Sand Bar Ranch

10/09/2025

Equitation classes may appear to reward a polished picture with the tidy jacket, the perfect release, the rider whose form seems almost too flawless to touch. But according to Geoff Teall, true equitation goes far beyond appearances. He explains that the real purpose of equitation is not about “lo...

10/08/2025

09/28/2025

Congratulations to all my riders at this last show, it was a first time for SZEF IA , aka River, owned by Cara Miller, we could not be more pleased with his performance, the colorful jumps were a bit scary, but he proved himself to be a competitive show companion for his mommy! Samantha is a force to be reckoned with in the rodeo arena, and has only taken a handful of lessons with me in an english saddle , over fences, in my opinion Samantha & her mare could be a force to be reckoned with in the show arena the future . The Delicious Delight, after a long hiatus from the show arena proved himself , piloted by Dawn, who herself has taken a hiatus from the show arena, earned two blues in Eq & under saddle over fences! Samantha’s daughter Mabel, was all game for her first time showing !

09/27/2025

Are today's riding students really learning to ride or are they learning to be passengers? Over the past few decades riding instruction has become increasingly simplified. Now the primary goal is teaching students "what" to do on a horse. Teaching "why" we do things and even "how" to do certain things when riding are fundamental to horsemanship. But these fundamentals are disappearing. Learning why and how to achieve unified balance and movement with your horse cannot be conveyed in a simple set of what-to-do instructions.

Very important "hows", like "Let the horse move you", and the essential "whys" of optimizing your horse's energy require time in the saddle along with insightful observations from the instructor. Instead, students are regularly taught workarounds that avoid riding's fundamental challenges like balance.

Short cuts separate rather than unify a horse and rider. For example, teaching riders to lean way forward up a horse's neck when jumping places the rider in a static position at a time when their horse is increasing their movement. This shortcut creates a situation where the static rider cannot follow the dynamic movement of their horse. These kinds of separations can and do become very dangerous. The danger reveals itself often in minor challenging moments when riders discover that they really don't know how to ride.

It is easy to blame the trainers for not teaching the fundamentals. We need, however, to also consider that students and their parents today often insist on immediate outcomes like learning to jump after only a few lessons. Today's students and parents demand to set lesson goals and sometimes require specific lesson content that is irrelevant to an effective learning process.


The fact that many contemporary trainers have not learned the fundamentals of horsemanship further complicates today's learning process. To cover up these voids in knowledge and experience, some trainers encourage fantasies in their students in favor of building their business. Students then believe they are progressing as a rider when in reality they are stuck on a low novice plateau, unprepared for the risks inherent in riding.

The scarcity of quality horsemanship instruction, combined with today's parents and students that insist on controlling instruction, creates an uncertain future for riding as animal rights groups seek to end access to horses. We need qualified trainers who oppose unrealistic demands and dangerously unrealistic student goals.

If lesson barns stopped pandering to student expectations and using workarounds that hide the true requirements of learning to ride that takes time and hard work, will students disappear? Maybe, but we who teach must take professional responsibility for our teaching outcomes. We must resist the unrealistic demands from students and parents for the sake of students' safety and out of respect for horses. Fantasies have to be confronted with the truth if horsemanship and access to horses is to survive in today's world.

09/21/2025

I have no words, and have not wanted to post this , but I wanted to let all my students that Star Lite ever allowed on her back that she passed away the other day. Most of you know how important this mare was to me and to all my riders that she taught, she gave her all to us as riders, forgave every mistake, she never put one foot wrong, She was there for you every stride, won so many championships for us. My life and my barn will never be the same 🦄💕

09/17/2025

I see many riders who think they are being good horsewomen because they "love their horse." They pat him, tell him constantly "What a good boy!" he is, feed him treats, buy him all kinds of supplements, blankets, boots, and gear.

The way to be a really good horsewoman? Ride him systematically, 5-6 days a week, calmly, quietly, and turn him into a fit, sound, prepared athlete who is well prepared to handle the work he`s asked to perform.

Don`t just tell him you love him. Make him strong enough to deal with being ridden so that the things you ask him to do are not causing him stress and discomfort.

09/14/2025