The Chase

11/22/2025

A young boy and his unicorn.

11/15/2025

This is our philosophy at The Chase.

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Horses don’t ask for the lives that we give them.

In fact, they don’t have any say.

They’re at the mercy of the life humans decide for them.

Their access to socialization with other horses, freedom to move, access to forage… all determined by their caretaker.

The horse’s world exists within the parameters of what people allow for them.

Humans hold the keys to the quality of the life that horses have access to.

We shouldn’t squander that responsibility.

Allow your horse freedom to move.

Allow them to build friendships with other horses.

Let them feel the sun on their back.

Let them get muddy.

Don’t opt for painful equipment, even if they’re being difficult.

Give them the benefit of the doubt and ask yourself WHY they are behaving that way — it isn’t just for no reason.

Offer your horse a full life, make sure it’s a life worth living.

A life with no autonomy is no life at all.

11/05/2025

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These days, everybody seems to have grooms, but “R” judge and trainer Geoff Case thinks many riders are missing the quiet time spent simply doing for their horses. “Horsemanship doesn’t just happen in the saddle,” he said. “It’s everything you do around the horse that teaches you who they are.”

Case believes that the best riders, the ones who seem effortlessly in sync with their mounts, aren’t just great athletes. They’re great caretakers.

Case came up in a generation where riders did everything—groomed, bathed, wrapped, and tacked up their own horses. He still believes those habits are the foundation of success. “When you groom your horse, you start noticing things,” he said. “You feel the muscle tone. You feel if something’s tight. You learn their reactions.”

That kind of attention builds awareness and empathy, two things that can’t be taught in a lesson. “If you only ever show up to get on, you’re missing half the education,” he said. “It’s in the details. How they stand, how they breathe, how they look at you when you walk up with the halter.”

He encourages his students to spend as much time on the ground as they do in the saddle. “The more you do yourself, the more connected you are,” he said. “You start riding differently because you understand who’s under you.”

Case recalled working with Peter Wylde, who won the World Championship and an Olympic gold medal, but still did all his own care. “Peter was the perfect example,” Case said. “He could have had ten grooms if he wanted, but he still groomed, tacked, cooled out—everything. He knew every bump on those horses.”

That level of attention was about pride and partnership. “Peter didn’t separate the care from the riding,” Case said. “He knew they were part of the same thing.”

For Case, that mindset is what defines real horsemanship. “When you spend time doing the basics yourself, you stop thinking of the horse as a piece of equipment,” he said. “You start thinking of them as your teammate.”

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/11/03/why-doing-the-basics-yourself-builds-better-riders/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

05/21/2025

And that's the long and short of it.

01/05/2025

It was a good year for The Chase, with our riders winning numerous year-end awards at the OHJA banquet. Congrats to Jilly Barnett, Izzy Tegtmeyer, Kaia Wagner, Kindy Pool, and Sarina Farhangi. Good Luck in 2025.

01/05/2025

The 2024 show season was a good one for The Chase with multiple year end awards earned by our horses and riders. Congratulations to Jilly Barnett, Izzy Tegtmeyer, Kaia Wagner, Kindy Pool, and Sarina Farhangi. Best of luck in 2025.

11/29/2024

Thanksgiving dinner at The Chase

11/06/2024

Spontaneous Combustion. This is perfect example of why you don't stack wet hay in a barn.

11/01/2024

I am a lesson horse.
I am a horse that isn’t as recognized as the top hunter jumpers, the best western pleasure horse, or the 1D barrel horse, I am a lesson horse. I am the backbone of the foundation to do all of those things. I am a lesson horse.

I am not loved by one person. I am loved by several people. I don’t have my person, I have my people. I am a lesson horse.

I will teach your child and yourself more than just to ride. I will bring your child out of their shell. I will teach your child about life. I will be yours and their shoulder to cry on. I am a lesson horse.

I will bring my family the joy of teaching kids. I will bring my families business growth. I am so loved by my family, even if they don’t express it everyday. My family allows others to show me love and enjoy me. I am a lesson horse.

At the end of your childs’ journey on a lesson horse, they will out grow me. They will find one that jumps higher, a horse that is show quality, a horse much faster than me. But, I will never outgrow being a lesson horse. I will be the one that loved your child and helped your child grow into the rider and person they are. I am a lesson horse.

At the end of my time as a lesson horse; I will be covered in grey hair. Each grey hair came from each hour I spent as a lesson horse. I will be in a field of green grass, I will be taken care of as I was when I was a lesson horse. I will watch your child from across the pasture love her new horse. But, I will love your child more than any horse can. I will be the backbone of the business, the family, and your child. Don’t forget about me, I am a lesson horse.

I am a lesson horse.
*stolen from a friend *

Shared by Barn Mom
Triple L Ranch LLC 🥰🦄🎉

10/27/2024

Well, there goes summer.

10/24/2024

"You're a trainer", they said, "Have patience".

10/22/2024

This is not what we teach at The Chase . . but it's pretty cool.