Alderaan Farm

06/10/2025

Another good year at HITS Saugerties. We couldn’t quite repeat last years championship, a couple unlucky rails stood in the way of that, but Sarah and Cali had the fastest time in every class😳
Awesome riding on Sarahs part, impressive jumping on Cali’s…she is an extremely challenging horse to ride!

This is such a difficult and emotionally charged sport, with indescribable highs and heartbreaking lows. Words cannot describe how proud Alex and I are of Sarah. Her commitment, work ethic, and dedication are unequalled. Her maturity, coachability, and love of the sport make her a joy to teach❤️
On to the next one.

03/10/2025

02/17/2025

In an industry where money (sadly) buys success, THIS is truly what it is, and always should be, about.
Be it a lesson horse, a green horse, a backyard or low budget horse, the true joy of the sport is working to make yourself and your 4-legged friend the best you and they can be….being in it for the love of the sport and the process…not the prestige and the ribbons.

02/15/2025

One critical truth about training horses is that on no given day is it possible to make much progress, but on any given day it is possible to set a horse substantially back, and, worst case, even possible to destroy a horse.

Improvement is as slow as watching grass grow, but one temper tantrum, one hard gallop, one big over-jumping session can scare or hurt the best trained horse.

Slow to make a well trained horse, but fast as a lightning bolt to ruin one. And after that has happened, no amount of regret can change it.

Watch grass grow, Nothing visible happens, Same with the daily, weekly horse schooling. It’s happening, but too gradually to see. But in keeping with the grass analogy, all that growth can be mown down in one instant.

No temper, no drama, much safer. Temper can be as lethal as a scythe blade.

02/11/2025

❤️

01/31/2025

Though there is some good riding out there, I see many trips like this at competitions. I cringe when the rider exits the ring and the trainer says..”good job!”
Many end up winning or placing high, but the riding is scary, unsafe, and terribly incorrect.

By Ariel Univer When it comes to working with my students and their horses, I have a set of standards that I will never waver on. Safety is at the top of that list. Sportsmanship. And of course prioritizing proper training with a strong foundation for both horse and rider. After all, It’s my job [...

11/17/2024

This advice will NOT be popular with those who want it RIGHT NOW, but nevertheless, here goes---

If the goal is to become two things, a good rider and a good horseman/horsewoman, be willing to think in decades rather than in years.

That first decade, from whatever age you began, will take you only so far, and may even take you to the Olympics, but riding skill alone won’t give you all you need to know and be able to do. The next couple of decades will let three components, your physical skills, your control over your emotions and your knowledge, all intertwined to complement one another.

That’s why many of the best riders and trainers are in their 40s, 50s and in some cases in their 60s, even 70s. They didn’t get those tens of thousands of hours overnight.

There are ever so many riders and trainers who gave up too soon. They just needed to have hung in there another ten years, maybe twenty. Which sounds insane, but actually isn’t.

11/07/2024

😢🫤

Sooo accurate....😂😂😂

11/03/2024

Horse world things that CAN be bought---
1. Fancy horses
2. Fancy farms
3. Good saddles and equipment
4. Fancy horse clothing
5. More lessons
6. Ability to travel to ride in temperate climates year round
7. Trucks and trailers

Some of the things that CAN’T be bought
1.Courage
2. Strength
3. Agility
4. A good seat
5. Intelligence
6. A calm and kind nature
7.Feel
8. Perseverance
9. Drive
10. Athleticism
11. Horsemanship.

So which list is more important?

11/01/2024

Well said and so spot on.
Sadly you DO see so many of these faults nowadays, no matter the quality of the horse or level of competition.