Empower Equestrian

03/04/2025

📖Colorado Hunter Jumper Foundation 2025 Educational Scholarships now OPEN!
➡️Please contact [email protected] or visit the Foundation's page on the CHJA website to receive information and forms

02/07/2025

“I will not get upset with you for making a mistake, I’ll be disappointed if you chose to not learn from it.”

Let that one sink in. Coaches: understand the trust that this mentality establishes between you and your students. Students: realize that you’re holding yourself back by fearing making mistakes.

Your perception of mistakes can make or break your mentality as an athlete. Mistakes, by definition, mean something went wrong. We don’t mess up on purpose, we don’t wake up saying “todays the day I get it wrong!” When shortsighted, your mistakes can be devastating. No, you’re not winning the class. Yes, your trainer will give you constructive criticism and it might be uncomfortable but you need to hear it. Long term, this mistake likely won’t matter and you’ve just provided yourself an opportunity to learn to do it better moving forward. You have a chance to ask questions, seek learning. You found a weakness which you can now improve upon. Several potential causes for struggling with mistakes: perfectionism and people pleasing being common. Two big perception takeaways 1) state vs trait. You MADE a mistake (state) you are not MADE OF mistakes (trait). The former is empowering because it gives you room to improve, the latter holds you back because of your self-imposed feeling like a failure. 2) in shutting down when making a mistake, you make yourself uncoachable and inhibit forward movement. Instead of perceiving your mistakes as personal attacks, let down your guard to let in the learning that’s been knocking the whole time

01/21/2025

Congratulations to both our riders for another successful year at stock show! Maggie and her horse Ravello returned for her first year as an amateur by taking ribbons in almost all her classes and ending up champion of the amateur 1.0m jumpers and winning the amateur 1.0m jumper stake, as well as stepping into the 1.10m amateur jumpers earning a 6th and 7th out of 16! Laci and her horse Vegas were successful in their first stock show earning themselves a 3rd out of 17 in the junior 1.0m jumpers as well as earning a 4th and 7th in their equitation classes. Well done ladies!!

01/12/2025

Congratulations to our riders for all their incredible accomplishments this past season! So proud of our team!

11/02/2024

Available for keeps! Jasper is a young up and coming guy who is very willing to learn and has a heart of gold. At 6 years old, you will not find another guy who is as quiet and forgiving as he is. Spent last year in the .75m jumper ring getting to know the competition routine and this year has been doing awesome in the .85m jumper ring with several champions in his book. He's now got flying changes and could cross over into the equitation ring or hunters. VERY amateur/junior friendly and would love to have a person that he could grow with. Good scope, brave and did I mention a forgiving heart of gold?!? Make a mistake (or 10!) and he'll keep on trucking around for you. The same horse all year round, no spooks, can lead the trail ride, pony babies, unflappable in the warmup ring. Lives in a stall with run but goes in group turnout daily and loves to play but will come running when you call him. You can't all for a friendlier guy! And in a 17h Bay package! Located in Parker, CO

11/02/2024

Available for keep or borrow! This horse has had an incredible record and is ready to continue teaching those who want to move up a level or two! Cleveland has been champion multiple times in the jumper ring from .85s to the meters as well as a champion equitation mount for low children's. Just helped his rider WIN the Columbine Junior Medal at medal finals! If you want a horse that will keep his own motor and make you feel like a rockstar then Cleveland is your guy. So incredibly friendly, easy keeper, gets along with everyone. Even as an IEA draw he's everyone's favorite! Fancy, fun, built like a warmblood with Jockey papers. Endurance like you wouldn't believe! Has been cross country and trail ridden. Would make an excellent eventer as well. 13 years old and stocky 16.2h he takes up a lot of leg. He could take someone from 2'6 to the meter jumpers. You HAVE to come try him!

10/29/2024

Empower is at Kentucky Horse Park for Maclay Finals! .maggie.77 and her mount Ravello have worked hard for the last year to make it to the finals of the National Horse Show! We are very excited to make our debut here and Maggie is paving the way for future riders to get here in years to come! Today is day one of schooling and getting to know the place. Throughout the week we'll be schooling inside and out getting ready for the competition on Sunday!

10/15/2024

09/26/2024

Rare spot availability for horse in training at Windhoek Equestrian in Parker,CO available October 1st! Lovely facility with ample turnout, 2 large outdoors and 2 indoor arenas! Stalls have 40' runs and group turnout on 10+ acres! Contact for info

08/27/2024

Michael is owns and trains at Cavallo Farm, a Hunter / Jumper barn operating out of Northern Virginia for over 25 years. Over the years, he has trained Junior and Amateur riders to multiple state and national titles in all three rings. His training philosophy centers around supporting each rider an

07/29/2024

Good thoughts

A small stab in the heart is what you feel when you put up the day’s riding list and you see riders sinking heavily in their shoulders when reading which horse they are assigned for the lesson. A small stab in the heart for that horse that for an hour will carry around a rider who has already decided that he does not like his horse. A small stab in the heart for the horse that did not choose the rider himself but still does his best, lesson after lesson.

Riding is a privilege and something you have chosen to do. If you chose to ride at a riding school, your instructor assumes that you actually want to learn how to ride. The instructor’s highest wish is that you get good at it.

Often there is a plan and a thought as to why you are assigned to that exact horse. Before you mount up next time, ask yourself “what can this horse teach me today?” All horses have something to give, a feeling or a new tool in the box.

The art is actually in being able to get a lazy horse to move forward, to get an uncertain horse to gain confidence, a naughty horse to focus or a tense horse to be released. It takes work. If you think a horse is boring, it’s more likely that you don’t ride the horse as well as you think! It’s not easy to be confronted with your own shortcomings, but it is in that very situation that you get the chance to truly grow as a rider.

The excuse that “it’s not my kind of horse” is actually a really bad excuse. A good rider can ride any kind of horse. A good rider has trained many hours on different types of horses to become a good rider. A good rider can find and manage the gold nuggets in every horse.

If we absolutely want to ride, it is our duty to strive to do it as best as possible, even if it’s only for fun. We owe it to every horse that carries us upon it’s back.

Copied and shared with love for all of our horses, ponies and riders 🐎❤🐎

07/03/2024

Hey all! Two very kind dogs made our way to facility today. No phone numbers. We have them in a nice shady area, but didn’t want to leave them alone as we are by the road. Please call 7208087104

06/20/2024

We are still accepting entries! We have changed the schedule due to numbers. Please note that on Saturday hunters will go first in the South ring followed by jumpers in the North ring.