Harmony Equestrian Center, LLC

11/07/2025

Good luck and have a blast at War Horse this weekend! Mallory/Aria, Ashley/Lucy, and making their War Horse debut Haley/Helios!

11/04/2025

10/24/2025

We are so excited to welcome everyone to our Annual Halloween Horse Show tomorrow! The course is set and activities start at 10 AM with walking groundpoles. Our AEL Team will be having concessions (all proceeds will benefit our team), the Botetourt 4-H Horse and Pony Club will be selling raffle tickets for a framed print, and we will be celebrating Josh's official retirement! The costume classes will be up at the barn so Degas can participate.
Here is the link to pre enter: https://form.jotform.com/251496276544163:

10/18/2025

Good luck Harmony AEL Team! We are competing on this lovely fall day at Empowered Equestrian today.

10/18/2025

Wishing a big congratulations to the Montgomery 4-H Hippology on their 3rd place overall win in Hippology and to Marybeth Martin, High Individual in the Judging Phase. This team consisted of Marybeth Martin (6th), Emma Kate Sazonov (8th), Emma Willey (10th), and Sarah Willey!

We also send congratulations to Louisa and Powhatan FFA. Louisa was 9th team in the judging phase with Ashlyn Schroyer earning 5th in judging!

Way to represent Virginia!

10/17/2025

https://mailchi.mp/84ae64e70a6b/harmony-happenings-october

Nights are getting cool, days are sunny and bright-FALL is here! With fall coming so is our annual Halloween Horse Show! Get those costumes ready for our ever popular Costume Classes. We will also have our regular timed and equitation over poles/fences classes and a fun Off With Their Heads class wh...

10/15/2025

10/07/2025

In a sport that prizes quick rounds, big wins, and moving up the levels, it’s no surprise that many riders look for shortcuts. But according to Geoff Teall, one of equitation’s most respected voices, rushing the process only guarantees that you’ll fall behind in the long run. In Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation: Develop a Winning Style, he makes a simple but powerful case: when it comes to riding, the fastest way forward is often the slowest.

From the outside, riding looks deceptively simple. Keep your heels down, establish an even pace, maintain steady contact… those are hardly complicated ideas. But, as Teall points out, while the concepts are easy to understand, “they can take a long time to master.” That disconnect often leads riders to cut corners.

It’s human nature to want results right away. Maybe it’s moving up to the next division, skipping the flatwork to get to the jumps, or relying on gadgets that seem to promise a quick fix. At first, it might even look like it’s working. But Teall warns that riders who leap ahead too fast are setting themselves up for a harsh reality check later.

One of Teall’s most memorable lines is simple: “The fast way is the slow way.” His reasoning is straightforward. When riders skip the basics, they eventually have to go back and relearn them. That means more time wasted unlearning bad habits than it would have taken to do things correctly from the start.

He compares this to the old fable of the tortoise and the hare: the rider who builds steadily, brick by brick, eventually outpaces the one who sprinted ahead but crumbled under the weight of missed fundamentals.

Teall insists that solid equitation is about mastering small pieces and then putting them together into an effective whole. For example, you can’t have a good position without a good leg, and you can’t have a good leg without a correctly placed foot in the stirrup. These basics may seem minor, but they create the foundation for everything else.

Instead of being discouraged by how long it takes, Teall encourages riders to take pride in the process. Working through the physical demands of correct position—legs stretched down, weight in the heels, core strong and lifted, hands elastic—isn’t easy. But it’s those difficult, disciplined habits that make communication with the horse clear and effective.

A big reason people look for shortcuts is the myth of natural talent. It’s tempting to believe that if something doesn’t come easily, you’re just not cut out for it. Teall calls this a “ridiculous excuse.” In his view, talent is “a very, very small piece of the puzzle” compared to discipline and determination.

That’s good news for most riders. Success isn’t limited to the naturally gifted. The rider who shows up consistently, works methodically, and stays focused on the basics will eventually outshine the one who relies only on raw ability.

📎 Continue reading the article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/09/29/the-fast-way-is-the-slow-way-why-patience-wins-in-riding/
📸 © Heather N. Photography

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09/22/2025

Our AEL Team is off to a great start this season. After practicing our Fences 6 pattern for our upcoming competition, each team member came up with a word that they feel describes how they want to ride and contribute to our team. The Athletic Equestrian League is a great addition to our program. It allows students to improve their riding skills while helping to develop life long skills such as team work and sportsmanship. If you are interested in learning more about AEL, please contact Stacey.