Brian Hadley Stables Academy

10/16/2025

10/13/2025

🍁 FALL RIDING LESSONS ARE HERE! 🍁
Cooler temps mean our lesson schedule is heating up! 🔥🐴

Fall is the PERFECT time to get in the saddle—crisp air, happy horses, and fresh motivation after summer. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to level up your riding game, Brian Hadley Stables Riding Academy has a spot waiting for you!

✨ Now Booking:
✔️ Tiny Tots & Beginners
✔️ Equitation Riders
✔️ Adult Lessons (yes, it’s your turn!)
✔️ Confidence Builders & Show Prep

📩 Message us today to reserve your spot—our fall schedule fills fast!

Let’s giddy up into fall together! 🧡🐎

10/09/2025

09/20/2025

This is a great visual of how the thoracic sling is activated by dynamic movement.

It helps me to think of there being four slings:

The left and right upper slings that provide rotational stabilization of the spine towards vertical balance, and the left and right lower slings that ‘collect’ the body back over the limbs toward vertical alignment, using the adductor muscles (orange and yellow).

This is why lateral work is important!

We can start working on the lower sling with shoulder-in and turn on the hindquarters, but work like haunches-in and counterbent turns starts to work the upper sling. Halfpass requires the most of all the slings.

Of course, none of this works in isolation. We have to simultaneously develop the ‘gluteal bridge,’ (my own term for the combined structure and function of the glutes and longissimus back muscle). But that’s a different post for a different time. 

Image from Animal-Balance

09/18/2025

09/15/2025

09/14/2025

✨🐴 Show Ring Highlights! 🐴✨

We had such a great time at our second Morgan Horse Club of Texas show in McKinney—smiles, lessons, and lots of blue ribbons to celebrate! 🎉

👏 Ellie Mote & Castellina (Honey) were on fire—winning the 17 & Under W/T qualifier, taking Reserve in the 18 & Under Novice Horse/Rider, and finishing as Reserve Champion in the 17 & Under W/T Championship!

👏 Eltie Robertson & Castellina rocked the 12 & Under W/T with two solid rides and fourth-place finishes. Even with a little scheduling hiccup, she rode with grit and learned so much. Way to SHOW YOUR HORSE, kiddo—we’ll be back stronger than ever! 💪✨

👏 Darcey & SkippyJon Jones showed off in the 18 & Over W/T and brought home the BLUE! 🥇

👏 Zircon stepped into his groove and proved he’s got the heart of a champion—we can’t wait to see him shine with his kiddo at Holiday TASHA! 🌟

So proud of ALL our riders and horses—what a weekend! 💖🐎

07/15/2025

Adjusting reins smoothly and effectively is a foundational skill, not just an afterthought. Yet this often is overlooked as a skill and we expect riders to pick it up while doing something else.

👍 Remember to take the time to isolate and teach rein adjustments before layering on while they are doing other things.

Start by helping riders understand WHAT longer and shorter reins are and WHY would want to adjust them. Then the HOW.

Common rein adjustment methods are:

1 - Pinch & Slide Method
Pinch the rein in front of one hand and slide the other hand down to shorten, alternating until the right length is achieved

2 - Creeping/Walking the Hands Down
Gradually “walk” the fingers or hands down the reins to adjust length without big movements that disrupt the horse’s mouth.

3 - Quick Grab
Teach riders how to take up slack quickly and evenly—an essential technique for trail rides or regaining control if their horse spooks.

The great thing is, this is a skill that can be practiced off horse!

💬 Do you intentionally teach rein adjustments as a standalone skill? Do you have any favorite games or activities that you use for teaching rein adjustments?

06/10/2025

This will be a fun camp game!

06/09/2025

Coming to a lesson near you!!

06/09/2025

05/25/2025