Different Times Equestrian Ventures

08/23/2025

So true 🤣

08/12/2025

HANDS DO NOT PULL BACK - HAVE "FEELING FINGERS"

Remember, you are holding a piece of metal that's inside your horse's mouth. If you pull back on the reins or jiggle your hands around, your horse will likely shorten his neck, stiffen through his back, hollow away from your seat, lift his head above the bit, and/or come against/behind the contact.

Pulling back on the reins can also encourage your horse to get stronger in the contact, as he, too, will pull against the pressure. This often leads to a tug-of-war scenario that sends many riders down the rabbit hole of using stronger rein aids and bits.

The rein length should be held by your thumb pressing on top of your index finger. The rest of your fingers should be light and supple so you can give subtle communication aids down the reins. If your fingers are gripping the reins tightly, then any light communication down the rein will be blocked. Therefore, if you want to give your horse an aid, you will need to grip even tighter or pull backward on the reins, which is not good.

Keep your elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers supple, and allow them to "breathe" with your horse's movement, rather than remaining fixed and rigid. The aim is to have "feeling fingers" which open and close to give your horse the required aids. It may only be a slight movement, but trust us, your horse can feel it.

08/11/2025

Thanks to Sue and everyone at Horse Amour for holding another schooling horse trial today! It was a great opportunity to get our green horses (and greener riders?!?! Lol) out and about.

08/09/2025

We had a really good clinic today with Jerry Schurink out at Centerline Farm. Really productive, lots of good feedback, and sweaty and gross. Lol

07/26/2025

Spent the day down at the Millbrook 3 Day Event. Admittedly, I had a little more fun at my adult ammy's expense than I probably should have, but oh well..... lol. (See the smile on ronnie's face? That's the smile that say 'no way am I doing THIS!!!!'l

07/15/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1JAu6sy9M7/

Training Tip Tuesday - This exercise is a great way to lift the horse's shoulder especially in the canter transition and canter circle. Begin by riding a 10 meter circle in the corner, then track down centerline and leg yield to the rail. Upon reaching the rail, begin a shoulder in for a few strides before asking for a canter transition.

When done correctly, you will feel that the horse is well balanced and upright stepping well under it's center of gravity. Continue riding a shoulder fore (less angle than the shoulder in) on the 20 meter canter circle to maintain the horse's balance, lift and engagement.

In addition to lifting the shoulders and engaging the hindquarter, these exercises are great for suppleness, increasing the responsiveness to the inside leg, acceptance of the outside rein and creating straightness. This will also help to increase impulsion and the carrying capacity of the hindquarter.

You could also use variations of walk to trot and walk to canter in these exercises. The complete exercise could also be ridden in canter if the horse was far enough along in his training.

07/13/2025

Thanks to amanda and her staff at North Country Horses for putting on today's horse show! Both Hero and Spitfire's rider were moving up today, and both had a good day! And even better, we were done at a reasonable hour *without* melting into puddles of goo

05/31/2025

*cough*circle*cough*

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B94kmgk1d/

05/04/2025

Welp, it's been a day! Taco and Hero had a successful 2025 dressage debut at Riding Right! Very proud of the boys. And then we had our first jump school of the year back at home, and while the rain kept us out of the outdoor, working in the indoor in larger groups than normal made everyone think a bit more. And there was definite improvement at the end of the rides. Overall, I was pretty happy with everyone today! Now, about this weather...... 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

04/28/2025

AND....... the 2025 show season is upon us! And the DTEV riders started off with a solid first show at North Country Horses! It was a first show for 2 of the horses, a first show for 1 of our riders, a new horse & rider combo and another rider in a brand new division! All in all, ill call it a good day. ;)

04/16/2025

I shouldn't have to say this to adults and teens, however, apparently I do. I supply a LOT of equipment for people to use. I normally don't mind it in the slightest. But when things are left out or get broken and not replaced - or when I'm not even TOLD that something has been broken- it starts to irk me. Stuff isn't cheap. A simple cross tie is $20 at Dover. I expect SOME wear and tear, sure. But I DONT expect to walk into the indoor and find my long lines tossed on a chair, tangled and knotted. So, if you would like to continue with the privilege of using my stuff, just do me the favor of putting it back how you found it. I promise, you didn't find my long lines like this

04/05/2025

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣