Copperview Equestrian

12/02/2025

Our little slice of heaven 🫶🏻

📸 P.Tography

11/20/2025

10/17/2025

Today on realistic expectations of sport horses in the sub $100,000 facebook market :

$0-15,000: thoroughbreds still at the track and having learned a lot of life skills, but unlikely in the direction you would like. They will be green to their new job, will likely need guidance from a professional. Other types are likely older and pretty happy ambling around. Going to likely need support in the form of a good farrier and vet. A lot of great first horse options if you remember that the cost of the horse is the cheap part.

Some of these horses have started in their careers of choice, but are likely not showing at too many recognized events. Sometimes vetting findings are reflective of this price point for one that might have a bit more talent or experience but might need a good farrier or vet.

$15,000 - 25,000. Starting to get some recognized shows under their belts, have great brains, life experiences, and good citizens. Likely to be happy middle ground sort of horses. Unlikely to have a full set of xrays, or changes, or to be “fully” established unless maybe an old injury that required some time off and getting reestablished.

$25,000-40,000: quality young prospects, that may still be green but a lot of potential. Alternatively, you’ll have your more established novice packer types with maybe some training experience.

$40,000-60,000: your training packers, some of your green modified/prelim horses. What most imported horses are hitting the ground at (figure $20,000 buy in, $4,000 vetting, $12,000 flight, tariffs and shipping….) so circle back to that base price for what you can expect of these horses. Changes getting established.

$60,000-80,000: These are your solid prelim/2* types, usually the ones that are happy to step back down to novice and bring riders back up. Usually been produced by one rider with a well documented history. Some motivated 1.20m sorts that lack a mile long record, or your older established packer types ready to step down to be the professional seeing eye dog.

$80,000 + this is where your 🔝 sorts are priced. The ones with true UL potential, and have started to prove that potential.

If a horse sounds too good to be true at a certain price point, likely a) theres a vetting issue to be disclosed b) the owner is pressed for outside life motivators, and people are going to move quickly on a genuinely good deal. Be prepared to act accordingly. C) there’s a quirk of some sort. Kick kick ride, a little overly enthusiastic in their style, a random spook, that makes them perfectly fine horses, as long as you go in with your eyes open.

Hope this helps!

10/16/2025

Todays shoot 📸 Our property makes a pretty nice backdrop 😍😍 Michaela Hewitt-Howie

10/15/2025

10/09/2025

The most stunning Smudge 😍🥰

09/29/2025

CC Osoyoos aka “Smudge” is a 2019 16hh papered CWB mare (Casparo x Quidam blue)

Smudge has completed two 3 day events this season at pre entry level. She has attended multiple xc clinics, and just did her first jumper show. She placed in 2/3 classes and handled it like a pro. She is schooling 1m at home and has jumped up to 1.10m under saddle with scope to spare.

She is progressing nicely on the flat. Working on perfecting her shoulder/haunches in, leg yielding, counter canter & changes. Hacks out alone or in a group in English or western tack. ALWAYS meets you at the gate and lives for attention. Loads and hauls well even alone.

She is a very good girl but is still a young wb mare with a BIG jump. Needs someone capable to continue producing her to her full potential. Would be ok with a GOOD riding junior in a proper program. Not for an adult ammy or someone still learning the basics.

No soundness issues or maintenance needed. Easy keeper. Smudge is a mild cribber but does not wood chew. Got her as a project and it’s time for her to find her person. Located in Sorrento BC. Can help arrange hauling anywhere 🚚🌏

Flat
https://youtu.be/0sPws9GsM7A?si=238o91nEaWvxR1up

Cross country
https://youtu.be/GIxs-fmZ7Kg?si=20wKus2o4W_Cb-JZ

MREC stadium round & schooling
https://youtu.be/gH4uktLwByo?si=yRVLlI5hQySHQfkQ

09/29/2025

09/24/2025

In an industry full of stronger bits, training gadgets, and hours-long schooling sessions, it’s easy to believe that more is always better. But Geoff Teall argues the opposite: when it comes to good riding, less is almost always more. He outlines why the simplest solutions create the best results for both horse and rider.

Many riders turn to equipment or extra work as the first answer to a training problem. A horse feels heavy? Put in a stronger bit. Is the horse too fresh? Add more lunging. A horse isn’t responding? Try another gadget.

Teall cautions that these quick fixes don’t actually solve the issue. At best, they mask symptoms for a short while; at worst, they create new problems. As he explains, “All the bits in the world won’t make an unbalanced horse move correctly. The best they will do is mask the problem for a time.”

Instead of asking, “What equipment will fix this?” Teall encourages riders to ask, “Why is this happening?”

Take the example of a horse that leans heavily on the bit. The heaviness isn’t the real problem. It’s just a symptom. The root cause is often a lack of balance and engagement from the hind end.

The solution isn’t to pull the head up with leverage. It’s to go back to the basics: teach the horse to move forward from the leg, carry more weight behind, and balance himself properly. Only then will he feel lighter in the rider’s hands.

Simplicity doesn’t stop at tack. Teall also urges riders to rethink how much they drill their horses before stepping into the show ring. Too often, riders spend hours in the schooling area, jumping fence after fence until both horse and rider are exhausted before the class even starts.

Teall takes a different approach. “If your horse knows what is expected of him, he doesn’t need a lot of warming up,” he explains. A few well-placed jumps are enough to get a feel for the venue and fine-tune the ride. That means fewer takeoffs on the horse’s legs, less wear and tear, and a fresher horse who walks into the ring ready to perform.

Another common mistake is assuming more time equals better results. Teall describes a horse he inherited that was worked into the ground by his previous owners, who thought more riding would eventually make him quiet. Instead, the horse just became harder to manage.

Teall flipped the approach. He set strict, short schooling sessions that ended on time no matter how the horse went. Within weeks, the horse settled because he knew his workload was never endless. Instead of being drilled, he was trained, and that made all the difference.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/09/17/less-is-more-why-simplicity-beats-quick-fixes-in-riding/
📸 © Heather N. Photography

09/23/2025

This one hits home! I was also one of these people up until last winter when I had a really challenging horse that I wasn’t comfortable riding. Pushing him made matters worse and I felt at a loss. My amazing dressage coach was the first person to really preach this approach to me and I so appreciate it now and my horses are all better for it.

The toxicity of the “ride them through it” and “be a gritty rider” mindset…

The horse world has built a culture around the idea that the epitome of being a good rider is being able to ride a horse through anything.

A refusal to get off.

That endangering yourself (and in many cases, also the horse) is a badge of honour.

That it’s an inherently admirable trait to evade groundwork and try to do everything from in the saddle, even when the horse is showing you that they are struggling.

This belief system has led to many people growing up putting themselves in unnecessarily dangerous situations with their horses.

I was one of those people.

I took immense pride in my ability to ride through horses broncing, rearing and otherwise panicking.

I am lucky I didn’t end up with worse injuries than I have. I put myself in a lot of dangerous situations that were avoidable.

All because I was taught a narrative that to get off the horse is to be weak.

That dismounting was a failure. That it was letting the horse “win.”

But, training isn’t a battle.

And if your training resembles a battleground, you’re doing something wrong.

Creating lasting confidence in horses often involves meeting them where they are, not forcing them to work through increasing stress until they either fatigue physically and stop fighting or mentally shutdown.

We should be encouraging riders to know when to stop when they or their horses are struggling with anxiety and lack of confidence.

We shouldn’t be trying to push people to ignore the alarm bells that their brain is sending them and ride through it anyways.

Ground work is a powerful training tool.

Getting off the horse, even if just for a short pause, can be a powerful reset.

It can allow both horse and rider to regulate.

We need to do away with the archaic “cowboy on” mentality that leads people to believe that they need to endanger themselves in order to become a good trainer.

The best trainers and riders are the ones who learn to operate in a way where they avoid stressing horses to the point of explosives.

Where they can develop a horse without the extreme anxiety.

The best trainers make training look quiet and easy.

Sure, it might not be as entertaining and dramatic to watch.

But it is infinitely better for both horse and rider.

09/18/2025

Lola is a 2022 Hanoverian mare with great lineage. She is by Light My Fire and her dam lines go back to Donnerhall & Rubinstein. She isn’t papered currently but can be. Lola is currently 15hh and growing, she should mature just under 16 hands. She is lightly started w/t/c and has popped over a few small fences under saddle and showed great willingness. She has been trail ridden in a group. Has gone over bridges and through water. Lola has hauled off property to school. She spent a weekend at Island 22 Equestrian Park to gain exposure and get used to the show environment. This mare is extremely brave and willing for her age and shows a lot of promise to go any direction. Lovely little motor on her without being too hot. Extremely sweet and in your pocket. No buck bolt or rear but of course is green and needs someone experienced to continuing producing her. No vices. Loads & hauls well. Currently barefoot. PPE welcome at buyers expense. Located in Pritchard B.C. Can help arrange hauling anywhere. No quarantine required to import into the US just a coggins. Asking 3️⃣0️⃣k CAD

***VIDEO ⬇️***
https://youtu.be/r-738PZuglM?feature=shared

08/25/2025

Formal introduction for the new gal on the block! Welcome “Copperview Kula” ✨💛 5 year old 15.3hh DHH x Qh (half sibling to our beloved Simon) Just like her brother Kula came off the trailer completely quiet & sensible. She is going to be a special one!!