Spring Hill Farm

03/17/2026

Sometimes you just have to break it down to build it up!
Learning how to move the shoulders and the haunches as two separate pieces is a total game-changer. It’s like finding the steering and the engine in different places—once you can control them independently, everything from tight turns to straight lines starts to feel a lot more like a partnership and a little less like a wrestling match.
Progress isn’t always about the perfect jump; sometimes it’s about those small, wiggly adjustments that make the big stuff possible! ✨🐴

03/14/2026

At 28 Spice is finally calm enough for beginner lessons 😂

03/10/2026

03/07/2026

Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and mounting from the right side😁💗

03/07/2026

Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable😁💗

03/06/2026

“Horses regularly trained with ground work are more relaxed when ridden”

A recent study of dressage horses in Germany that looked at rein length and tension revealed a surprising finding: horses who were regularly trained in ground work/in-hand work had lower heart rates during ridden work than all of the other participating horses. This wasn’t what the researchers were investigating, but it was clear in the results. From this, the researchers concluded that, “Perhaps horses trained in ground work had more trust in their rider.”

So why would it be true that horses who regularly learn via ground work/in-hand work are more relaxed? There are a few possibilities.

1) Horses trained regularly with ground work are more relaxed because their trainers are more relaxed. It’s possible that humans who take the time to teach their horses from the ground are less goal oriented and more concerned with the process. They may be more relaxed in general and foster this same relaxation in their horses. As you are, so is your horse.

2) Horses trained regularly with ground work have trainers who are more educated about a horse’s balance.

Their horses learn to move in correct balance which allows them to be healthy and sound in their bodies and, therefore, more relaxed. Physical balance is emotional balance.

3) Horses trained regularly with ground work understand the trainer’s criteria better. They have mastered the response to an aid before the rider mounts and know the “right answer” already once under saddle. They don’t experience any conflict when the rider asks for a behavior because the neural pathway has already been installed. They are more relaxed about being ridden because it rarely has caused confusion for them.

For us highly visual humans I think that ground work is often a better way to begin exercises because we are much better at seeing our horse doing the right thing than feeling it from the saddle. Often, my feel in the saddle is enhanced by the fact that I have watched my horse perform an exercise over and over in our in-hand work. It feels how it looks. In-hand work is also a good way to teach our horses because our own bodies are often more in balance when we are walking beside our horses. With the ground under our feet we are able to be more relaxed if something goes wrong and less likely to be so busy wrapped up in our own balance that we give our horses conflicting or confusing aids. It’s a good place to figure things out. I am a huge fan of in-hand work.

I’m glad to learn research revealed ground work is good for horses. Horses with a low heart rate are relaxed and relaxed horses perform better and live longer. In this day and age of people starting horses under saddle in under an hour and increasing monetary rewards for the “young horse dressage program“, everything seems to be done in a hurry. The entire horse culture seems to privilege “getting up there and riding your horse”. But as one of my favorite writers and accomplished horsewoman, Teresa Tsimmu Martino writes, “In today’s horse culture there are clinics that brag about starting a c**t in a day, as if the quickness of it was the miracle. But old horse people know it takes years to create art. Horses as great masterpieces are not created in a day. An artist does not need to rush.” We need more scientific studies like this one to encourage us to slow down and take our time with our horses.

So why were the horses in the study more relaxed? Likely it was a combination of all three factors – a relaxed trainer, better overall balance and clear understanding of criteria.

These are things that matter to your horse, and yes, will allow him to trust you when you ride. Take some time to slow down and work from the ground, learn a bit more about equine balance and teach new things in-hand before asking for them under saddle. You can take your riding to a whole new level and help your horse become more healthy and relaxed in the process.” - by Jen of Spellbound Horses

03/01/2026

“Once the horse gets to responding, then you try to get the response you are asking for with less... until it almost gets to be just a thought.” — Tom Dorrance

02/13/2026

It’s been a rough beginning to 2026 for the SHF family. We said goodbye to one of our originals. Although Rainy has been retired for at least 10 years she was Claire’s fiercest protector and first at the gate if that is what she wanted. She always let us know that her door had been closed too long when the farrier was here or if someone had walk just a bit too close to her enormous bubble. We love you Rainy and will miss you dearly. Black Rain 1988-2026 💕💕

02/01/2026

"Recently, one of my students didn’t have a great lesson," writes Patricia Jellerson. "It wasn’t terrible, not even bad. She got to the jumps just fine, but her timing was off, and she didn’t execute what I asked for as well as she usually does. I told her that not all rides are breakthroughs, or even satisfying. Some are just part of the process.

And it made me think.

In life, we have wonderful days, mediocre days, and bad days. The same applies to our riding and our horses. If you get on your horse regularly, those “just OK” days will happen. Horses can’t always perform at the highest level, and we can’t either. Successful riders and trainers take the horse’s physical and mental state into consideration. A sour, tense, stiff, spooky, playful, unresponsive, or fearful horse is giving information, so use it to adjust and meet your partner’s needs on that day.

Do the same for yourself. If you’re tired, distracted or lack confidence on a particular day, ask yourself why and then make the best plan for that ride. Maybe it’s not the time to perfect the haunches-in or conquer that water jump. Make choices that will give you and the horse the best chance for a rewarding ride.

But to recognize progress, we must trust the process. The rides we consider unsuccessful or unproductive will mesh into the fulfilling ones to make our “breakthrough” days. Every ride serves to build a stronger, more resilient team that can handle all circumstances. If your ride falls short of expectations, don’t just discount it. We train ourselves and our horses with the larger picture in mind."

Each moment with our horses makes a difference. Each ride is meaningful and brings us closer to our goals. You can’t know at the time how much or how little, so appreciate every moment on your horse.

🔗 https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/01/22/its-important-to-give-your-horse-and-yourself-grace/

12/20/2025

No one can teach riding so well as a horse. - CS Lewis

12/10/2025

❄️ 𝐇𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 ❄️

Unfortunately, I come from a long line of Minnesotans which means I am deeply rooted in the arctic tundra of the upper Midwest. And up here, our winter is about as long as our sunmer so we need to rely on some cold weather conditioning to optimize our competition season.

And while there really isn’t enough research to set strict, evidence-based rules about what counts as ‘safe’ winter riding weather, it is important to consider due to potential health implications of exercising our horses in the cold. So I pulled together some research from published studies on how cold weather can impact horse health and I turned that information into the general guidelines I personally follow to guide my winter riding decisions. Since a lot of people are navigating the same questions this time of year, I figured I’d share them here!

🫁 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡
A study evaluating cold weather exercise in horses (Davis et al., 2005) used eight healthy adult horses in a cross-over design and had them exercise at either 77°F (warm; 25°C) or 23°F (cold; -5°C). The exercise performed in this test included 5 minutes walking, 5 minutes trotting, and 5 minutes cantering three times each week. This study found that breathing cold, dry air during moderate–high intensity exercise caused measurable airway irritation and can produce bronchoconstriction and inflammatory changes in otherwise healthy horses. Additionally, repeated exposure is believed to contribute toward chronic airway conditions such as equine asthma.

🛡️ 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
The previous study (Davis et al., 2005) also demonstrated a likely mechanism for immune suppression following strenuous exercise in a cold environment. Further research (Davis et al., 2007) evaluating horses exercising at similar temperatures supported this research and found an altered immunological response for at least 48 hours following exercise in cold weather. Both of these studies found that exercising in the cold amplified the expression of cytokines that suppress cell-mediated immunity. The concept of immune suppression following strenuous exercise is not new and could predispose these athletes to viral infections of the respiratory tract.

💪 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 & 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬
Cold weather can also impact the muscles and joints of the horse. While the work has yet to be done in horses, research in other animals and humans has shown that when muscles and nerves get cold, they don’t fire as quickly or efficiently (Racinais et al., 2017). Horses may also tighten around their joints or ‘brace’ with opposing muscle groups as a natural way to protect cold tissues. This is why a slow, progressive warm-up is so important in winter. Getting the horse’s body temperature up helps their muscles move more freely, improves coordination, and reduces the risk of strains or awkward, compensatory movement - especially during more technical maneuvers or intense work.

This is supported by a study (Dixon et al. ,2010) which found that humans who immersed their legs in cold water (54°F/12°C) for 45 minutes had decreased power on a vertical jump. However, this decline in performance could be negated by a 15-minute dynamic warm-up. These findings stress the importance of an intentional and lengthy warm-up prior to cold winter exercise.

✅ 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡
These are just a few examples of how cold weather can impact our horses, but they are important to consider when determining how to safely but effectively condition them this winter.

🔥 Warm-up is key. Walk at least 15–20 minutes before trotting or cantering.

🌡️ Monitor the temperature. Reduce intensity as temperatures drop to minimize immune and respiratory stress or risk of injury.

🐴 Observe your horse. Watch for coughing, stiffness, or changes in performance.

I hope this information helps to guide your equine exercise practices this winter! Stay warm out there!

Cheers,
Dr. DeBoer

Davis MS, Malayer JR, Vandeventer L, Royer CM, McKenzie EC, Williamson KK. Cold weather exercise and airway cytokine expression. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2005 Jun;98(6):2132-6.

Davis MS, Williams CC, Meinkoth JH, Malayer JR, Royer CM, Williamson KK, McKenzie EC. Influx of neutrophils and persistence of cytokine expression in airways of horses after performing exercise while breathing cold air. American journal of veterinary research. 2007 Feb 1;68(2):185-9.

Racinais S, Cocking S, Périard JD. Sports and environmental temperature: from warming-up to heating-up. Temperature. 2017 Jul 3;4(3):227-57.

Dixon PG, Kraemer WJ, Volek JS, Howard RL, Gomez AL, Comstock BA, Dunn-Lewis C, Fragala MS, Hooper DR, Häkkinen K, Maresh CM. The impact of cold-water immersion on power production in the vertical jump and the benefits of a dynamic exercise warm-up. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2010 Dec 1;24(12):3313-7.