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LaBarre Training Center

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Hanover, PA
LaBarre Training Center

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Ginger LaBarre-Martin Mobile riding Instructor in South central Pa [travel distance 2 hours] here to help you achieve riding success.

I coach all kinds of people at all levels and I know that we can all learn to ride successfully. Horse Riding successfully means reaching your individual goal and I can help you to achieve that. My coaching is adjusted to helping you get where you want to be, whether it is preparing for a competition or overcoming barriers to have a more enjoyable experience with your horse.

10/30/2026

Life is short. And the weekends are even shorter. Make sure to live them to the fullest!

A wonderful weekend filled with peace, laughter, and sweet moments with the people I cherish most—starting at Thornridge Manor on Saturday and By Chance on Sunday, surrounded by beautiful horses and equally lovely humans! 🐴🤎

Saturday fun with;
Sharon debuting her 1st level ride- placing 1st with a 72%
I on Smoke riding a CT also placing 1st with a 27%

Sunday
Caren at Tr-2 with a 69% finishing in 2nd and 1st-1 with a 63% placing first.
Me on Elli two rides with a 65.5 & 65.3% finishing 1st & 2nd behind herself

Thank you to everyone who made it such an enjoyable show weekend.

Beautiful photos by Tryna Fowler [Sat] Maya Kuntze [Sun]

10/28/2026

Mounting feels routine, but for your horse, it’s a moment of intense, one-sided pressure. Research reveals a startling fact: during a standard mount from the ground, the pressure under the off-side of the saddle can spike to 150% of the rider’s body weight. This asymmetrical force doesn’t just press down; it twists the saddle, creating a shearing force on the delicate muscles and ligaments around the thoracic vertebrae. For a horse with a sensitive or recovering back, this repeated strain can undermine months of careful progress.

Understanding how to protect your horse during this vulnerable moment isn’t just good horsemanship; it’s essential for their long-term soundness and comfort.

The Hidden Twist: What Really Happens When You Mount
When you place your foot in the stirrup and pull yourself up, you aren’t just lifting your own weight—you’re creating a powerful lever. This action yanks the saddle toward you, causing it to dig into the horse’s near side while lifting and twisting away on the off side.

A 2012 study in the Equine Veterinary Journal confirmed that even with a mounting block, the saddle can shift significantly and create pressure hot spots. This twisting motion is the real enemy. It strains the supraspinous ligament—the crucial structure running along the top of the spine—and triggers pain responses in the surrounding muscles. For a horse already prone to back soreness, this can feel like a sharp, destabilizing pinch, leading to behavioral issues like fidgeting, walking off, or even biting.

Saddles designed with wide, anatomically shaped panels offer a much larger contact surface. This design is crucial during mounting because it spreads the load over a greater area and softens the impact.

Even the best tree and panels can’t do their job if the saddle doesn’t fit correctly. A saddle that’s too wide will rock and slip, while one that’s too narrow will pinch and perch. Both scenarios create instability that is magnified tenfold during the mount.

While the right saddle is your primary tool for spinal protection, your own technique matters, too.

Always Use a Mounting Block: This is the single most effective way to reduce the forces on your horse’s back. The higher the block, the less you have to pull.
Be Quick and Light: Aim to be in the saddle within a few seconds, lingering as little as possible with all your weight in one stirrup.
Ask for Help: If possible, have someone apply counter-pressure by holding the opposite stirrup leather. This simple action can dramatically reduce saddle slip and twist.
Check Your Girth: Check that your girth is snug (but not overly tight) before you mount to minimize slippage. You can always adjust it again once you’re on board.
These small habits, combined with a stable and well-fitting saddle, create a mounting routine that builds trust and protects your horse’s physical well-being.

10/25/2026

So, you all took that and ran.
Great debates ensued.
I hear you- and yes totally understand from many vuepoints- but beginning level should not = survival.
I too have ridden & coached these levels [unrecognized] on rehabbed leg injuries, first time at a show, [horse & rider] etc... Point being capability.
I don’t think we can point the finger at any one situation, but I think we all need to come together and fight for what is in the best interest of firstly, the horses, the riders and the sport.
In an ideal world, I’d prefer the unrecognized to hold the lowest levels—that’s just my personal opinion—but since they are recognized, the next best thing would be amazing rides, low scores, and 100% completions.

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I've never been a fan of "dumbing down," and when the USEA added an even lower recognized division requiring only 18-inch jumping efforts this past year, I strongly felt it would cause more problems by letting riders participate in a sport without the skills or ability to do so safely.

Way back when, when I learned to ride, we had 2'6 for small, 2'9 for medium & 3' divisions for the large ponies, then a 3'6 division for horses in Hunter classes.
Jumpers started at 3'6 and increased in height from that starting point.

Eventing had its lowest division, Novice.

That's it!

No other heights were considered—you either tackled the height or stayed home, practicing, training, and educating yourself and your horse.
The jumps were solid - walls, coops, vertical timber fences, often no ground rails. You jumped in and out of rings, there were lovely outside courses that you had to gallop to the jumps.
You had to know how to ride.

In our instant gratification world we don't want to do what it takes to learn. We just want to win, we want the awards, the kudos, but we don't want to "pay the dues" to get there.

So, I thought now that most everyone's season is over, I was curious, was I wrong, do the majority of the riders in the lowest of levels have the skillset to be safe and give a solid education to their horses.

In my mind; I feel that there are many whose only goal is to do a recognized event regardless of the division. And that there are others who, through due diligence and hard work, hope to progress up the levels.
Unfortunately, there are far too many riders who rush through the very basic levels of learning and enter the sport before their skills and their horse’s confidence are ready for the challenge.
Remember, it isn’t just the height your horse can jump.
Rather, it is how ready you and your horse are to answer the question posed by the jump.
Readiness comes with training and lots of miles.

At the moment, I think we’re at a stage where maybe not all combinations are quite ready or haven’t been exposed to serious competitions. The sport is becoming easier to qualify for at most levels and it’s been a bit of an ongoing thought for the last few years. Obviously we’re trying to keep a clean and safe sport, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be made easier.

Once you’ve taken all factors into consideration, done your homework and have a solid plan that suits you and your horse, you’re well on your way to riding safely, instilling confidence in your horse, scoring 8's in Dressage and leaving the rails up in the stadium phase–and hopefully moving up the leader board.

Just randomly, a few results.

Sad world.

10/15/2026

It's taken 38yrs

My first time at Radnor Hunt was in 1988 following Karen [Lende] O'Connor around for an onsite job interview...this time as a competitor.

Smoke was registered but I just felt like it would be asking too much of her, she owes me nothing.

Very kindly the organizer allowed me to substitute horse and change division.

Elli who is semi-retired but fit to do the job at hand, went from second string to primary.

I could not be happier with how the day turned out;
Amazing horse 🍂
Fabulous venue🍁
Cozy warm weather ⛅
Perfect Fall day 🎃
Friendly people🍁

Elli finished in 6th place, felt amazing and came home healthy & happy.

P.S. I got the job

Beautiful photos from Victoria Morano photography

10/11/2026

Once again Lucinda Green MBE @ Loch Moy Farm.
As always, my extreme respect to Lucinda and utmost appreciation to Carolyn for offering Loch Moy farm as an educational venue.
Green MBE

This recap is just that, a general overview of the theory and exercises presented.
For more in depth theory, attend a clinic. You’ll be glad you did!

Body position - Lucinda’s first rule is that a horse can jump anything as long as the rider is back in the driver’s seat. Note this doesn’t mean behind the motion - it means the rider is plugged in to the saddle and not ahead of the horse. On some horses, even one inch of the rider’s body forward will cause problems. When we put our weight on the horse’s shoulder, the horse may feel he can’t jump both himself and the rider up, causing run-outs, stops, etc.

The bit is a direct line to the horses brain, therefore riders needs to have a bit the horse likes. Lucinda does not generally like 2-ring or 3-ring bits - she finds 9 out of 10 horses dislike them.

The rider’s legs are a direct line to the horse’s eyes, so it’s important to keep the horse between both and use the legs to steer. Create a “tube” with the legs. “Cuddle” the horse with your legs - this is different from a “go” leg or a “come up” leg.

With Lucinda, there is no talk of seeing the spot, it is about riding the horse to the fence and creating a “tube” with your eyes, hands and legs and channeling your horse through the course and over each obstacle.
The big NO - is letting your horse run past a missed obstacle. "If you have a refusal, you can't kick if you have a run out you can't ride"

Trotting vs cantering in to fences: in canter, the horse has 2 hind legs on the ground at once, which means he has more power to stop. Trot breaks up this pattern so only one hind is able to stop at a time, meaning less power. If a horse is “green in brain” and having difficulty with a fence, trot in.

Be prepared to widen your hands and “funnel” the horse between them - also your legs - this forms that infamous “tube.” She also said: “there should be 2/3s of the horse in front of you and 1/3 of him behind you” - always ride forward and tell him where to go - she hated passivity in riders.

Lucinda described the seat as a 3-pronged plug. The saddle is the outlet, and the crotch and two seatbones are the prongs of the plug. All 3 need to be firmly plugged in to the saddle to keep the hind legs moving and maintain the rider’s balance up off the horse’s shoulders.

She hates the use of a crop on the shoulder because it brings the horse’s attention away from what’s ahead of him and back to the rider. If you can’t use your crop behind the saddle, just use your leg. If you’re feeling hesitation (into water for example), kick three times per stride.

The horse needs to see the fence to assess distance and lock on to it, and he can only see at a reasonable distance through the lower half of his eyes, so his head carriage needs to allow this on the approach. He cannot see forward if he is on the bit, nor if his head is too high.
She also explained that “the horse’s head needs to be raised on approach, do not ride him ‘on the bit’ to the fences - they need to see the jump, and they see from the bottoms of their eyes.”

The horse’s near vision is through the upper half of his eyes – which is why he’ll drop his head at the last moment to look into that ditch or the water. In this instance, rider (in glued-in defensive seat, not half-way up horse’s neck, of course) may need to slip the reins before the obstacle, then ‘aeroplane’ the arms to resume contact while pushing him vigorously over the fence. Aeroplaning the arms is quicker than gathering the reins, and the rider’s response must be instantaneous to maintain forward momentum and get the horse over/ into the ‘looky’ obstacle. (Lucinda attributed this tip to observation of Andrew Nicholson.)

One of Lucinda’s tenants is that with the approach to each jump, your horse is either asking a question or making a statement. It is our job to make absolutely sure that the horse has a chance to see the jump and that we are clear that we are asking him or her to jump it.

Straight-line halt on completion of each exercise. Lucinda regards this as the final and essential obstacle in an exercise, teaching the horse to listen and to stay straight for the next jumping exercise.

When learning to fly, there comes a moment when you just have to let go. No one can tell you when that moment will be. It has to be your choice to let go any doubts, fears, or anxiety that dwell in your spirit from a previous experience or that were put there from someone’s words.

I want to thank Carolyn Macintosh of Loch Moy Farm for making this event possible and for continuing to work tirelessly with her wonderful support staff of generous volunteers to provide us with not only a top-notch facility and well-run competitions, but for the variety of educational opportunities.

10/01/2026

Guess what guys, it's that time again.

NEW TESTS

Effective Date: December 1, 2026 – November 30, 2030

These tests will take effect December 1, 2026, and will be utilized through November 30, 2030. Start learning and reviewing the new tests at the link below!
🔗 https://www.usdf.org/downloads/forms/index.asp...
If your show season hasn't quite concluded yet, don't worry - the 2023 tests will remain on the website until the rollover. Happy dancing!
P.S. Test products, such as the USDF Test Booklet and On The Levels program, will be made available at a later date. Stay tuned!

09/27/2026

Quiet trainers can be highly effective if they combine clear, confident communication with mindful, consistent handling — using body language, tone, and presence to guide horses without relying on volume.

Understanding horse psychology allows trainers to build trust, communicate effectively, and tailor their training methods to suit individual horses.

Body language accounts for the majority of communication between horses and humans. Recognizing and responding to a horse's body language can foster mutual understanding.

Patience, understanding, and flexibility are key. Recognizing the underlying causes of a horse's behavior and adapting training methods can yield positive results.

Calm ethical training practices ensure the well-being of the horse and foster a positive, trusting relationship between the horse and trainer.

Here's to building strong, trusting bonds with our equine companions and helping them reach their full potential!

09/26/2026

Early morning
The boys being social at The Frederick Fair.
Thank you to the organizers and all the behind-the-scenes people that made this happen.

09/21/2026

EXCITING NEWS !

A wonderful client Jamie Letham [Jamie Letham Horsemanship, LLC] participated at The Rebrand Initiative Standardbred National Trainer Challenge over the past weekend and finished with absolutely amazing results.
1st Overall Trainer
Grand Champion in Ranch which is what we had as primary discipline, that alone is impressive, but even more so that it was an event picked horse "Skyline" whom she has only had in her barn for the previous 12 weeks to produce.

1st place TRAINER !
Grand Champion Ranch Rookie 2 Gait & 1st place
1st place Green Trail
2nd Ranch Pattern
2nd Dressage Western
7th in Rookie Horsemanship

Wonderful horsemanship well done!

09/19/2026

My beloved Smoke, now 25 years old, she is still sound, happy and believes she should be first pick to ride with plenty to offer.

Maintaining fitness in an older horse requires a consistent, low-impact routine focused on suppleness, core strength, and a thorough warm-up.

Her warm-ups have to be longer and slower, cool downs longer and slower. I would encourage you, if you want to keep your aged horse in work, avoid long periods of time off. I am not a big fan of keeping horses in full work over the winter, but for older horses there is an exception, because the cardiovascular fitness, the strength of the muscle, and the flexibility, all of those decrease when you lay a horse completely off. And so, when you bring them back in the spring when they are older, it takes longer and longer and longer. So, I don't recommend letting the horse, the older horse, down at all. Keep them in work, even light work.

Gentle exercise
Even a schooling session in walk will give your horse a health boost. Circulation will improve and the bones, tendons and ligaments will remain healthier than if he was left standing in the field.
If you want to mix it up, work with your horse in hand, but don’t work on a small circle. That will put on too much pressure and could end up being counter-productive.

Gentle exercise and a sensible diet will help keep your horse from becoming obese and triggering all the metabolic problems resulting from that.

There’s no reason why you can’t introduce poles to your sessions. It engages the horse’s brain, makes them think about their feet and keeps the range of motion active in all of the joints.

You can be as creative as you like with ground poles, setting up all sorts of patterns in all directions. This will keep you both concentrating as you think about your horse’s connection and balance without just pulling on the inside rein. Consider your own position and how you can be your best self for the good of your golden oldie.

Walking over poles can really improve your horse’s core strength, you cannot underestimate the muscular movement which enables this to happen. So don’t overdo it and make sure you come away from the exercise and allow your horse to stretch long and low around the whole arena in between.

My ideal exercise program
To effectively build up and hold topline, the exercise program should balance both the intensity and the type of training sessions throughout the week or month. It is important to leave adequate time between more intense exercise bouts to allow for proper repair and strengthening of the muscle fibers.

If the horse is exercised before the muscle is fully recovered, it will be broken down instead of build up.
To avoid a setback in muscle development, include 1-2 days of lighter exercise or hacking out between high intensity sessions.

It is also important to exercise the right type of muscles. Although topline is associated with the muscles along the spine of the horse, it is in fact the core muscles that need to be developed to support the back. Improving general flexibility, strength and core stability is key to developing a healthy topline.

Regardless of your discipline, frequently changing up the exercise routine is a good way to keep triggering the adaptive response, thereby continuously stimulating development of different muscle groups. Furthermore, variation in training will provide healthy mental stimulation and keep your horse happier and more focused.

Work with a coach or trainer to develop an appropriate exercise program that fits both you and your horse.

Can a horse be too old to train?
A horse’s ability to train is more likely to come down to its health and history rather than its age. For example, a healthy 20-year-old horse that has been competing for years is likely to have a level of fitness and endurance that allows it to train for many years to come. On the other hand, a slightly younger horse with no competition experience and very little fitness may not be able to cope with a competition schedule and should live a quieter life.

Address

Pine Grove
Hanover, PA
17331

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 8pm
Tuesday	8am - 8pm
Wednesday	8am - 8pm
Thursday	8am - 8pm
Friday	8am - 8pm
Saturday	8am - 8pm
Sunday	8am - 8pm

Telephone

+14433981533

Website

https://labarre4h.wixsite.com/riding

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