Ashblue Equestrian

01/09/2025

Quality always 🩵🩶

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1075585481246664&id=100063856669752&mibextid=cr9u03

How to train with minimal time:

I’m of the mind that quality, consistent work ten minutes here and there is far better than an hour or two on the weekend. Everybody’s schedules are crazy, everybody has stuff going on, and probably everybody feels guilty all the time for what they’re not doing.

I have a busy life too. It can be hard to prioritize my own horses, but I’ve had several teachers essentially grab me by my shirt collar and emphasize with gusto how important my own horses training is- and so I present to you my secret plan for short sessions with quality

1- have a plan going in. I don’t mean decide exactly what you’re gonna do, because life happens and you have to work with the horse you have in front of you. But have a plan to give this session your all- to be 110% present for ten, fifteen minutes. No distractions. And calm. If you shoot for 110%, you might hit 70%, and that would be a great success. Get your head on straight, then go in to the pasture.

2- focus on quality in everything. How much care can you invest in putting the halter on? How did your horse feel? How nicely did they lead? How much attention can you give to brushing in a way your horse likes? How well did they stand at the mounting block, how much attention to detail did you give picking up their feet with softness? These things matter, and add up.

3- focus on being smooth and rhythmic. The more I can get me and my horse moving in a smooth, rhythmic way, the sooner the distractions fall away, the sooner my horse breathes and calms, the sooner every thing gets awesome. So get that rhythm!

4- if things go wrong, as they can do, backtrack to something easy. Spend your time building successes, so find something you can do well and quit on without eating up your whole evening being frustrated.

5- be happy with less. Don’t expect flying changes in ten minutes- be happy with breathing, be happy with standing still, be happy with moving nicely, be happy with moving at all. If you have minimal time, your expectations should fit the bill: small and simple, and learn to get happy with less. Resist the urge to do it one more time, keep that greed monster away and accept what is fair to accept.

If
You’re in the video library community, join us for a haltering with excellence challenge!

Photo by Jasmine Cope

12/26/2024

A day late, but yesterday was for family and horses. Wishing all of our friends, family and horses near and far, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Cheers to heading into our 15th year with some of the best. 🩵🩶🤍

12/08/2023

🤣

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=649091150771021&id=100070104240093&mibextid=cr9u03

TIP FOR SHARING:
If you have a significant other that has a horse farm in any state that has “mud season” and you are working on last minute gifts this holiday season, this is for you bestie!

Gorgeous gorgeous farm girls want rocks this year. No, no, no… not 💍 THAT kind of rock, 🪨 THIS kind of rock. Gravel, we want gravel. We want erosion control fabric and gravel to fill it with, to cut down on the ankle-sucking, atv slogging, slip and fall in the wet sad winter MUD.

Sincerely, the tired people who waddle around in overalls and muck boots trying to keep their animals happy this mud season.

11/24/2023

‘Tis the season😜

10/30/2023

Horses available for Part Board ONLY.

Located on the westside of Milton/Campbellville/Moffat area. 5 mins from the 401!

1-HIJI(1st photo)-16 hh compact Swedish wb X gelding. He is a very fun ride. I bought him as a baby as my own personal horse before getting into breeding. Hack winner! Mostly auto changes with a balanced rider. I would even love a flat based rider on him(as he can be playful jumping). Has collections and extensions and has worked on laterals. Same on and off property, and has shown up to 2’9. Loves to work. Looking for 3+rides per week(minimum of one lesson per week)

2-BROOKLYN-16 hh tb mare. Very quiet and honest, confidence builder. Easy around a 2’6-2’9 course with flying changes. Competitive in both the hunter and jumper ring. Rides the same on and off property. Looking for 2-3 rides per week(one being a lesson)

3-RAINE-15 hh Arab x mare, is older but that hasn’t stopped her. Fun uphill ride, but can be quick at her canter and jumping. Very handy/jumper type. Confident rider is preferred. Looking for 3+ rides a week(one being a lesson)

4-MILLIE-14 hh pony mare. Hunter type, very quiet. Would make a nice ride for a small novice adult or teen looking for time in the saddle. A push ride over fences. She does have a bit of pony sass but never mean. Looking for 3+ rides a week(one being a lesson)

5-Also have DUBAI(2nd photo)-a very cool and ATHLETIC 17.2hh tb gelding who is a lovely flat horse. Needs a confident rider to bring him along. Easily goes in a frame with collection/extension/lateral work. LOVES to jump but has been just coming back into jumping and I prefer to bring them back slowly and effectively. He prefers a confident but quiet persistent ride to perform at his best. Looking for 2-3 rides a week(one being a lesson)

AND the best for last.

6-CHARLIE-Clydesdale gelding available for pb. Great for w/t work and hacking with friends. Ideal for someone looking to build up confidence flatting or just enjoy time spent with horses. He’s a cuddler!

PM with questions and I’ll get back to you asap. All of these horses are very friendly and easy to work around. I have pictures and videos available upon request. They are all only available for part board or quarter board. No off property leases available at this time.

We are a mostly adult barn, with fun lessons. We do attend local schooling shows, Angelstone Silver series and CW trillium shows. Very reasonable part board and quarter board rates (includes lessons with licensed coach)

06/08/2023

Because owning horses isn’t all sunshine and rainbows…here’s a quick little psa to get your attention

CHECK YOUR HORSES FOR TICKS!

These annoying arthropods like to feast in horse tails, and often go unnoticed. Scratch through your horses mane as well as tail, along the dock all the way to the tip to check for any crusty spots, and if you find one or multiple crusty/itchy areas you’ll often find a tick. Ticks love creases too(elbow and groin area)and even under the jaw…be thorough! I’ve been checking my horses that are out on grass regularly, but somehow this little(large) guy slipped through my checks. Disinfect after of course! 🤢

04/29/2023

Things your riding instructor wants you to know:
1. This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.

2. You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…

3. You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..

4. This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.

5. EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...

6. Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.

7. You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.

8. Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.

9. We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.

*thank you to whoever wrote this! Not my words, but certainly a shared sentiment!