Nicole's Riding Lessons

12/05/2025

Winter has a way of sneaking up on a rider’s confidence. The daylight shrinks, the indoor suddenly feels so much smaller and horses get fresh. Goals that felt easy in July suddenly feel out of reach. It’s a season that can make even the most dedicated riders question where their progress has gone.

Mental skills coach Tonya Johnston believes winter isn’t a setback at all. In fact, she says winter can be one of the most productive periods of a rider’s year if they understand how to work with the season rather than fighting against it.

The first step, Tonya explains, is accepting that winter riding is fundamentally different from riding in the summer. “You have to acknowledge the season you’re in,” she says. “The expectations you had in July don’t apply in November.”

Cold temperatures tighten muscles. Indoor rings restrict pace and lines. Weather disrupts schedules. Horses may get less turnout and more enthusiasm. None of these factors reflect your ability or your horse’s willingness. They’re simply the conditions winter brings.

Tonya stresses that riders often lose confidence not because they’re performing poorly, but because they’re comparing winter rides to their best days outdoors. That comparison isn’t just unhelpful, it’s distorting.

“You’re usually doing better than you think you are,” she says. Winter magnifies riders’ negativity bias, making small imperfections feel like big problems.

Once riders accept winter for what it is, they can begin to shift their goals in a way that keeps confidence steady. “That same number of jumps, the same amount of space, the same intensity—it’s not going to happen right now,” Tonya says. “So don’t hold yourself to expectations that belong to another season.”

She encourages riders to set winter-appropriate goals like strengthening flatwork, improving transitions, refining rideability, or practicing straightness in smaller spaces. These goals still matter. They’re still meaningful. They just don’t rely on summer conditions.

Tonya also reminds riders that winter goals should feel achievable inside their current circumstances, not outside them. “It’s about meeting yourself where you are and where your horse is,” she says.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/12/04/how-to-build-confidence-through-winter-a-riders-guide-to-staying-steady-in-the-off-season/

11/23/2025

Razzle is a stunning, 16hh, 14yo tb mare. Lovely uphill canter, would be a fantastic winter project for an intermediate rider working with a trainer. She’s looking for her own person to bond with, and excels with ground work. Gets along with everyone in the field and is an easy keeper. Barefoot, sound and no maintenance. Does crib, but completely controlled with collar. Located in Catlett, Va. https://youtu.be/jgcjgUY6ykY?si=S8-I7HN94170Km0v

11/03/2025

Happy Halloween from Bella Vega Farm! Our annual costume contest was one of the most creative yet. Shoutout to all of our bombproof ponies!! Thank you for the photos!

10/01/2025

Congratulations to the new owners of the perfect guy Salty! He will be the best therapy horse EVER, I’m sure of it!! What a sweet and gentle soul. Love finding horses such perfect forever homes!

08/06/2025

This is why I teach all students, even my beginners about nose band tightness!! Wow!

New research shows cranking the noseband hurts your horse's gait.

There are always many opinions about nosebands. Too loose, and a trainer might call it sloppy. Too tight, and it becomes a welfare concern. There are studded and crank and chain and traditional, and all kinds of gadgets and gizmos designed to keep our horse’s mouth shut, but what is best for the horse? Is cranking that extra hole doing more harm than good?

A 2025 study published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science examined the impact of noseband tightness on pressure and performance. The results are eye-opening if you believe that a tighter noseband means better performance in the ring.

Most riders are familiar with the standard: leave two fingers’ space beneath the noseband. It’s even outlined in guidelines from the FEI. And according to the study, 85% of riders say they know this recommendation. But when researchers actually measured the fit using a standardized taper gauge, only 15% had their nosebands adjusted to the proper tension.

The vast majority were too tight. Sometimes dramatically too tight.

The Hidden Pressure on a Horse’s Face
In the study, eight horses were fitted with a simple cavesson noseband and tested at three settings: a standard two-finger fit, a snug one-finger fit, and a cranked-tight zero-finger fit. Under each setting, researchers measured facial pressure and evaluated gait.

- The one-finger setting increased pressure on the nasal bone by 54% over the two-finger baseline.
- The zero-finger setting? A staggering 338% increase in pressure.

Imagine trying to do your day job with a belt cinched tight around your nose and jaw. Now add that your success relies on body movement, and you have no way to say, “This hurts.” That’s similar to what the horse might feel like being asked to perform in a fully tightened noseband that more than triples the force exerted on its face.

Unfortunately, changes to tack and equipment don’t typically come solely from the perspective of the horse’s comfort. So let’s look at performance as well.

In addition to pressure data, the researchers measured each horse’s trot stride. As the noseband got tighter, the stride got shorter—by a lot. On average:

- Horses at the one-finger tightness lost 6.2% of their stride length.
- With a fully tightened noseband, stride loss jumped to 11.1%.

In real-world terms, that’s about 24 centimeters, roughly the length of a hoof, disappearing from every stride. While that may not sound dramatic at first, consider how it compounds across a full course. Shorter strides can mean rushed distances, flat movement, and a horse that never quite gets to “flow.” In the hunter ring, 24 centimeters could be the difference between pinning in a highly competitive under saddle class.

And this wasn’t just about stiffness or resistance. The study found a statistically significant negative correlation between noseband pressure and stride length. In short, the tighter the fit, the shorter the step.

Sure, a longer stride is helpful in the show ring. But this research highlights deeper concerns about what that level of pressure does to the horse’s face and nerves. The noseband sits directly over sensitive structures, including branches of the trigeminal nerve, which help regulate posture and proprioception. Excessive pressure here doesn’t just hurt. It may also interfere with the horse’s balance and coordination.

Previous studies have shown that pressures as low as 32 kPa can damage tissue. In this study, the tightest noseband setting reached an average of 115.8 kPa. That’s far above what’s been associated with pain or injury in other species. That number isn’t just theoretical. It’s happening under tack, often unnoticed, every day. And unlike overt lameness, this kind of pressure flies under the radar, making it easy to miss, but just as impactful.

🔗 Read the full article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/07/30/new-research-shows-cranking-your-noseband-hurts-your-horses-gait/

🔗 Read the full study here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080625003120?via%3Dihub

08/02/2025

Announcing our LABOR DAY CAMP super excited for all the fun to be had! 🥳

07/22/2025

“Note Worthy” aka Chandler is a handsome, well-schooled 18yo, 16.2hh Hanoverian gelding. Sweetest guy in the barn, such a joy to have around. Auto lead changes, smoothest canter, beautiful movement and knows his job. He is looking for a step down job preferably flat work and tiny cross rails due to age and maintenance. Nothing crazy, and will disclose all vet records to potential buyers. Not for a complete beginner or ammy without trainer. Looking for the perfect home that is looking to spoil him in his later years! Located in Catlett, Va. https://youtu.be/cD9LNB482rA?si=lTEh0lJQsw5vCz9i

05/29/2025

We are super excited to host a family photo event with the amazing Jess Nichols! You can absolutely include four-legged family members as well! Please click the link to sign up, it is for a great cause 🙂

https://book.usesession.com/s/1yEE8lcRiv

05/25/2025

Not only is this the perfect opportunity for family portraits, but it is perfect for anyone that wants some amazing pictures with their horse or even their dog! Cannot recommend Jess enough! Click on the link below to sign up 🙂 

https://book.usesession.com/s/1yEE8lcRiv

05/25/2025

Fantastic last trail ride from Carters with some of my favorite people and ponies, but can’t wait for the new adventures at BVF 🥰🦄 so many big things yet to come!!

05/20/2025

Guinness, a rather substantial three-year-old Clydesdale, is held by EMC Vet Tech Rosie Barwick as he is prepared for tibiotarsal arthroscopy surgery.

This procedure, performed by Dr. Norris Adams, Clinical Associate Professor of Equine Surgery, was done to remove "joint mice” or loose osteochondral (OCD) fragments floating in his hock joint that were causing him some discomfort.

After an overnight stay at the hospital, Guinness was ready to head back home!

05/12/2025

Guinness has made it out of surgery and is in recovery doing very well! 🙌🏼🦄