Sequoia Hills Stables

02/11/2026

02/09/2026

Really good perspective on developing a young horse

Few things create faster judgment in the show ring than a rail or two. A green horse swaps leads, chips, jumps awkwardly, or leaves a fence behind, and suddenly the verdict feels immediate: not careful, not talented, not good enough.

But according to Sonja Ochadlik, an Ireland-based show jumping rider and young horse producer, that snap judgment is often less about the horse and more about how poorly we understand the development process. “I think these are green mistakes,” she says simply.

Learning to tell the difference between normal learning moments and true warning signs is one of the most important and overlooked skills in producing young horses.

Green horses are, by definition, inexperienced. Yet many riders expect them to perform as if they already understand the job.

“If you want to be involved in this process,” Sonja explains, “there’s going to be some not-pretty video.” That might include swapped leads, inconsistent contact, awkward distances, or rails that fall without an obvious reason. “We might bonk a rail for no reason,” she says. “We might be ending up in a few awkward spots because our rideability isn’t amazing yet.”

None of those moments automatically indicate a lack of ability. More often, they reflect a horse that is still learning how to balance, read a fence, and coordinate its body with a rider.

One of the most damaging assumptions in modern sport is that carefulness shows up early—or it never will. Sonja’s experience tells a different story.

She recalls a horse who had rails in nearly every class as a four- and five-year-old. “Everybody was like, ‘What are you doing with that horse?’” she remembers. The criticism was relentless, but she and her husband stayed the course.

“At six, it clicked,” she says. The horse went on to qualify for major finals, compete internationally, and later jump at a high level. The rails hadn’t been a lack of talent. They were part of a developmental phase.

“I think people forget that horses mature at different rates,” Sonja explains. “Normally by the end of the six-year-old, seven-year-old year, they’re all sort of evening out.”

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/02/05/green-mistakes-vs-red-flags-how-to-read-a-young-horse-more-fairly/
📸 © Heather N. Photography

01/15/2026

𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝑴𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉: 𝑆𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑏𝑦𝑒

"Lizzy Schulz is a UC Davis junior from Marietta, Georgia. A Reiner and horse care captain, she has competed in USEF Medal Finals as well as USHJA Medal Finals and was active in the Georgia Hunter Jumper Association. She is a managerial economics major with a minor in accounting at UC Davis. This is her story."

Read the rest, courtesy of NCEA News: ⬇
http://www.equinechronicle.com/straight-from-the-riders-mouth-saying-the-hardest-goodbye/
Photo courtesy of NCEA.

01/15/2026

UC Davis announced it will downgrade its Division I varsity equestrian team to club sport status in favor of elevating another emerging women's sport to varsity this July.

01/15/2026

DID YOU KNOW?? We offer 24/7 Emergency Services to ALL animals!!

10/22/2025

Lovely mare ready to start her new career!

ROYAL NOVA:
* 2021 Mare, KWPN-NA (Dutch Warmblood)/ USEF
* Sired by Koning DG x Bordeaux
* Prospect for hunter, jumper, equitation and/or dressage
* 16 hands tall

Awards: 2024 KWPN-NA Keuring for 3 year old Hunter Mares.
* National Reserve Champion
* 3rd place in the National Top Ten for the Global Equine Sires Cup.
* Shown at will at the walk, trot, and canter; free jump test to 3’9”.

90 days under saddle - dressage and jumping, spring 2025.

Handled since birth. Features:
* Great disposition, work ethic, and easy to handle
* Amateur friendly
* Loves to jump
* Clips, ties, trailers
* Ready for her career to begin.

For more information, videos, photos and pricing, please contact:
Marily Reese
Sequoia Hills Stables
Woodlake, CA
559-737-8773
[email protected]
www.sequoiahillsstables.com

09/16/2025

❤️ Little girls and horses…
It’s never just a childhood phase.
It’s the start of a foundation for life.

Horses don’t just teach riding.
They teach patience when nothing clicks.
Responsibility when stalls must be cleaned before play.
Grit when a stubborn pony refuses to cooperate.

They show that trust isn’t given...it’s earned.
Through consistency.
Through respect.
Through time.

Every little girl who swings a leg over a horse learns:
Falling doesn’t mean failing.
It means getting up, dusting off, and trying again.

Discipline isn’t punishment...it’s commitment.
Kindness isn’t weakness...it’s strength.
Confidence isn’t being loud....it’s showing up, even when you’re scared.

Horses shape little girls into women who don’t quit when life gets hard.
Women who know sweat and sacrifice come before reward.
Women who carry themselves with grace,
but aren’t afraid to dig in and fight when it matters.

It’s the 6 a.m. feedings.
The cold winter rides.
The tears after tough lessons,
and the laughter after small victories.

It’s brushing a horse in the quiet of the barn,
realizing responsibility never takes a day off.

So yes…
little girls may grow out of braids and pony bows.
But they never outgrow the lessons their horses taught them.

And maybe that’s the greatest gift of all.
❤️ Michelle Knutson | Born In The Barn

05/22/2025

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