SmartAlex Equestrian

12/31/2025

09/06/2025

✨ What is Working Equitation? ✨

Working Equitation (WE) is an exciting horse sport that combines horsemanship, precision, and FUN! 🐴💫

Riders get to show off their partnership with their horse through:

1️⃣ Dressage – riding patterns that highlight balance & communication
2️⃣ Ease of Handling (EOH) – fun obstacles like gates, bridges, and slaloms
3️⃣ Speed – a timed run through obstacles for an extra thrill! ⚡

🌟 The best part? WE is for all riders, all breeds, and all disciplines. English, Western, or anything in between — everyone can join in.

🙌 At NOVAWE’s Youth Day (Sat, Oct 25 at Frying Pan Farm Park, Herndon VA), kids will get a hands-on taste of WE through obstacle courses, games, and activities designed just for youth riders.

👉 Space is limited enter here

https://forms.gle/qvyZtPFU6xApz8xC7

09/03/2025

Really excited to be part of this event! It’s goi ‘n g to be a fun way for kids to try Working Equitation

At Youth Day, riders will get to choose between an Ease Of Handling round or a Gamblers Choice round!

🎲🐴 Gamblers Choice🐴🎲

Ready for a challenge full of strategy AND fun?

👉 Here’s how it works:

Riders have a set time to complete as many obstacles as they can.

Each obstacle has a point value and can be ridden twice (the trickier it is, the higher the points!).

The goal? Rack up as many points as possible before the clock runs out!

It’s fast, it’s fun, and it’s all about making smart choices while showing off your horse’s skills. 🏆

✨ Ease of Handling (EOH) ✨

In this phase, horse and rider navigate a course of obstacles — like bridges, gates, slaloms, and more — designed to test precision, control, and partnership. It’s all about teamwork, not speed, and shows how well the rider can guide their horse through real-life challenges in a fun and skillful way. 🐴💫

🙌 Youth riders will get a hands-on taste of this thrilling sport at NOVAWE’s Youth Day – October 25 at Frying Pan Farm Park (Herndon, VA).
👉 Don’t miss it — mark your calendars today!

04/30/2025

WOW! What a weekend!!!

Jax and I just wrapped up our first two licensed Working Equitation shows—and I couldn’t be more pleased with him!

Show 1: Reserve Champion
Show 2: 3rd Place

AND we got both of our qualifying scores for Regionals in October—plus the highest dressage score of the entire show for Show 2!

Considering I was away most of March and early April, we had about a week to prepare… and Jax absolutely delivered. There's still lots of work ahead, but I’m so excited for what’s to come this summer and to be back in the competition ring.

Jax is now officially “The Flying Puffin”! Not quite Supersonic yet… but we’re getting there!

Huge thanks to Dianne for trusting me with such a fantastically fun horse, and thank you to everyone who came out to support us.

Shoutout to Working Equitation East for putting on two fabulous competitions. If I wasn’t hooked before… I’m definitely hooked now!

04/26/2025

Game face on! Competition day tomorrow!

04/22/2025

This is a great opportunity to try out WE Obstacles—whether you’re looking for a fun challenge, a fitness boost, or just something new to experience!

Let me know if you're interested in giving WE a try—I’d love to have you join in!

NOVAWE's WE Ride Around #3 is open for sign up! This time it will be at Stephanie Jennings's farm in Round Hill, VA on Wednesday, May 7th, and there are 3 sessions available, from 3 pm to 6 pm. Get off early and ride the WE obstacles at Stephanie's farm!
https://forms.gle/Z8X2WCoEhrXAChJq6

04/04/2025

Owning horses means getting really good at a very special kind of math… 🤔💸

💰 Budget for the month: $500
🐎 Actual horse expenses: $1,375
🛍️ New tack that was “too good a deal to pass up”: $275
🐴 Emergency vet call (because horses are horses): $500
🍕 What’s left for human food: $3.75

🐴🫏💜