themself, which is a disruption to a horse that a horseman always avoids.

www.facebook.com/BobWoodHorsesForLife/posts/pfbid0ZveZskpLrRc9Ww9Vaa7dyGwjjQ5CcPDjMWG43nLomZSkx2CXZP3nmGM6uLJT6s9ul

The left image is of Étienne Beudant, a great French horseman and cavalryman. He is leaning back 5 degrees, which can subtly amplify a rider's seat aids. On the right is a modern dressage rider leaning back approximately 8 degrees.

You might say that leaning back 3 more degrees in insignificant. Many people today think so but that is because they are riders, not horsemen. Horsemanship is a state of mind that truly cares for a horse with great specificity in order to make a horse as comfortable as possible when they are doing their job for you.

There is no room in horsemanship for the phrase "close enough". Sure, horsemen fail to maintain this high standard at times, but when they do they try harder. I offer a spoken apology to my horse when I fail and I disrupt their work.

Horsemanship takes years to learn. We cannot expect it of students who are learning. But we can teach them the fundamental principles, including why these principles are important and how failing to apply them makes a horse's life more difficult.

The pictures show longitudinal or hind to front leaning. The same is true of lateral or side to side leaning, in fact leaning more than 5 degrees laterally on a slope with challenging footing can put your horse down on the ground.

I am writing this for all the supposed "caring" riders who will buy their horse a new blanket every winter, purchase the most expensive feed and supplements, and have people like body workers come for their horse all the time, who think that they are showing there horse how deeply they care. But if they really cared, the way a horseman does, they would improve their riding and stop unbalancing their horses, making their work increasingly difficult.

05/01/2026

We are so excited to offer the last couple openings with Coach Daniel Stewart in West Bountiful, Utah on June 25-26.

We only have 1 lower level rider and 2 upper level riders left!

Contact me at [email protected] for details or to sign up

04/28/2026