Seoul Creek Farm

Seoul Creek Farm Hunter/Jumper lessons, training, boarding and showing opportunities in West Bend, Wisconsin.

06/25/2025

EAP clinician and committee member Cynthia Hankins reflects on horsemanship, progress, and the heart of the Emerging Athletes Program in the Letter to Members from the July 2025 issue of In Stride.

Published bimonthly in print and digitally, In Stride is the official publication of the USHJA and a benefit exclusive to members, featuring educational content, member spotlights, and competition coverage from USHJA events nationwide. Read the full article and explore the issue at USHJA.org/InStride!

06/24/2025
06/21/2025

*** LENGTH OF SCHOOLING SESSIONS ***

Following my post from this morning, about Johnnie only working for 15 minutes, as he worked so well, I thought I’d give my opinion on how long horses should be worked for. This is my opinion. It is based on both my experience and understanding as a rider and horsewoman, and my knowledge as an equine vet with 12 years’ experience.

My horses are never, ever, schooled for longer than 30 minutes. This is more than enough time to achieve something, and if you haven’t achieved your goal after 30 minutes, it’s unlikely that you will by plugging on for longer. This 30 minutes includes my warm up, and a couple of short walk breaks.

I haven’t really had lessons for many years, but when I trained with Jennie Loriston-Clarke, and then more recently with Olly Barrs, their lesson times are 40 minutes. This includes warming up and warming down. Frequently, they wouldn’t go on past 30 minutes. Horses learn by repetition, not by grilling them for an hour at a time.

Horses also break easily. They damage ligaments and tendons. Yes, this is often unlucky and frequently caused by a sudden twist in the field. But it’s also frequently caused by too much schooling, especially if the surface is deep, or uneven. Proximal suspensory ligaments are not designed to take the weight of a horse in collected work for hours. Once a PSL is damaged, you are often looking at a lengthy rehab, or surgery to cut the nerve that supplies it (neurectomy). That is not to say that every horse with PSD has been overworked, before I offend anyone!

Horses break more easily when they are tired. A tired horse is more likely to trip, possibly resulting in ligament or tendon damage. Muscle needs some degree of fatigue to condition it, but not to the point of exhaustion.

A horse’s brain also breaks easily. Fatigue can also be mental. Granted, some horses’ brains don’t take much to break, but if a horse becomes stressed or can’t work out what you are asking him that day, then take a 24 hour break, and go for a hack, or just lunge the next day. Or give him a day off.

Most horses will be fit enough for their job, without being ridden 6 days a week. The main issue with lower level competition horses, is that many are fat. Exercise is a great way to get horses to lose weight, true, but not without reducing the amount of grass or hard feed they are receiving. Schooling a fat horse for an hour, will cause joint, tendon, and ligament problems in the long term. Find hills to slowly jog them up, or even walk them up, if you are wanting to exercise more to help with fitness and/or weight loss. Don’t school them more. Trotting endlessly around a flat arena isn’t really going to help with fitness.

If you are going to school, then add plenty of variety. Make sure the horse is working from behind, and not dragging himself along on his forehand. If you don’t enjoy schooling, you will be more inclined to switch off and trot endless 20m circles. So go for a hack first, and then just do ten minutes of intense schooling when you get home. That will keep both human and horse brains fresh!

This is an enormous topic, and it would take me days to cover it all, so this is really a brief summary. Keep schooling sessions short and productive, and if the session is going wrong, take a break!

Photo is of my wonderful Harold, on his lap of honour for winning the Advanced Medium Regionals, to qualify for the National Dressage Championships, a good few years ago now!

Feel free to share.

Thank you Sara Gouthro for getting us summer ready!  Love this and can’t wait to get home and see it in person!
06/20/2025

Thank you Sara Gouthro for getting us summer ready! Love this and can’t wait to get home and see it in person!

06/19/2025

✨You can fake calm with people.
✨You can smile through nerves. Say “I’m fine” when you’re not.
✨But your horse?
They know better.

✨Before your hands ever lift the reins,
before your legs give a cue,
they’ve already felt you.

The tension in your breath.
The doubt behind your focus.
The pressure you’re putting on yourself.
They feel it all — not as judgment, but as information.

✨That’s why the real work isn’t just in your hands or your seat.
✨It’s in your energy.
✨Your presence.
✨Your ability to breathe through the nerves and ride with clarity — not chaos.

🐎So if your horse is acting out,
pause before you correct.
💕Check in with your own state first.
Because what you bring to the saddle is what they ride with.

And the more honest you are with yourself,
the more your horse will trust you.

🐴💭

06/17/2025
When we opened Seoul Creek, we committed to doing community outreach…we committed to giving back…we committed to doing t...
06/11/2025

When we opened Seoul Creek, we committed to doing community outreach…we committed to giving back…we committed to doing things that filled our heart space…

Over the years, we have been “too busy” or “too tired” or simply out of extra but today my heart was filled with joy to share the Farm with all the lovely people from Capri Communities.

Thank you to everyone who showed up and showed off for them! I know the horses appreciated all the extra love and treats.

You get what you give and I needed this extra today 🍀 y’all are welcome back anytime!

Address

1896 County Highway NN
West Bend, WI
53095

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 9pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 9pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 9pm
Thursday 7:30am - 9pm
Friday 7:30am - 9pm
Saturday 7:30am - 6pm
Sunday 7:30am - 5pm

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