Sunlands Stables

20/03/2026

To maintain correct balance, we need to ride with our head up and our eyes forward. When your eyes are down, your horse can feel that your balance is more forward over their horse's forehand.

This might seem like a minor issue, but it will put your horse onto their forehand. When a rider's eyes go down, their head, that weighs an average of 15 pounds (7 kg), goes down and forward. When this happens the rider's shoulders typically begin to close. All of this together can cause a horse to fall onto their forehand.

The fact that the rider's head is at the top of the rider's body creates an effective where the upper body acts as a lever that multiplies the forward weight of the rider's head and shoulders, which can significantly affect the horse's balance onto the forehand.

When a horse becomes heavy on the forehand, upward and downward transitions become more difficult for the horse because this imbalance interferes with your horse's ability to engage their hind to reach under themselves for a correct transition. The same is true in lead changes. A rider's weight more over the forehand from eyes being down, even a little bit, makes all movements that depend on hind engagement more difficult for the horse.

Looking down also makes it more difficult to develop rider "feel". To develop "feel" a rider must be centered in unity with their horse's balance. Weight forward, ahead of the horse's center of balance, creates an obstacle to feeling the horse's balance.

If you have to look down for a reason, move your eyeballs, not your head. If you consistently keep your head up and your shoulders open, many improvements will follow. You will sit the canter better because your head and neck position will no longer interfere with your hips swinging to the beats of the canter. Keeping eyes up is simple and fixes a lot of common issues.

19/03/2026

A moment to recognise a love of the sport.

Madi wanted to be involved where she could while she could ride for a short time. Learning to lead and work with her pony on the ground over the last year has turned them into a winning combination.

SANESA Feb26 - 1st inhand Utility
HORSE OF THE YEAR - 1st Open inhand Utility
SANESA March26 - 1st inhand Utility

Well done Madi and Snowflake

18/03/2026

Fantastic results from the last two SANESA shows for Jani and Lordy.

Lordy is enjoying the change back to jumping with a 1st and 2nd place last month and a 3rd and 6th place last weekend in some competitive classes!

We are increadibly proud of the professional riding from this new partnership.

27/02/2026

Learning how to do it correctly early on is so important.
Learn to ride with the basics and horsemanship done right ✅️

Make Them Carry Their Saddle

A father of a sweet young rider said to me recently that he wished his daughter could just ride more — without having to do the catching, grooming, and saddling. I smiled as I explained something important.

Riding horses isn’t just sitting in a saddle. It’s strength, timing, balance, and awareness. And the truth is, many kids today simply aren’t developing real physical strength unless they are consistently training several times a week.

When a child walks out into the field to catch their horse, they’re doing more than a chore. They’re leaving behind fluorescent lights and screens. They’re breathing fresh air. They’re letting the sun warm their skin. Walking across uneven ground strengthens their legs and core in ways a gym never could.

When they groom their horse — especially when currying — they’re toning their arms and learning to stabilize through their center.

When they carry their saddle, they’re strengthening their arms, chest, and back. It’s functional, meaningful strength.

And beyond the physical benefits, something even deeper happens.

Horses quiet the mind. They reflect our emotions. They feel our heartbeat. They teach presence, empathy, and self-control. After a lesson, riders are physically tired — but mentally calm and centered.

Posting the trot burns calories similar to a slow jog. Riding large, powerful, sometimes unpredictable animals builds resilience and courage. It stretches comfort zones and raises expectations.

Working with horses is so much more than learning how to ride.

So parents — let them carry their saddles. Let them do the hard parts. Don’t take those moments away from them. In the long run, doing it for them weakens them. To grow as riders, they must grow stronger — physically and mentally.

You can support them by lifting them higher, not by removing the weight that builds them.

I love having you all at the farm and am deeply grateful to share these remarkable animals with you.

— Hannah Campbell Zapletal

19/02/2026

This is whats called an “Outrider” they es**rt the race horses at the races. This 4yr old filly broke away at the start gate dumping her jockey, the outrider accelerated and caught the filly before she could harm herself or others. The Outrider is mounted on a Quarter Horse, a horse with the fastest explosion of speed over a quarter mile !

19/02/2026

Heidi's smile says it all

11/02/2026

26/01/2026

01/01/2026

The sky is the limit

20/12/2025

As Margie Goldstein-Engle looks across today’s show rings, she sees a sport that has changed dramatically since she first started riding. Horses are bred with more blood and sensitivity, courses have become more technical, and young riders are climbing the ranks faster than ever. But there’s one thing missing that worries her—the pipeline of riders willing to bring along young horses.

“It seems like there are very few that really deal with young horses much anymore, especially in our country,” Margie said. “It’s getting harder and harder to find people who want to do that.”

When Margie turned professional, she built her career from the ground up. “When I was twelve, I started breaking ponies and horses because of my size,” she said. “People would send ponies and horses to the farm for me to break.” That early experience gave her an understanding of horse development that still guides her today.

Now, she worries that new generations of professionals aren’t getting the same education. “Financially, it’s getting more and more difficult to carry horses and pay the showing expenses, shipping, and care,” she said. “Before, there were lots of riders who wanted to bring young horses along. It’s harder to find that now.”

The economic realities of modern horse sport have reshaped how riders build their careers. For many, focusing on made horses in upper divisions is the only sustainable path. Margie understands the pressure but still believes something is lost when riders skip the process of developing a horse from its first jump.

“The sport’s grown so much,” she said. “There are so many more people looking for horses all over the world, and fewer breeders and owners who can afford to keep young horses long enough to develop them. It’s getting more and more difficult.”

That shift, she explained, creates a talent gap. Not just in horses, but in riders. Without time on green or unpredictable mounts, riders lose valuable experience. “The more time you can spend with different horses and horses of all ages, the more knowledge you gain,” she said. “It gives you a lot more tools in your toolbox.”

Riding young horses, Margie explained, teaches lessons that can’t be learned in the show ring alone. “You learn their personalities, their likes and dislikes,” she said. “It helps you develop horse sense.”

That understanding builds the kind of adaptability that’s kept Margie competitive through decades of evolving trends. “The sport is ever evolving,” she said. “You have to try and keep knowledgeable and keep evolving with it. Every new horse teaches me something.”

Margie has seen the shift firsthand. “There are fewer and fewer people who want to help bring the young horses along,” she said. “Everyone wants to go straight into the bigger divisions.”

In earlier generations, working with young horses was part of a natural progression. Riders learned patience, timing, and feel from colts and green mounts before they ever jumped a 1.30m track. Those lessons don’t come easily, or quickly, but Margie believes they create stronger, more intuitive horsemen.

“You develop a broader background when you ride different types of horses,” she said. “The difficult ones make you appreciate the really nice ones that much more.”

To rebuild that foundation, Margie believes the industry needs more opportunities and incentives for riders to work with young horses. Programs that reward patient development, she says, could help restore balance to a system increasingly driven by quick results. To secure the future of show jumping, riders must embrace the slow work again. “Every horse is different,” she said. “They all have different personalities. The more you ride, the more you learn.”

Margie’s own longevity in the sport is proof of the value of that approach. Her ability to adapt, stay current, and produce results stems from decades spent listening to horses, not just riding them. “You can learn even by watching,” she said. “The horses are the best teachers that we have.”

For Margie, the next generation’s success depends on rediscovering that kind of horsemanship. “The more you can ride different horses, the better it is for your knowledge,” she said. “It’ll help you immensely when you go to do the sport, even at the higher level."

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20/12/2025