Crystal Springs Ranch & Saddlery

10/12/2025

Jackie came to Saddle shop last week & bought her 1st pair of breeches to ride English. Jackie sent me the next pic of her all ready to ride her horse. What fun!

09/21/2025

This video gives a great example of a rider looking ahead to the next jump.

09/11/2025

We are ready for you and your horse this Winter! Just 10 min from DIHP.

Private Serene Desert Oasis A thoughtfully designed equestrian facility just 10 minutes from Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) in the Coachella Valley, offering exceptional stabling, spacious grass paddocks, and peaceful surroundings nestled at the base of El Toro Canyon. Contact us to book you...

09/02/2025

𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 ‘𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤’

In the horse world, “bad luck” is one of the most overused excuses. A horse goes lame, pulls a tendon, or breaks down in training and straight away it’s, “Ah sure, unlucky.” most injuries aren’t random. They’re the result of how we train, manage, and ride our horses. If we keep pretending it’s just chance, we’ll never improve welfare or performance.

Horses are athletes, and like any athlete, their bodies need careful preparation. The problem is, horses can’t tell us when something hurts or when they’re not ready for the next step. They rely on us to spot the signs. Too often, we push before they’re physically prepared. Drill the same movement, increase intensity too quickly, or work on hard ground without enough recovery, and tissues simply can’t cope. The result isn’t “bad luck” it’s biology catching up.

Biomechanics plays a huge role here. A horse with poor posture, weak core stability, or crooked movement patterns is already compensating somewhere. That compensation overloads another structure, a tendon, a ligament, or a joint that wasn’t designed to take the strain. Over weeks and months, those micro-strains add up until they hit breaking point. What looks like a sudden injury is usually the end of a long chain of stress the horse has been quietly carrying.

Conformation is often blamed, and yes, it matters. A horse with upright pasterns or a long back will face certain challenges. But conformation isn’t destiny. Good training, thoughtful management, and strength-building can protect weaker points. Poor training and careless management exaggerate them.

So, what’s the answer? Prevention, not excuses. Training must be progressive, not rushed. Building strength slowly, developing postural muscles, and introducing variety reduces repetitive strain. Rest and recovery days aren’t “time wasted” they’re when the body adapts and gets stronger. Conditioning the whole horse, not just the flashy movements or the competition skills, creates resilience.

Yes, accidents will always happen. Horses are specialists at finding trouble, from kicking a wall to slipping in the field. But let’s not confuse genuine accidents with predictable breakdowns. A pulled shoe is bad luck. A horse breaking down after months of overwork, poor footing, or ignored warning signs? That’s not luck, that’s management.

If we truly put welfare first, we need to stop hiding behind comforting excuses. Instead of saying “it’s just one of those things,” we should be asking:

•Did I prepare this horse correctly?
•Did I balance workload with recovery?
•Did I notice the subtle signs before it became a bigger problem?

Changing the way we think about injuries isn’t about guilt tripping riders or owners. It’s about being honest. When we take responsibility, we give our horses a better chance to stay sound, happy, and able to perform at their best for longer. That’s not just good horsemanship, it’s good welfare. 🐎❤️

08/21/2025

Some of us never grow out of the “I love horses” stage — and that is life’s greatest gift.
Because loving them is not just a hobby, it’s a part of the soul. It’s the morning greetings at the stable, the quiet conversations only they can hear, and the feeling of peace when their warm breath touches your hand.
This love never grows old. It only deepens with each passing year. ❤️🐎

08/15/2025

Not Waiting for It

“Riding and jumping a three year old in draw reins and leverage bits, and wrestling around 1.00m+ classes before the horse is five is in fact not waiting for it.”

There it is. Clear as day. Yet half the industry seems to have developed selective hearing. Because apparently, waiting now means forcing a baby horse into a fake outline with half a toolbox strapped to its head, then catapulting it at fences big enough to make a seasoned hunter blink.

Call it “education,” call it “production,” call it “giving them a job.” Call it whatever you like but let’s not insult everyone’s intelligence by pretending it’s waiting. It’s the equine equivalent of handing a toddler a laptop and then moaning when they can’t write code.

And the excuses. Oh, the excuses.
“He’s a big sort, he can take it.” Brilliant. And my neighbour’s six-foot teenager looks like a rugby prop, doesn’t mean you send him into the Six Nations before his GCSEs, ( exams at age 16)
“She loves to jump.” She also loves rolling in muck and trying to bite the wheelbarrow. Horses are very enthusiastic about a lot of things; doesn’t make them life choices.
“They’re bred for it.” Fantastic. My kettle is made to boil water, doesn’t mean I plug it in 24/7 and expect it to last a decade.

Here’s what actual waiting looks like, and spoiler alert, it’s boring. It’s hacking for endless miles. It’s long-reining in the drizzle while your fingers freeze. It’s walk-trot work so dull you start reciting your shopping list just to stay awake. It’s the horse standing in the field with half a rug shredded, looking like an unkempt yak. Not glamorous. Not Instagrammable. But it’s the stuff that makes a horse last.

Because that sparkling three year old “future star” that everyone’s oohing and ahhing over? Where are they at ten? Too often, broken, sour, or mysteriously “gone to a good home.” They don’t vanish because they lacked talent, they vanish because someone decided impatience was ambition. I have one who was fu**ed by age 10 due to eventing to early.

And let’s not kid ourselves the rush is never about the horse. Horses don’t care about ribbons, rankings, or how many likes the video gets. They dream of grass and a good roll. The push is about us, our egos, our wallets, our need to be seen “making” something special. The horse just foots the bill.

The funny thing? The horsemen worth their salt know the value of “Not yet.” It’s not glamorous, doesn’t win quick glory, and won’t get you claps online. But it’s the difference between a horse who’s still pricking its ears at the sight of the lorry at fifteen, and one that’s already gone through three “career ending” sales posts before it turned eight.

So let’s call it straight. Jumping three year olds, Riding in draw reins and leverage bits isn’t waiting. It’s gambling. And if this is what we’re calling patience, then cantering them down the centre line at three must count as career planning. Honestly, who are we trying to fool?

Patch ISH TIH by Seacrest

02/27/2025

Last fall I was at a World Championship Hunter Rider show in the Pacific Northwest when a longtime amateur rider approached me and asked if there was anything we could do on a governance level to make the sport more affordable. Ellen and her husband are both physicians and fear that they are being p...

02/09/2025

01/12/2025

❎❎Game-Changer for Young Horses: Minimum Age for Grand Prix RAISED! ❎❎

Huge news for the future of dressage! The Danish Riding Federation has officially raised the minimum age for horses to compete at Grand Prix level—a move that’s a win for young horses everywhere! 🌟

Starting 2025, horses must be 9 years old (instead of 8 )to compete in national Intermediaire II and Grand Prix classes! 🎉 This gives young horses the time they deserve to mature, develop their skills, and enter the big leagues when they're truly ready—no more rushing to the top too soon. 🐴💪

🔑 What this means:
Horses can now start competing at the big tour level in the year they turn 9, which means for 2025, only horses born in 2016 or earlier are eligible for Grand Prix.

👉 The best part? The pressure is off for those 8-year-olds who can now focus on Intermediaire A and B tests, giving them time to shine without the grind.

This is a positive shift that allows for healthier development, longer careers, and fewer young horses pushed to perform too early. 🌱💚

FEI’s age limit is still at 8, but with the European Equestrian Federation pushing for change, could this be the start of even more positive changes for young talent in the sport? 🤩

Let’s hear your thoughts—is this a win for young horses? Drop a comment below! 👇