In The Irons Farm

08/12/2022

In The Irons competitors love this home town venue! It is so welcoming whether you are an amateur starting out or a seasoned professional. Join us!!

The Santa Barbara Chapter of California Dressage Society proudly announces its second upcoming Dressage show at the spectacular Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara.

If you have never visited this venue before, you will be amazed by the mild climate, fantastic footing, wonderful staff and volunteers and some of the most beautiful scenery on the West Coast.

We are fortunate to have judges Melissa Creswick (S) and Beverly Rogers (S) attending and look forward to seeing everyone there as we wind the summer season down.

Although Equestrian Entries (our show registration site) is now closed for online entries, we are still accepting entries up to tomorrow, Saturday, August 13 by emailing our Show Manager directly at [email protected]. You can download a copy of our premium by going to this link: https://www.sbccds.org/_files/ugd/a85612_8e7e60f7a8db466092649f44d5e7e76f.pdf.

We are also looking for friendly, smiling faces who can devote a little bit of their time as volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering for one of the many jobs that we have available (remember....it takes a village), please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Gina Von Der Burg at [email protected]

Time's running out, so get your entries in right away and we will see you at the show!!

07/31/2022

For trainers everywhere and for my favorite- Kate Sulzbach

Appreciate your trainer.

We spend way more hours at work than you could even imagine. We are here six if not seven days a week every week. We work holidays. We work weekends. And just because our office is outside and we get to be surrounded by beautiful animals the whole time does not mean we aren’t working. The barn to you is your sanctuary. It’s your escape. It’s your place to vent. Your place to relax. Your place to unwind. That is not what the barn is to us. While we have moments of serenity when everything is quiet, this is still our job. We are still on the clock. We still need to be on our game. Always.

Our job is not just riding. We deal with all of you every day. Long before and long after we have come and gone from the barn. During dinners. During drinks with friends. During family time. On days off. We are here for you.

We care. We care more than you could ever know. Each and every horse is a part of our soul. We know their mannerisms. We meticulously watch their weight, their movement, monitor what they eat and how much of it, how much they work, whether they are happy doing their job, and how to make them go in a way that pleases you without jeopardizing them. We stay up late with them if they are sick. We write down every time they batted an eyelash wrong. And we remember what they need when.

We take pride in them going well for you. We listen to every flaw you find with them, even if it is in fact your flaw, and try to help them do their job better. When you are unhappy with how they go, we take it as a personal failure, and strive to never let it happen again, even if your expectations are unreasonable. We bend over backwards to make your horse perfect, even if what you’re asking for is a horse without spirit, or personality. We stand up for them when we can, trying our best not to make you upset in the process. They are our life’s work, and we know them inside and out.

We listen to you. Whether you are rational or not. We remain calm when you bring the stress of your day job to the barn and take it all out on your horse and on us. We pick up the pieces when you’ve been unforgiving with your horse, who was simply surprised by your lack of patience after a long day. We are their rock, their shoulder to cry on, and yours.

When we go home, we still reply to your texts and your emails and your calls. We are never off the clock. We take in stride as best we can your rants of frustration when your horse or your riding isn’t exactly where you want it to be exactly when you want it. We take the blame. For you. For your horse. For the rest of your life. For everything.

And yet here we are. Still showing up. Still being here for you. For your horse. No matter how you treat us. Regardless of whether you deserve us. We are here.

Appreciate your trainer.

07/30/2022

Photos from Rocovich Equestrian at Rocking Horse Ranch's post

06/24/2022

Timeline photos

Trunk show at In The Irons Farm on Sunday, June 26th! Everyone is welcome and admission is free. Come shop in person! RSVP to Christi at [email protected]
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#trunkshow #shopping #shoptilyoudrop #dressageclothes #dressagestyle #dressagefashion #santabarbara #california #dressagetack #DeNiroboots #kingsland #equiline #cavalleriatoscana

06/13/2022

Can’t wait to have Horse and Horse and Rider Boutique here at In The In The Irons Farm!!

Trunk show at In The Irons Farm on Sunday, June 26th! Everyone is welcome and admission is free. Come shop in person! RSVP to Christi at [email protected]
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#trunkshow #shopping #shoptilyoudrop #dressageclothes #dressagestyle #dressagefashion #santabarbara #california #dressagetack #DeNiroboots #kingsland #equiline #cavalleriatoscana

05/23/2022

Team Irons had a great weekend at the SBC CDS show! All in we had 7 horses go, with Kate Hauck rounding us out to 8, joining from Terri Rocovich’s Rocovich Equestrian. Congratulations to Chloe Adrian-Giannetto, stepping up to Second Level. She and Izzy the wonder pony took 2nd with a few growing pain errors on Saturday, but 1st on Sunday with a conservative but accurate ride! Juliet Bradley and Brooklyn Gagne went head to head in the Training 2 division, with beautiful rides earning them 2nd and 1st respectively each day. Brooklyn also took Jr High Point for the show🎉
Kate Sulzbach on Wendy Brown’s Fogoso WC brought home two blues and two qualifying scores at 2nd 3, and piloted Sara Beth Cutter’s Jouti around his first show environment. Can’t wait for him to be ready to trot down centerline!! Finally, Kelly Thoits brushed 5 years of show cobwebs off, schooling Redowa Star before jumping back in for August. She looks like she never left!#customsaddlery #sbccds #hygainfeeds

05/12/2022

Functional Patterning

Everyone at In The Irons has benefited from time with Britta Pedersen. Super exercises!

04/24/2022

In The Irons Farm updated their information in their About section.

In The Irons Farm updated their information in their About section.

02/10/2022

In The Irons Farm

As we prepare for our 2022 show season, In The Irons Farm want to congratulate our 2021 Champions: Chloe Adrian- Giannetto and Isabella 1st Level JR Champions; Brooklyn Gagne and Curran Reserve Champion Training Level JR; Aleja Lopez and Matilda 2nd Level JR Champion and Juliet Bradley and Penelope Training Level JR Champion (Virtual) and of course our Trainer, Kate Sulzbach FEI-Open Champion on Uiver. Congratulations Kate on earning your USDF Gold Medal in 2021. So proud of you all!

In the Irons Farm is a Premier horse Boarding and training in Santa Barbara, CA. We provide flexible training schedules for the working individual and exceptional horse care

12/22/2021

Happy Holidays

If you give your child a pony, they will want to ride. You’ll buy them the best pony you can find, followed by a helmet, boots and all other things pony.
You look for a local barn to ride at. And then life as you know it, will end.
Before you know it, they want to show so you find a circuit …..There will be no more lazy weekends watching tv. You will see more sunrises than you ever thought possible.
Every spare minute of your time will be spent hauling horse trailers and horses and enduring a crazy addiction to practice for the next show.
Your house may be a mess, and your car will be dirty. All because you gave your child a pony. Your weekends will be spent freezing or burning to death on a fold up chair. And their weekends will be spent gaining confidence and friends, learning new skills and having fun and getting dirty!!!!
You will be there the day he or she takes the first few steps of canter, the first taste of a jump, first ribbon, first championship. And they will make you SO proud. And right before your eyes, your little boy/girl will be transformed from the baby who bounced around on their rocking horse into an exceptional young horse enthusiast on the hunt for the next pony finals or maybe even the Olympics!
When you give your child a pony , you give them more than just something to ride. You give them a sport, a talent, hope and dreams. Friends, a new family, a place to learn about life, room to grow as a person where they can push their limits, and bravery, and courage, and memories.
Then one day, many years from today…they will be in their room and a certain trophy will catch their eye. And they will pick it up and realize instantly that when you gave your child a pony, you also gave them a childhood that they would never forget, at this point, you realize that everything you gave up along the way and sacrificed was totally worth it…..
All because you gave your child a pony.
Copied from a friend. Powerful

12/06/2021

Well done ladies!

12/05/2021

12/05/2021

The official tally for Irons “ No Stirrups November” competition is in and it was a heated one this year!💪💪 We are so proud of all of our girls that participated, wracking up a combined total of 625 minutes!! They are all winners to us for putting in the work to improve their positions and rider fitness❤️

10/03/2021

So, so very true.

❤❤❤

07/14/2021

Interview with Chef d’Equipe Debbie McDonald

Sending Brentina’s mom of with lots of love. So proud of Team USA.

06/27/2021

To our Buddy’s, Facile’s and all those that came before and will come after…….

06/17/2021

Santa Barbara - City Council Meetings Online

Santa Barbara - City Council Meetings Online

Regular meetings of the Ordinance Committee begin at 12:30 p.m. (Pacific Time). Regular meetings of the Finance Committee begin at 12:30 p.m. The regular City Council meeting begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall. Special Meeting times can vary, so please check posted times on the....

04/23/2021

Dressage Musical Freestyle - Debbie McDonald and Brentina

Dressage Musical Freestyle - Debbie McDonald and Brentina

Debbie McDonald and Brentina perform a Grand Prix musical freestyle to a Motown medley.

04/23/2021

Brentina, U.S. Dressage Superhorse and FEI World Cup Final Winner, Dies

It has been a privilege and an honor to share in Brentina’s journey. At 31 years of age she still had her strong opinions generally surrounding food and attention. Kate Sulzbach and I will be forever grateful to Debbie McDonald, Bob McDonald and the Thomas family for entrusting us with her care and Dr. Kirste Timm who was always there for Mama and us. She will be deeply missed.

Debbie McDonald’s beloved Grand Prix partner Brentina has died at In The Irons Farm in Santa Barbara, California. She was 30. The chestnut Hanoverian mare (Brentano II—Lieselotte, Lungau) and McDonald were the first Americans to win the FEI Wo...

04/18/2021

Great things do come in small packages! Chloe and Izzy pulled a 67.2% in First Level 1 to finish a close second, proving ponies CAN play with the big dogs. Aleja Lopez and Matilda were rockstars in their schooling, having made the choice a few weeks ago that they were saving their mojo for home turf at Earl Warren Showgrounds. In The Irons is so proud of both these girls and their lovely mares🦄

03/09/2021

International Women's Day 2021 | Here's To You

International Women's Day 2021 | Here's To You

02/22/2021

Desert Dressage is wrapped for our hybrid Irons/Rocovich Equestrian team. Uiver finally got excited to strut his more impressive stuff in the Intermediare 1 today, although maybe a bit too excited🤪.. all in all a successful weekend with each test earning a qualifying score. Excited for our next outing together at Pacific Coast Open Dressage Show!
#customsaddlery #hygainfeedus #profchoice #rocovichequestrian

02/20/2021

All smiles and sun at day one of Winter Dressage 1 here at Thermal! Terri Rocovich’s Uiver was the consummate professional, bringing in a 65% at PSG with Kate Sulzbach in the tack. This gelding is proof some things definitely do get better with age. #customsaddlery #hygainfeedus #profchoice

01/01/2021

Happy 30th Birthday to Brentina, Ridden by Debbie McDonald to 1st American World Cup Champion

As we put 2020 behind us, an uplifting story about our in house celebrity. Thank you Debbie McDonald for sharing her with us.

Brentina is officially 30 years old Friday, living in retirement 17 years after being ridden by Debbie McDonald to become the first American World Cup champion

12/02/2020

Just like that “No Stirrups November” is wrapped! Our Jrs really got into the spirit( hopefully inspiring some of our adults for next year😉) with the help of Kelly Thoits our Developing Rider Coordinator. Those stars didn’t come easy, the girls will tell you, but everyone came away a stronger rider for it! Congratulations on your efforts girls🎉🦾

11/15/2020

When the Pony Clubbers need to brush up on anatomy and you have a saint masquerading as a school pony..🦄

11/12/2020

A little late, but what a weekend for the team at Santa Barbara CDS! We were super excited to try out the new footing and arenas-and they did not disappoint. Jessica Allsup’s Blue Lightning made his dressage show debut with a respectable 68% at First Level 3 in the open ring. Aleja Lopez piloted Matilda to a high score of 70% at First 3 in her Jr/Yr division, taking blue ribbons both days. Ava Johnson and Facile also had a personal best of 70.8% in Training 2 Jr/Yr finishing the weekend with a blue as well. Finally, rounding out our team was Chloe Giannetto on Izzy both of whom nailed their first recognized dressage show with a high score of 68.2% at Training 3. Oh, and another blue ribbon! Thank you to all the parents and show staff, Team Irons couldn’t have asked for a better weekend🦄
#customsaddlery #hygainfeedus #sbcds

10/21/2020

I DID NOT KNOW...

I did not know a horse could bring people into your life that end up meaning the most to you.

I did not know a horse could make the hardest days of your life bearable.

I did not know a horse could teach you to put others first.

I did not know a horse could remind you time and time again that your gut is always right.

I did not know a horse could break your heart.

I did not know a horse could pick you up when you have fallen apart.

I did not know a horse could teach you to dream again, after you thought it was not possible.

I did not know a horse could make you believe in yourself.

I did not know a horse could teach responsibility, work ethic, and dedication.

I did not know a horse could make you believe in something when no one else does.

I did not know a horse could make you learn to forgive and forget.

I did not know a horse could humble you faster than you can say humble.

I did not know a horse could make you a winner.

I did not know a horse could also teach you how to lose gracefully.

I did not know a horse could instill patience in you.

I did not know a horse could make you listen better.

I did not know a horse could give you their heart.

I did not know a horse could change your life.

I did not know a horse could do all these things...
but now I know.

🐴 Written by Alissa Kelly