Still Waters Farm

05/06/2026

When a student needs to move to a different program, it’s always difficult for the current trainer and the student. We care deeply about our students, their horses, and their progress. We invest more time, energy, and thought than you realize. But that doesn’t mean change is not sometimes needed. Please, show your trainer the respect to be upfront about your decision. If you are trying other trainers, word will get back to your current one. Hopefully, your trainer, though she won’t be happy about it, will be respectful as well. I want what is best for my students. Sometimes that means recognizing that a different situation might be better for them at this time. It’s a business, certainly, but we can’t help but care a lot more than say, your landscaper. 😏

I had the loveliest coffee date with a young woman who left my program, Daphne Thornton writes. She’d been with me for a long time. She gave her notice to the current barn owners in a timely fashion, and the trainer at the new barn reached out to me to make sure everything was on the up and up. And then she and I sat down, like two grown-up people, reminisced about our long association and fun times, and made a plan to ensure the transition went smoothly for the horse and all the humans involved.

People… this is how it’s supposed to be done.

Unfortunately, that’s not usually how it goes when a client decides to leave a trainer. Most people dither about leaving or staying past their expiration date, leave in a huff over a real or imagined issue… or in general cause a heap of unnecessary drama. Here’s a handy-dandy guide to help you figure out what to do and what not to do if you are planning a move.

Lesson 1: You are a riding student, not a hostage.

As such, you certainly have the right to spend your dollars on a program or barn that is a good fit for you. Maybe you like to be challenged and pushed hard. If so, there is a drill instructor somewhere out there for you. Maybe you like hugs and soft words. If that’s you, there is an instructor who fits that bill. Maybe your current barn doesn’t offer the care plan or amenities you need. My point is, don’t start, or stay, with a program that isn’t “you.” Believe me when I tell you that you are not making the trainer, or any of the other clients, happy by not being happy yourself.

Lesson 2: Leaving a program is a personal choice…not an act of participatory democracy.

You do not need to contact every single other client and get their vote. Let me tell you right now, that makes the other clients very uncomfortable and puts them in a difficult position. Do they tell the trainer about your call, or not? Do they share the texts, or not? And when you branch out and start contacting people in OTHER programs, things get really weird.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2022/05/18/how-to-leave-your-trainer-politely-in-10-easy-lessons/
📸 © Heather N. Photography

04/27/2026

Our students learn so much more than how to ride a horse.

Spend enough time at any barn, and you’ll start to notice a pattern. The riders who are drawn to horses aren’t casual about it. They are all in. They care deeply, feel deeply, and often seem to carry a level of responsibility and emotional awareness that goes beyond their years.

There’s actually a term researchers use to describe this: supernurturers.

In the study “They Ease Your Mind: Horses as Co-Agents in Supernurturers’ Self-Care,” researcher Laura Sanchez explores young riders in the hunter/jumper world who demonstrate an unusually strong drive to care for animals, not just in action, but emotionally and ethically. The participants, girls and young women ages 10 to 23, were developing a way of relating to horses that emphasized empathy, responsibility, and connection.

The phrase “horse girl” is often used as shorthand, sometimes affectionately and sometimes dismissively. But what this research makes clear is that many of those riders share a distinct way of engaging with the world.

Supernurturers, as defined in the study, are individuals who are highly committed to caring for animals and deeply invested in their well-being, both in time and emotional energy. At the barn, it appears in the way riders think about their horses, interpret their behavior, and prioritize their needs.

From a young age, the riders in the study described a strong sense of duty toward their horses’ physical and emotional well-being. As they grew older, that responsibility expanded into a more complex understanding of partnership, one that included not just care, but communication, trust, and mutual awareness.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/04/25/why-horse-girls-feel-everything-so-deeply-and-why-thats-a-strength/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

04/17/2026

Welcome to the farm, Blossom. 🌸

03/25/2026

A good read for the beginning of show season. (My students should be thinking this sounds familiar 😉)

I always stress the importance of preparation, but there are many facets to that, Heritage Farm 's Andre Dignelli writes. The physical and mental aspects are certainly paramount, but the details in presentation can never be overlooked.

I often get asked about my show ring “dos and don’ts,” and I think it’s important to know how to edit. You don’t need to have the latest and greatest breeches and show coat. It’s more important that what you do have fits properly. If you have all the right gear and it’s not fitting well, you might as well not have the right gear.

If the saddle pad is not fitting properly, if the martingale is hanging with a dangerously low loop, if your show coat is wrinkled and not properly fitted—these are things that draw the eye to something negative. Nothing should distract from your riding, from the round in the ring. That starts with the rider.

What are some of our pet peeves at Heritage?

A horse with a “mohawk” makes me crazy. The bridle path should be properly trimmed before coming to the horse show.

I don’t believe that glitter has a place in the equitation ring. This include helmets with too much adornment and dangly, distracting jewelry.

In addition to an ill-fitting saddle pad, a saddle pad in the wrong color (including one that has faded or been stained or bleached in the wash) should only be used for schooling at home. The same goes for fleece girths and girth covers.

Leather straps on a bridle should be properly placed in keepers.

When it comes to front boots for your horse, you should have a set of both schooling and show boots. I personally prefer leather boots—without bulky fleece—for the equitation ring. At Heritage, we developed our own leather front boot that is minimalistic, classically styled and protective.

Untucked shirts and wispy hair hanging out of a hairnet.

Dirty boots. Boot polishing is absolutely part of our program at Heritage.

Being late. It costs absolutely nothing to be on time, and it is guaranteed to put you ahead.

📎 Save & share this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2022/03/30/ask-andre-what-are-your-show-ring-pet-peeves/
📸 Kind Media

02/07/2026

Yep. The fortitude, aka stubbornness, to not give up but to find a way is essential in this way of life. If the love of all things equine is not deeply and passionately rooted in your soul, it’s not worth all this career will demand. But if it is, you will need to be tough, resourceful, and resilient.

If you’ve been a horse person for long enough, you’ll quietly collect a whole second CV of alternate professions. Not because you wanted to—but because at some point, something went wrong, it was raining sideways, the horse was actively trying to die, and you had to figure it out.
Disclaimer: we are fully aware we are not formally trained, and if it’s a real job-job, we will absolutely call the professionals. Eventually.

Here’s the unofficial list:

1. Vet (ish).
Unless there’s a dramatic injury involving blood, bones, or a noise that shouldn’t exist, the vet is mostly called because they have access to the good drugs. Horse people are elite at diagnosis, basic treatment, and cold hosing with confidence.
Side note: do not ask why there are nappies in the tack room or why the horse’s leg is silver/blue/purple.

2. Emergency Fencing Engineer.
At some point you will be alone in a field, a fence will be down, and a horse will be galloping directly at you. You cannot therefore leave to get appropriate toolage. You must improvise.
Bale band (or baling twine) will bodge the job long enough to keep the horse on the correct side of the fence. Always carry bale band. This is not advice, it’s survival.

3. Nutritionist.
Every horse person knows exactly what their horse eats, how much, why, and which feed caused That One Incident in 2017. There is a mental spreadsheet involved.
If you want to start a fight, casually ask a supplement feeder to explain their regime to a straight feeder. Bring popcorn. Or a helmet.

4. Meteorologist.
A horse person knows the exact weather forecast, wind speeds and temperature predictions for the next 6 months on an hourly basis. Also knows what horse needs what rug for what activity. Is always smug when they get it right.

In conclusion - Put a horse person in a real emergency and we are terrifyingly calm, wildly competent, and absolutely unqualified. We will solve the problem with bale band, questionable logic, and alarming confidence—while insisting everyone else “just stay calm.” And somehow, against all odds and common sense, it usually works… 🐴

01/22/2026

I have a last minute opening for a lesson on Friday afternoon. Please contact me if you want to take advantage of it before the weather hits. School horse available.

01/04/2026

Wow, what a horse! But also, what a rider. He is so balanced over this huge oxer. His heel is down, right in place to support his upper body, his seat is balanced over his leg with his arms reaching to allow his horse to make a beautiful effort. Because his position is so secure and balanced, he is not interfering with the horse's jump. When the horse lands, he will be ready to guide the horse however he needs. He is a top winning rider for the US. Coincidence? Probably not.

Now when you compete at this level, not every jump is going to be picture perfect. However, he has put in the time and work to be able to still prioritize staying out of his horse's way and staying secure enough to be effective.

12/14/2025

In a world where everyone wants more riding time, trainer Geoff Case says the secret isn’t luck—it’s effort.

“People always ask me, ‘How do I get more chances to ride?’” he said. “The answer is simple: show up, pay attention, and work hard when no one’s watching.”

For Case, the difference between a rider who gets one opportunity and one who gets a hundred is professionalism.

Case learned early in his career that the riders who get called on are the ones who are there. “Half the time, opportunity looks like being in the right place at the right moment,” he said. “If you’re at the barn, if you’re helping, if you’re ready—you’ll get asked.”

He’s not talking about luck or timing. He’s talking about commitment. “You can’t get a ride if you’re sitting at home,” he said. “You have to be around. You have to make yourself available.”

That means doing the small things that make big impressions like helping tack up, walking a course for someone, or simply being on time every day. “Trainers notice,” Case said. “We always remember the kid who’s early, who’s dressed, who’s ready to help. That’s the one we trust to get on a horse when we need someone.”

He’s seen it time and again: a rider who’s quietly sweeping the aisle or holding a horse gets a surprise catch ride simply because they were nearby and prepared. “If you’re ready, those moments happen,” Case said. “If you’re not, they pass you by.”

Once you do get the chance to ride, Case says attitude is everything. “If someone hands you a horse, treat it like it’s the most important ride of your life,” he said. “That’s how people know they can count on you.”

He believes the best riders make every single ride look like a privilege, not a chore. “Even if it’s just walking a horse, do it like it matters,” he said. “That’s the difference between someone who’s hungry and someone who’s entitled.”

That level of care shows in how you cool out the horse, how you clean your tack, and how you talk to people around the barn. “Being a good horseman is being a good professional,” Case said. “The horses feel it, and so do the people who might give you your next chance.”

Case doesn’t mince words about what separates long-term success from short-term promise. “Work ethic beats talent every time,” he said. “Talent’s great, but if you don’t work, it doesn’t matter.”

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/12/12/the-professional-habits-that-get-you-opportunities-to-ride/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

12/05/2025

Winter riding can be tough and frustrating. We need to adjust our goals and be prepared to work through different issues. Even though it may feel like we've taken a huge step backward from where we were in the summer, the training we do in the winter will build on that and pay off when temps warm up.

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Winter has a way of sneaking up on a rider’s confidence. The daylight shrinks, the indoor suddenly feels so much smaller and horses get fresh. Goals that felt easy in July suddenly feel out of reach. It’s a season that can make even the most dedicated riders question where their progress has gone.

Mental skills coach Tonya Johnston believes winter isn’t a setback at all. In fact, she says winter can be one of the most productive periods of a rider’s year if they understand how to work with the season rather than fighting against it.

The first step, Tonya explains, is accepting that winter riding is fundamentally different from riding in the summer. “You have to acknowledge the season you’re in,” she says. “The expectations you had in July don’t apply in November.”

Cold temperatures tighten muscles. Indoor rings restrict pace and lines. Weather disrupts schedules. Horses may get less turnout and more enthusiasm. None of these factors reflect your ability or your horse’s willingness. They’re simply the conditions winter brings.

Tonya stresses that riders often lose confidence not because they’re performing poorly, but because they’re comparing winter rides to their best days outdoors. That comparison isn’t just unhelpful, it’s distorting.

“You’re usually doing better than you think you are,” she says. Winter magnifies riders’ negativity bias, making small imperfections feel like big problems.

Once riders accept winter for what it is, they can begin to shift their goals in a way that keeps confidence steady. “That same number of jumps, the same amount of space, the same intensity—it’s not going to happen right now,” Tonya says. “So don’t hold yourself to expectations that belong to another season.”

She encourages riders to set winter-appropriate goals like strengthening flatwork, improving transitions, refining rideability, or practicing straightness in smaller spaces. These goals still matter. They’re still meaningful. They just don’t rely on summer conditions.

Tonya also reminds riders that winter goals should feel achievable inside their current circumstances, not outside them. “It’s about meeting yourself where you are and where your horse is,” she says.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/12/04/how-to-build-confidence-through-winter-a-riders-guide-to-staying-steady-in-the-off-season/

10/27/2025

We are so proud of Emma Ranson. She goes above and beyond to learn.