Hope Springs Farm

03/20/2026

03/15/2026

Double trouble x 2!

03/13/2026

New class starting in April! Space is limited. Please let me know if you would like to be added!

02/15/2026

Love every one of our school horses. They are irreplaceable.

To the Unsung Heroes of Every Lesson Program 🐴

They may not win championships, they may not be the "most beautiful" or have the best conformation but without them, none of this exists.

The school horse is the backbone of every lesson program. They show up every single day - patient, reliable, and willing - carrying nervous beginners who may accidentally bounce on their backs while learning to post. They forgive unsteady hands, unbalanced seats, and mixed up aids without complaint. They read their riders better than most humans ever will and somehow know the difference between the child who needs a gentle shuffle around the arena and the confident teenager who needs an honest ride.

They have packed around thousands of first lessons. They have given thousands of riders their very first canter. They have quietly rebuilt confidence in adult riders who were told they would never ride again. They have been hugged, cried on, and whispered to by students who couldn't tell anyone else what they were feeling.

Then they do it all again the next day! A good school horse is irreplaceable. When we lose one it leaves a hole in the program that no amount of training can quickly fill because what they have cannot be manufactured - it is earned through years of patience, trust, and a genuinely generous spirit.

Next time you're at the barn, take an extra moment with your school horses. They deserve every carrot, every scratch, and every quiet thank you we can give them.

Drop a pic of one of your favorite school horses below that deserves a little recognition today 🐴❤️

12/28/2025

Great advice!

Riders often assume that the best way to prepare for a show is to increase their practice. More lessons, more schooling, and more rounds can feel like signs of commitment. But in Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers, and Equitation, Teall explains that over-preparation is one of the most common and most damaging mistakes riders make. When horse and rider practice past the point of usefulness, the work becomes flat and mechanical. The pair peaks at home instead of saving their best riding for the show ring.

Avoiding over-preparation requires awareness, restraint, and a thoughtful approach to planning. Teall makes clear that good preparation is purposeful—not excessive.

Teall describes over-preparation as the moment when practice no longer builds skill but begins to drain it. “Being over-prepared is when you have practiced too much and your riding becomes rote,” he writes. The performance that results “lacks spark and energy” and “lacks brilliance.” A round that should feel alive instead becomes automatic, with neither horse nor rider showing the freshness that good riding requires.

Horses suffer from this problem as much as riders do. Teall notes that it is “not at all uncommon to see horses knocking down jumps because they’re bored or sore.” Excessive drilling at home can leave a horse physically tired or mentally dull, unable to produce its best effort in competition.

Over-preparation doesn’t reflect a lack of effort—only that the effort has gone too far.

One of Teall’s clearest points is that riders only get “so many breakthrough rounds where everything is exactly right.” These rounds are limited, and a rider who uses them up during schooling leaves fewer available for the moments that matter.

For this reason, Teall cautions riders not to chase perfect rounds at home. The goal in practice is to improve individual skills, not to achieve show-ring brilliance before the show even begins. When riders push for that feeling repeatedly, they often achieve it only to find that they have peaked too early. By the time they arrive at the competition, the freshness that produced those excellent rounds has faded.

Teall’s perspective reframes preparation from “doing more” to “doing what supports long-term progress.”

The most productive preparation, according to Teall, comes from breaking down the pieces of a course and practicing them individually. Rather than repeating full rounds, riders should work on the specific skills they will need in the ring, like straight lines, turns, diagonals, broken lines, or the questions found in Handy classes. This keeps the schooling thoughtful and controlled rather than repetitive.

This approach also protects the horse. When riders limit how many times they school full courses, they reduce unnecessary pounding and the mental fatigue that comes from drilling the same questions repeatedly. The horse stays interested, responsive, and ready to rise to the occasion.

Purposeful practice allows both horse and rider to arrive at a show prepared, not depleted.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/12/16/how-to-avoid-over-preparing-before-a-show/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

12/22/2025

Fun week of lessons!

12/05/2025

Winter has a way of sneaking up on a rider’s confidence. The daylight shrinks, the indoor suddenly feels so much smaller and horses get fresh. Goals that felt easy in July suddenly feel out of reach. It’s a season that can make even the most dedicated riders question where their progress has gone.

Mental skills coach Tonya Johnston believes winter isn’t a setback at all. In fact, she says winter can be one of the most productive periods of a rider’s year if they understand how to work with the season rather than fighting against it.

The first step, Tonya explains, is accepting that winter riding is fundamentally different from riding in the summer. “You have to acknowledge the season you’re in,” she says. “The expectations you had in July don’t apply in November.”

Cold temperatures tighten muscles. Indoor rings restrict pace and lines. Weather disrupts schedules. Horses may get less turnout and more enthusiasm. None of these factors reflect your ability or your horse’s willingness. They’re simply the conditions winter brings.

Tonya stresses that riders often lose confidence not because they’re performing poorly, but because they’re comparing winter rides to their best days outdoors. That comparison isn’t just unhelpful, it’s distorting.

“You’re usually doing better than you think you are,” she says. Winter magnifies riders’ negativity bias, making small imperfections feel like big problems.

Once riders accept winter for what it is, they can begin to shift their goals in a way that keeps confidence steady. “That same number of jumps, the same amount of space, the same intensity—it’s not going to happen right now,” Tonya says. “So don’t hold yourself to expectations that belong to another season.”

She encourages riders to set winter-appropriate goals like strengthening flatwork, improving transitions, refining rideability, or practicing straightness in smaller spaces. These goals still matter. They’re still meaningful. They just don’t rely on summer conditions.

Tonya also reminds riders that winter goals should feel achievable inside their current circumstances, not outside them. “It’s about meeting yourself where you are and where your horse is,” she says.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/12/04/how-to-build-confidence-through-winter-a-riders-guide-to-staying-steady-in-the-off-season/

11/27/2025

We are thankful every day for our riders, our families, and of course our amazing horses who make it all possible. We hope everyone enjoys a peaceful day today filled with grateful hearts.

11/03/2025

We have a new horse owner in the barn! Congratulations, Kenzie!

10/26/2025

Early morning show today for a few of the riders! A bigger stage, some nerves to conquer, but everyone ended the day with ribbons and smiles. As always, I am thankful, proud and blessed.

10/19/2025

Our Fall Party 2025 was a huge success! The food was delicious, the costumes were amazing, and the games were lots of fun. The horses were all good sports too! Thank you to all the families that make this event such a fun day every year. We look forward to next year!