Fleeceworks

06/18/2025

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A remarkable 10-year competitive partnership will end when Mai Baum and Tamie Smith complete the CCI4*-S at The Event on Sunday, July 20.

That’s when the Ahearn and Markell family's 19-year-old German Sport Horse will be retired from the sport. His 2023 Land Rover Kentucky champion partner, Tamie, will be at his side and fans from all over will gather to celebrate the “Black Stallion’s” brilliant career.

There may be tears.

“It's been an amazing 10 years we've had together and although he will still be very much part of my daily life, knowing this is our last event makes it all the more special and emotional,” Tamie says.

Read all about it on our blog – link in the comments.

Photo: Sherry Stewart

06/18/2025

We are thrilled to say that two more of our riders were recipients of the USEA Foundation Travel Grant, to compete in the CCI-3* at Rebecca Farms! Congratulations to Meg Pellegrini () and Kaylawna Smith-Cook (), we are so proud to be a part of your teams!

Thank you to the Broussard Family Charitable Foundation Trust and the USEA Foundation for awarding this opportunity to truly outstanding riders.

06/16/2025

Congratulations to rider Alex Conrad ( ) on being awarded the USEA Foundation Travel Grant to help with the costs of getting to The Event at Rebecca Farms in July! Alex and Malibu Preacher will be competing in the CCI-4*L, and we cannot wait to cheer them on!

Thank you to the Broussard Family Charitable Foundation Trust and the USEA Foundation for awarding this opportunity to truly outstanding riders.

06/13/2025

Sarah & Rori () are looking incredible together in their Fleeceworks Easy Care Bamboo XC Pad! 😍

06/09/2025

More wonderful advice from Matt & Cecily ()

When people talk about starting a young horse, the conversation often centers around the tangible milestones: accepting a bridle, wearing a saddle, carrying a rider, going on the bit, learning to jump. And those things are important—but they’re not the most important.

In my experience, the hardest and most critical part of training has nothing to do with tack or technique. It’s about teaching a horse how to think.
Before we can expect a horse to carry a rider or perform under pressure, we have to help them develop a thought process. We have to teach them how to solve problems without going into panic mode, and how to handle the very unnatural environment we ask them to live and work in.

Because from a horse’s perspective, our world makes very little sense. We expect them to accept restriction, confinement, noise, pressure, unpredictability—and to do so calmly and obediently. That’s a big ask for an animal whose survival instincts tell them to flee at the first sign of uncertainty.

And so, in my barn, the early work with any horse—young or otherwise—isn’t about obedience. It’s about communication. I want them to understand how to think their way through a problem. I want them to discover that they can find peace in pressure, curiosity in conflict, and partnership in process.

Once they learn how to think, the rest of the training is easy.

Bridles, saddles, jumping exercises, even the tension of competition—none of that is difficult if the horse has been taught how to think through pressure instead of react to it. But if we skip this foundation, everything else becomes harder, more fragile, and more reliant on force.

It’s slower this way. It takes more time on the ground, more moments spent simply being with the horse, observing, adjusting, and waiting. But the results are worth it.

Because when we give a horse room to think, room to answer the question themselves, they build confidence within themselves and confidence to trust that we will give them time, which in turn creates the strongest kind of partnership.

06/03/2025

What does it take to be the Reserve Champion High Performance Hunter at Devon?

Oslo and Joie Gatlin turned heads with their round in the High Performance Handy Hunters at Devon, winning the class with the incredible score of 95!

They came back to take in the stake with an outstanding 91 before winning the Under saddle, crowning them as Reserve Champions of the High Performance Hunters.

We could not be prouder of Joie, who was one of our first ever Sponsored Riders in the Fleeceworks Family, over 20 years ago. To celebrate this achievement - we are offering you 20% Off a few of Joie's favorite Fleeceworks essentials!

Check the link in our stories to see what's on sale, or visit the link below:

https://fleeceworks.com/collections/monthly-specials

05/28/2025

None of us are on this journey alone; we all know that it takes a team to be an equestrian. That team might include a combination of your farrier, vet, feed store owner, hay dealer, tack shop, coach, trainer, groom, family, and the brands you trust most. No matter how large or small your support team is; we are so thankful to be chosen by so many of you to be a part of your support system. It is a privilege, and not one we take lightly. ❤️

05/26/2025

As a Veteran-Owned Business; Memorial Day is an incredibly meaningful day at Fleeceworks.

Please join us in taking time to remember those who gave their all for our country.

"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices." -Harry S. Truman

05/20/2025

The incomparable Taren Hoffos () in the sandbox in Kentucky. 😍

05/07/2025

All the feels for this beautiful pair! 😍

05/05/2025

We can't get over how beautiful the pads we created for HITS Del Mar Dressage turned out! Does your barn, team, or horse show need customized pads? Reach out and see how we can help!