Autumn Charm Sport Horses

06/23/2026

Brag A Little

Censational ( aka Tate ) , bred by me , owned and trained by Ambre Tawil in Canada is showing 2nd level this year. They just went to a show and High Score Second Level ! Congrats ! So proud.
Tate is by Coromino ( Corofino x Romino x Athlet Z ) out of Ravi Sutra ( Rousseau x Riverman x Davignon) . He was Ravi's first foal. Last year they were high point First Level for all of Canada.

I had to share what Ambre wrote about him. Makes this breeders heart sing.

06/22/2026

FINALLY !

Did you ever think "Finally We Are Back" with your horse ?! I bet you have, if you have put any kind of time into this sport. I thought just that yesterday watching Toyah ride Calamari ( Coromino x Amari x Silver Buck ) .

Finally they are back. And dare I say better than ever. They laid down 3 solid courses at Tranquility Manor Farms The Mill Series Jumper division for Champion.

Legs has had her challenges...lyme. epm. And dealing with a fast growing ear sarcoid. ( hence no more brow band. ) . Plus the aging horse stuff....staying up on the SI, hock and Stifle injections. Luckily with good riding and mostly doing flatwork aka dressage...these have been kept to at least a year and sometimes 2 and 3 years between injections. Toyah has had her challenges, which I won't go into ( athletic profession ) ... but let's just say she is a Warrior.

And yet still they persisted. Legs is moving more forward than...well ever ! Her canter now has real suspension. And to hear Toyah say " next show we are moving up. "

Well.
Finally .
They are back. What a delight.

06/21/2026

Thanks Dad's !!!

It is the perfect day to be Thankful for all the Dad's who help make your horse dreams come true. The support, the love, listening to the heart ache....

When I was a teen, before cell phones , my Dad would haul me to the show, unhook the trailer and return at 5 pm. He got me a rustbucket trailer, painted it , built a new ramp and new wood on the insides. He still helps me....replace fence, sprayed all my fence lines, mow, and a zillion other things.

I'm at a horse show today with my friend and client Toyah Houck . I cannot tell you how many shows we went to that both her Grand Dad and her father came in support. Super memories . I miss them both ! Smiles, support, love of their daughter and the horses .

So make sure you give your special horse show Dad a shout out today and every day.

06/19/2026

Summer lessons are in full swing.
How do you get the most from them?

Depending how often you lesson depends on what you can get into with the instructor. The more they know you, the easier it is to dive into the deep end.
1. Ask specific questions. Sometimes a lesson is mostly getting answers !
2. Video. I often take some short videos while I am teaching because I know that riders learn from doing, seeing, hearing etc.
3. When the instructor asks something make sure they see a change.
4. Patterns are so helpful. Even if you don't ride dressage, riding through a pattern can show you some things you need to improve !
5. At least part of every lesson should be on position or how to use your aids. It is a big big part of riding.
6. Be warmed up ahead so you can get the full amount of time.
7. Keep working on your own fitness. It is HUGE.
8. Work on your mental strength. Get in the right head space. This is YOUR time. You work hard at your job for this little bit of time to do what makes you feel good. Get the most out of it. Some people need pumped up...list to Enter Sandman on the way to your lesson. Some people need to calm down....some Lighthouse might work ( now I have dated myself ) . Find focus.
9. I love " celebrating ". By all means throw your horse a party when he tries . But if your parties are too frequent and too disruptive it actually breaks up your training. Most horses are rewarded by release of the rein. Maybe a " good " ....but while moving. Good doesn't mean stop.
10. Watch other lessons. Watch videos. Read books. Go to clinics. Learn as much as you can. Soak it all in.
11. Every ride I work on : bend / straightness, longer and shorter strides, changes of frame. Transitions. Responsiveness to the aids. My position. Getting into a meditative state with my horse.
12. Do your homework. Show the instructor what you have been doing and how it has improved.
13. Try new things. Experiment. You won't find out if something works or feels better ...if you don't try it. For instance...is your horse really bending in it's middle ( back / barrel )? Make sure you feel the horse wrap around your leg Ask a little beyond your current expectation..see what happens. You'll know if its right. ...the neck release will tell you!
14. You are a good rider if you are trying ! You have a lovely horse if it is sound happy and loved and both of you deserve training in a harmonious way. Sometimes the "plainer " horse has the heart, will and partnership to
do the hardest work! Don't write yourself or your horse off .
15. Contentment. Relationships ( between us and the horse ) have to find a place of contentment.We want to be joyful when riding. And the horse should feel this from them. It isn't a war between the horse and rider. It is a place of becoming One. If the horse becomes tense from our corrections then the rider is over correcting. Partnership cannot be created in a state of tension.

There is so much to learn. I had lots of great conversations today with students. You'll never learn it all. Remember you are the guardian for your horse. You are also the one who makes the rules/ responsiveness and expectation ! If you aren't seeing progress , try changing your expectation, number of " reps " and challenges. Sometimes we have to leave our comfort zone and break out the Leader in us.

Happy Summer Lessons. I hope you all kick butt and feel successful.

06/17/2026

Outdoor and Indoor Arena's got some maintenance work today. Pulled the footing that builds up on the outer edge in and re-leveled.
What a beautiful day again. Batwing, my tuxedo cat, had to help of course.

06/16/2026

My 2 year olds....complete polar opposites. Lemynade ( Volturi x Jynjer x Open For Suggestion) is the red roan Quarter Horse. He is outgoing, very brave and in your face.
Day By Day is the Oldenburg by Denmark ( Desperado x Negro ) out of Ravi Sutra ( Rousseau x Riverman x Davignon) is very playful, bright eyed, sensitive and aware. He runs right up to you looking for a scratch. He is definitely more ballerina than body builder. Day-O is in a growth phase right now but you can see his clear quality. That hind leg never goes away. His neck just got a lot longer and the shape is getting more curve. His tiny ears are still the same as is his pretty face and dark eyes.

06/11/2026

Horse World Terminology

I have had a few questions lately about some common terms in the Horse World. It is never a bad thing to go over the meaning of things so we can always be clear.

*Full Care Board -All that means is that you do not have to come feed your horse. Hay and water are provided and the labor of feeding the horse daily. Some places do provide grain. Some don't. This means your horse is looked at once or more often twice per day. This usually means the horse also has a stall. Turnout times very greatly from no turnout to full turn out unless bad weather. Some barns charge for blanket changes, feeding supplements, extra bedding, changing fly masks and trailer parking. Or may or may not do those things. As expenses go up, make sure you pay for things your horse breaks (water tanks, feed tubs, water buckets, stall doors or walls, fence boards etc ) These costs are not built into
anyones board..
*Pasture Board - horse lives out 24/7 on a pasture often times in a group usually with a run in shed. Hay is provided in winter usually in the form of a round bale. Often grain and graining the horse is not provided. Or maybe once a day. No stall and often times no ring .
*Self Care - you pay for a dry stall or a pasture and you do all the labor and provide grain, hay, bedding, buckets etc.
*Co-op Board - most often you get a stall and pasture. The boarders have a schedule where they take turns feeding all the horses / turn out etc. You are usually responsible for buying your own hay , grain and bedding as well as cleaning your stall. Many advantages to this. One big disadvantage is having experienced enough boarders that recognize a problem in the horses.
*Lease - you pay to lease a horse . Maybe $5000 to $50,000 per year to ride that horse. You then pay for its care. You would insure the horse for its value. Advantage...you get to ride a horse you could not afford to buy , improve your riding and showing skills etc.
*Care Lease - You do not pay a fee to lease the horse but you take care of all of its expenses from board to vet and farrier etc.
*Green Horse - a horse with very little training which needs an experienced, calm and confident rider.
*Schoolmaster- A horse with a lot of training and usually has shown to a certain level that can teach you the ropes. It is a tolerant horse which will put up with mistakes without losing its training or its mind.
*Professionals Horse - a horse that is very sensitive and athletic that demands precision riding.
*Lesson Horse - a tolerant horse who can guess what you mean when you apply beginner aids . Usually they become a bit dull in their job
as it is often monotonous and many are over used.
*Red Ribbon in the Tail - means the horse kicks. There are other ribbons that signify various things . A good rule to follow...ribbon in tail means steer clear.
*Ring Etiquette -pass left shoulder to left shoulder OR call out your line of travel in advance ( outside, inside, circle, vertical jump etc ) The person going faster does the passing.
*Red Mare - a derogatory term for a female horse that is pretty parallel to an independent woman. A personal pet peeve of mine. Horse color and s*x has nothing to do with loyalty, trainability or athletic performance.
*She is Being A Mare- complaining about a horse going through heat cycle and how it acts. Think about how mad it makes you when a man says that about you ! If your mare struggles....give her regumate.
*Amish Warmblood - a horse that is usually a mixture of all or some of the following breeds : Friesian, Dutch Harness Horse, Morgan, Draft Horse, Standardbred . Usually lovely horses both in their mind and athleticism.
*Bridle Horse - a western Horse that is very trained and wears a shank bit that is rarely touched. The horse is very sensitive to small movements. The English counterpart would be a dressage horse in a double bridle.
*Frame- the outline of the topline of a horse under saddle. For example a long low frame would mean an elongated topline with the head low. Uphill frame would mean that the horse is moving with its haunches clearly lowered and its poll the highest point.
*Framed Up - a more stock type term meaning the horse is submissive to the bridle and can bring its nose in and yield its neck.
*On The Bit- a horse who moves fluidly over the back because the hind legs are under and carrying. This horse is also soft and supple through the neck and jaw but with clear connection. Not intimidation. A horse who makes forward motion from its back not just the legs.
*Bad Hands - A riders hands who are pulling or especially holding. I have yet to see a rider that doesn't occasionally pull. ( there is no pulling in good riding ) . A rider who uses the horses mouth for balance. A rider who doesn't have control of their hands and they bounce, hurting the horses mouth. An aggressive rider who hurts the horses mouth because of the lack of skills in their other aids ( leg and seat ) or a lack of patience.
*Half Halt- an aid to the horse that says " get balanced onto your hind legs. The combination of a driving aid and a restraining aid. Each half halt is unique. Half halt signifies to the horse get balanced because a change us coming ( a change in gait, bend, straightness, direction or balance ) . If your half halt is pulling on both reins at once ....please do some research.
*A Good Rider - any rider who is trying to become better both for clearer communication with their horse and for the love of the horse.
*Horseman or Horsewoman - a long time horse person who has gained a lot of knowledge through both education and experience. This is a wider view of the horse life and not only includes training horses, understanding caring for the horse, ailments / injuries / diseases / handling emergencies , understanding how the horse thinks, how the horse is made and moves. Usually they are low energy people with a lot of patience and a clear way of thinking. Also a person who is always seeking more knowledge.
*Horse Girls - independent, strong, blunt

I am sure I can put together a part 2 .... but for now this will do ! I'd love to hear your feedback or terms you would like to bring up . Pictured are 2 of my home breds and also maternal brothers Consider Me and Qrush On Me

06/09/2026

Gorgeous cool summer day to mow mow mow. Happy horses living as natural as possible. 3 doe bedded down in the gelding field and 1 teeny tiny fawn. Soft light. Gorgeous lush pastures. Pennsylvania the beautiful. I have been to 44 states and nothing compares to home.

06/09/2026

Reposting this . I was talking about Frustration on Friday at my lessons....

I have been wanting to write this for a long time. So here goes.

FRUSTRATION IS THE F-WORD OF DRESSAGE/ RIDING

I have taught many many many students over the last 25 years and something that has been a reoccurring thing - Frustration, and the idea of it, blocks all forward momentum. As soon as I hear a rider use the word, I see it appear in their riding.
Sometimes this F-word appears as a beginner struggling to get over a big milestone like cantering confidently. Other times it is an advanced rider coordinating aids for a particular movement ( I , myself, find tempi changes difficult). And yet other times it appears from self applied pressure, lameness, missed opportunities , regret , poor barn community , challenges with aging etc.
So how do we fight off this F Word ? It isnt easy....much like fighting off the four letter F Word, Fear ! One . Day. At. A .Time.
First I ask myself "Why Do I Ride ?" I HOPE it is because you love horses and a partnership with this 1200 lb. Forgiving, interactive, curious animal.
Second- SIMPLIFY. I am a sports fan, especially of hockey. Whenever a team is struggling, you can bet money you'll hear everyone talking about Simplifying Their Game. What does this mean in riding ? Go back to classical things that work - concentrate on the basics - reaction to/ acceptance of the aids, your position and effectiveness, basic exercises appropriate for your level, ask the horse frequent questions. If you just trotted for 10 minutes straight, did you accomplish anything or just pound your horse into the footing ? How is your self coach ? I recently told a few students they needed to FIRE their self coaches ( the coach in your head ) because they were telling them bad things ( such as " you'll fall off for sure, panic, squeeze harder, get tighter, that stupid horse , youll never get this"). Hire yourself a self coach who gives you positive encouragement, believes in you, is on your team for the long haul.
Third- stop and smell the roses/horses. Have you breathed in that barn smell lately ? That delicious perfume we all love ? Have you buried your face in the fur of their neck ? Have you sat in their stall and told them all your problems while they munch on hay ? Taken a moonlit walk or a snow ride ba****ck? Slowed down enough to scratch their itchy spot or stroke their face the way the horse likes ? Embraced what makes your horse unique ? ( my old mare Poppy has been rude and domineering since birth. I worked on it a lot when she was younger- lots of groundwork, In hand work etc. But now at age 22 i see it as Poppy...and it makes me laugh. I still have to tell her " No I am LEADING YOU " frequently, but i also appreciate that Poppy is Poppy).

I hope this helps you stop your "cursing " and find new barn words that keep frustration, even the thought of it, at bay. I will say having an amazing BARN COMMUNITY is my final word of advice. I'm sure you'll find that all the other riders in your community have said the F Word FRUSTRATION, a time or 2 before. Maybe they have said the even worse words to follow - Giving Up. Sitting around and listening to how others have overcome it can help you tighten your community . And if you cant talk to your barn peeps about it, maybe it's time to find some new ones !

Pictured is Stacey on her boy Sam...if anyone has the right to be Frustrated it was Stacey. It took Sam a full year to get his right lead canter. A full year of classical strengthening...never wavering. I kept saying " it WILL WORK ". And it did. Sam is schooling half passes and changes are on the horizon.

06/08/2026

Miniature Horse Boarding Spot

I have room to take on 1 miniature horse to live with my small pony So Much Sass. She could use a pal. Full use of the facility ( indoor and outdoor ) . Clinics that mini's can participate in on site. No muzzle needed because I have great sacrifice paddocks that get minimal grass in summer. But plenty of room to move ! Board obviously reduced significantly from large horse board.

Come join a great barn.

Pics of the Sassy girl herself. She wants a buddy !