The sport of show jumping is interesting in the sense that it’s not just a sport. It’s also a lifestyle. Horses, in addition to being our teammates, are also animals that require a significant amount of daily attention. We spend so much time caring for our equine athletes, planning and training, traveling to and competing in horse shows, thinking about how we can improve our horses and our performance, worrying about and loving on our animals – the list goes on and on. All that to say – this sport can become all consuming…

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a blog post. Oops! But we’re back and I’m looking forward to talking about one of my favorite things: cross-training! One of the things we focus on in our program is preserving the longevity of the equine athletes in our care. Of course, that’s achieved through a combination of factors, including but not limited to: diet, preventative and proactive veterinary care, supplemental therapies, careful show schedule planning, and a thoughtful approach to building and maintaining fitness. That said, the latter is what I’m excited to talk about today!

You know when you’re a kid and you imagine what it’s like to be 16 and get your driver’s license? Like it seems so far away, and you can’t imagine ever being old enough to drive a car all by yourself, and you think about how different you’ll feel once you reach that milestone? Then all of a sudden when you’re 16 and driving and life carries on as it always has?…

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about this sport and the lessons I’ve learned from it. Lessons I’ve learned from the horses. Lessons I’ve learned from being in the barn. Lessons I’ve learned from being at the horse show. Lessons I’ve learned from the people I met through horses. I credit a lot of who I am to these animals and to this sport…

As the health and wellness space continues to grow, people are beginning to understand that what we put into our bodies comes down to so much more than just calories and macronutrients. Food supplies our bodies with the building blocks and nutrients it needs to either contribute toward health resilience or toward deterioration and dysfunction…

Our sport is a tough one. Day in and day out, we choose to participate in competitions where our partner is another animal – one that has his own good days and bad days, thoughts, and sometimes, agenda. The fact that our partner is another sentient being makes for a huge amount of variables and possibilities for the unpredictable. Add that with the fact that we, as riders, are human, and therefore are subject to experiencing our own ups and downs in the sport, and it can really make things interesting…

Have you, as a rider, ever felt stuck when trying to learn something? Then, one day you miraculously understand how that something is supposed to feel, and all of a sudden you’re better able to replicate it? Or, if you’re a trainer – have you ever had a student who struggles with, say, keeping his lower leg on the horse? And then, you play the “dollar bill game” one day, and all of a sudden he understands where his leg needs to be…

Have you noticed that there’s been a lot of articles written on equine fitness and what type of programs different top riders implement with their horses recently? I love reading these pieces. It’s fascinating to learn what accomplished riders do to build and maintain their horses’ fitness and all that goes in to helping these equine athletes peak at the right time…

Coming up with a name for a business is a big undertaking. It’s a first impression for the business - the initial thing people see or hear. You want it to be unique and memorable - but also relevant. It also can set the tone for the entire brand, serving as the key initial step to creating the ethos you strive to embody as a business, and be a launching point for your logo, branding materials, etc. All that to say – it’s kind of a big deal…