The Narrow Gate Farms

07/05/2023

💕

06/09/2023

We hope everyone is being safe while the air quality remains in a state of unhealthy conditions.

Riding on the farm has come to a pause temporarily to protect our horses… we hope to resume all riding activities soon.

We’re sending all the love to those affected most in Canada tonight. 💛

05/16/2023

today we got to lesson with someone I’ve been dyinnnngg to train with for a while. When we moved closer to her facility i knew I needed to make the jump and contact her. I’m so glad I did.

Thank you Hablyn Hills Equestrian Center for teaching us today. It was truly a joy and your farm is LOVELY!

Thank you for Jennie Lupkin for being such a perfect supporter and even better videographer! 💕.

Thank you Honor for being my constant and showing me the ropes 💕

05/16/2023

Congratulations Girl Scout Troop #37099 on your newest badge! 💚🤎

This incredible group of leading ladies spent yesterday evening in the barn learning intro to horse care and basic riding skills.

We couldn’t have asked for better weather or a better way to spend our Monday night. ☀️

05/15/2023

Happy Monday! ☀️

05/12/2023

38 Days until our very first day of summer camp!
☀️☀️☀️

Hands on equine activities all day long. Crafts. Games. Special guest speakers. And THE BEST schooling horses we know are doing it all with us every day, all week long. 💙

Find out today how we can make this summer one your child won’t soon forget!

05/11/2023

Some views from our beautiful trails! 🛤

Did you know our farm is settled on 400 acres?! That’s a lot of exploring to be done.

Find out how you can take our lesson horses on a trail ride and even lease one of our schooling horses to trail ride all through the summer!! ☀️☀️☀️

(COMING SOON: A trail riding club @ The Narrow Gate Farms. Trail ride with barn buddies ALL year long!)

05/11/2023

enjoy the process 💕

Detach yourself from the outcome

If you’ve been around for a while you’ll know I love to talk about how as riders we put so much of our self worth or how good we are as riders on that mark we get at a competition and it’s always frustrated me that so many of us struggle to see past that score and struggle to see the good parts of those bad tests and that perspective. But I’ve always struggled to word how I feel about this subject until I heard someone on a podcast talking about a completely different topic.

They said

We need to detach ourselves from the outcome and attach ourselves to the process

Detach your self worth from that final score

Detach your decision of whether you are a ‘good rider’ on that final score

Detach your conclusion of whether it was a good day or not on that final score

Instead attach it to the process. The progress you’ve made over the last few months or years, the journey you’re on, how much you enjoy riding your horse, how happy and healthy your horse is and how much they enjoy their work.

Let this be your guide instead and I promise you you’ll enjoy everything from training to competing to life so much better

//

05/07/2023

Our weekly show team lesson. 🧡

On Friday nights, our competitive team meets as a group to practice for upcoming events. You are not required to go to every single event we attend to qualify for our show team.

Leasers ride for free, anyone can join this group lesson for $40 per ride. 💫

05/07/2023

Yesterday we celebrated Cinco De Mayo before our weekly show team lesson!

A HUGE thanks to Poolesville’s “Mexican Grill” for the delicious feast!!!

🌮🧡🌮🧡🌮

05/03/2023

Summer starts NEXT MONTH!!! 🌞

Feel free to reach out and get your student on our attendance list. 🧡

[email protected] or send us a message on our page!

*Family discount & before/aftercare also available*

05/02/2023

no matter what. we’re in this together.

05/01/2023

💕💕

Things your riding instructor wants you to know:
1. This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.

2. You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…

3. You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..

4. This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.

5. EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...

6. Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.

7. You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.

8. Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.

9. We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.

*thank you to whoever wrote this! Not my words, but certainly a shared sentiment!

04/29/2023

Some views from our weekly Friday show team group lesson.

☔️🌧☔️🌧☔️

Our show this weekend may be cancelled (due to the rain conditions) but we had our fun anyways!

04/28/2023

Rain-rain-go away. Let our schooling horses go out to play. ☔️

04/27/2023

We got the rings set up for a rainy next few days.

Have the best rides everyone!

04/27/2023

That “haven’t seen my pony all week, can’t wait to love on him & stuff him with treats” feeling. 💙

04/24/2023

04/24/2023

The Saddle Mark

When I walk in your stall for the late night check, I notice the saddle mark from where you have dirt and sweat.

It tells a story of an honest kind mount, who just spent several hours making memories count.

I grab a brush and wipe away the dried sweat and muck thinking to myself why he should just buck.

You see this old horse who's back I groom with care was left in his stall by some kid with long hair.

They ride him for hours, with constant yanks and belly kicks, while he patiently taught them what being a horse rider is.

They give him lots of reasons of why he should kick or bite, but instead he lowers his head because it's just polite.

27yrs this old guy has graced this earth and these ungrateful kids can't even clean off the dirt.

From your aggravated Coach Courtney Smith
P.S. Nothing makes me angrier then seeing such great horses who give their all be treated with such disregard by their riders.

04/20/2023

⭐️BRAND NEW⭐️ to The Narrow Gate Farms!

Please feel free to share with as many friends & family as possible. 📞

Send us a DM or email to get the sign up sheet sent directly to your email. ✨

We look forward to hearing from you! 🤍

04/20/2023

another big day here at Narrow Gate!

We are so excited to be able to invest in our farm and build even safer fields for all of our horses ☺️

04/18/2023

A little over a week ago, Kari Hall visited us to host an incredible clinic on Easter morning. 🐰💕

Exciting news… Kari Hall COMES BACK May 28th for another clinic!!! ✨

Group & Private clinic spots are now available. Trailer in or learn aboard one of our lovely schooling horses. 💫

Feel free to contact us for more information or to secure your spot. 📩

04/17/2023

Happy Monday! 🌞 - It takes a village to keep our schooling horses mannerly & in shape for our students enjoyment.

04/10/2023

Spring Break Camp Day 2 Recap 🌞

04/09/2023

Kari Hall is in the building!

We can’t wait to showcase all the tools we added to our toolbox today. 🛠📚

04/08/2023

We had a really fun Easter on The Farm this morning. 🐰💕

Not many treats left The Narrow Gate Farms in their wrappers today. 🐣

Thanks for joining us! 🍀

04/08/2023

We had the BEST first ever camp day on the farm.

The best campers. The best ponies/horses. The best time. Thanks for loving us right back! 🧡

04/07/2023

Camp is in session. 🌞

Honors expression says it all.. 🧡