Prophet Hill Farm

10/28/2026

So worth the read! The barn should be a safe haven; your happy place!

Finding the right barn family isn’t just about finding friends to ride with… it’s about our mental health.

I feel like there’s this common theme of “barn drama” and I think we need to break the thought of that being normal. Our horses are our time to find peace and an escape from the world. It is absolutely not the place for petty comments, reality TV drama or constant tension.

You need to be surrounded by people who build you up, not tear you down…

People who are cheering you on whether it’s at an A show or over a 6” cross rail…

People who aren’t judging you for only wanting to walk around or having no desire to show at all…

People who don’t care what outfit you show up to the barn in…

People who want you and your horse to win, not just a ribbon, but to win at life.

Let’s be real… horseback riding is a pretty intense sport. The fact that we’re strapping some leather onto a thousand-pound prey animal and hoping we can keep all four feet on the ground while holding onto two straps that aren’t much wider than your little finger… well it’s pretty remarkable in itself. Every time you get your butt in the saddle and manage to land back on the ground on two feet safely… well that alone is quite an accomplishment.

Horseback riding is emotional. It’s raw. It’s intense. It’s an escape from reality because we have to be present in that moment, just as our horses are. But it is absolutely not for the faint of heart.

When you are choosing to put your foot in the stirrup, the last thing you need is to feel emotionally drained from the 10 minute conversation you had in the barn with Karen who was just telling you all the “he said, she said” of who has been talking smack about you and your horse behind your back. You shouldn’t be going into that ride thinking about how angry you are at the fact that Sarah can’t keep her 300 saddle pads contained and they’re taking over your space in the tack room. You shouldn’t be wondering who’s talking crap about you while you ride. And you definitely shouldn’t be worried about who’s casually glancing at the arena and judging every move you make on your horse, just waiting for their opportunity to claim you were riding in Rollkur (cue PETA).

There’s enough drama at work, on social media and in those reality TV shows I can’t seem to understand how people watch; we don’t need that crap at the barn.

As someone who used to suffer with severe anxiety, panic attacks, & depression, I now protect my mental health at all costs. I have overcome all my mental health issues & I refuse to let the atmosphere at my barn be a cause of any anxiety. I can’t emphasize just how important it is to surround yourself with the right people when at all possible.

Sure, your barn might have the best landscaping, the most beautiful tack lockers, & arena footing that’s softer than your 20 year old mattress, but none of that matters if you dread going out because Susan might be there waiting to start a Kardashian style argument. No amount of perfectly swept barn aisles or pressure washed white fencing can make up for a toxic atmosphere.

No drama here!

From Elevation Equestrian Center

10/25/2026

5 Things As a Horse Trainer I Will NOT Apologize For.

1. Putting the horse first.
Your goals, your timeline, and your ribbons will never be more important than the horse standing in front of me.

2. Telling you what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear.
You pay me for my knowledge, experience, and professional opinion. Sometimes that means having uncomfortable conversations.

3. Expecting accountability.
Progress requires effort outside of your weekly lesson. You cannot expect extraordinary results from ordinary commitment.

4. Protecting my time.
My time, just like yours, has value. Boundaries, schedules, and policies aren’t personal. They’re part of running a professional business.

5. Refusing to rush the process.
Good horses aren’t made overnight. Neither are good riders. There are no shortcuts around patience, consistency, correct training, and putting in the work.

10/25/2026

Jumping position is all about lots of angles---

The angle of the heel to the toe.
The angle of the heel to the knee.
The angle of the knee to the hip.
The angle of the hip to the rider’s face.
The angle of the face up away from the chest.
The angle of the shoulder to the elbow.
The angle of the elbow to the mouth of the horse.

And all of these angles are opening and closing constantly as the horse’s body moves and changes shape through the air.

This was Griffin, a 15/16th Thoroughbred at the old Southern Pines event at the Walthour-Moss Foundation.

10/21/2026

10/20/2026

Lovely fall afternoon to teach in Jaffrey, NH at Milestone Farm 🍂

10/19/2026

👇 🩷 this!! 🩷 👇

I am a firm believer that horses should have lives outside of their careers.

I love a talented horse. I love developing young horses, setting ambitious goals, and seeing what they might be capable of accomplishing.

But I also think it’s important to remember that our horses have absolutely no idea what their résumés say.

They don’t know what their breeding suggests they should be good at. They don’t know what level they’re supposed to reach, what scores they’ve earned, or how much money we’ve invested in their futures.

And I think they deserve lives that are about more than those things.

I want my horses to have friends. I want them to spend time in fields, play, explore, scratch each other’s withers, and occasionally make questionable decisions about which mud puddle looks the most inviting.

I want the young ones to have time to be young. To be a little scraggly. Have a few scrapes on them.

And I want the older ones to have lives where their entire sense of routine doesn’t revolve around being ridden.

Because as much as we love these horses for what they can do, I think we have a responsibility to remember that they are living, feeling, social animals first.

Their athletic careers are something we have chosen for them.

Their need to be horses isn’t.

And I don’t think those two things have to compete with one another.

We can have big ambitions for our horses AND give them lives that are rich in experiences that have absolutely nothing to do with advancing those ambitions.

In fact, I think those things often complement each other beautifully.

I hope the horses in my program become successful athletes. I hope they go on to do wonderful things, make their owners proud, and have long, fulfilling careers.

But I also hope they have horse friends that they love.

That they get to roll in the sunshine.

That they spend plenty of hours doing absolutely nothing sport related. Doing the only things horses were actually designed to do… walk around in groups and eat forage 😆

Because a horse can have an impressive résumé and still be missing some pretty important parts of a good life.

And at the end of the day, I want to be proud of more than what my horses accomplish.

I want to be proud of the lives they get to live 24/7, not just when I’m with them.

10/18/2026

𝗜 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘇𝘆. 👀

I know some riders have very strong opinions about using them.

But I think we're often concentrating on the equipment instead of asking a much more important question.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁?

For me, it's about having a horse that respects my aids and understands exactly what I'm asking.

If I ask my horse to move away from my leg, I expect a reaction. If I ask them to go forward, I expect them to respond.

I don't want to spend an entire session kicking harder and harder just to get my horse to listen.

And that's where a dressage whip or spurs, when used correctly, can be useful.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗱𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲.

My horses can respond to the lightest touch of the dressage whip. I don't need to give them a big tap or use a huge leg aid to get a reaction.

Why? Because they understand what that aid means.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦.

I want my horses to be responsive enough that I can ride with a quiet leg and make small, clear requests.

And this is something I work on constantly in my coaching.

A horse that ignores your leg in the arena isn't suddenly going to respect it when you're approaching a fence, riding a difficult line or asking them to stay straight.

🐴 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗶𝗱𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼.

Of course, dressage whips and spurs need to be used correctly and appropriately. They're not a substitute for good riding or an excuse to use force.

But I don't think we should automatically assume that riding with them means someone is being harsh.

💬 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸? 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁?

10/14/2026

💜 👇 💜 👇 💜

How often do you check in on your horse’s self-carriage during a ride?

A simple way to test your connection is to give a brief stroke along the horse's neck with the inside hand while maintaining light support on the outside rein. If the connection is true, the horse’s head, neck, and overall balance should remain completely steady, without dropping, shifting, or leaning.