Symphony Equestrian, LLC

Congratulations to student Delphine on the purchase of her very first horse! “Watchmaker” aka Thali is settling into the farm beautifully, and the pair had a wonderful first lesson tonight. I am so excited to watch this partnership grow!

We took four horses and riders to Full Moon Farm’s starter trial on Friday, and had a great time despite the heat! Tempo led the BN/N hybrid division from start to finish, and is looking forward to a Novice move up next weekend. Emily and Tiki were third in the same division and are moving up next weekend as well! Reanna and Flip had a great ride on the flat to lead their BN/St division, and are working hard this week to iron out the jumping before taking another crack at it next week. Finally, Gigi and King got another great horse trial under their belts, finishing on their dressage score in a big starter division to end in 6th place. They are working hard on the flatwork and I can’t wait to see how competitive they become as that continues to improve! Thanks to Full Moon, their organizers, staff and volunteers, for running such a friendly event, and to Erin Gilmore Photography for the fantastic images.

Some days horse showing is super fun… and some days, you feel like a drowned rat and just try to survive! Despite the torrential rains today, we had some good educational rounds at A Jump Above. Kelly/Khan, Emma/Sadie, and Emily D/Marv jumped around the 2’3” and showed good improvements from last time. Charlee/Luigi and Gigi/King both jumped around the BN, overcoming some scary fill to continue building confidence in their horses. Emily P/Tiki and Reanna/Flip jumped around the novice, with good bold rides to prep for their next horse trial. Finally, I rode Emily’s Street Hockey around the 2’3” and my own Tempo around the novice, and am very pleased with both of their efforts.

Showing in the sheeting rain is tough on horses and riders, and I am very proud of how my students stepped up and rode their best despite the conditions. I see more confidence and maturity with each outing, and await bright futures for these pairs. We are also incredibly appreciative of AJA for cheerfully running in the rain, and Kira and Beth of Topeka Custom Design & Photo for getting drenched to capture these amazing photos for us. Let’s turn on the sun next time!

Emily and Winnie had a fantastic time tonight representing Symphony Equestrian at AJA’s Jump to the Stars! I am so proud of these two and the partnership they have built together. We also enjoyed a fun tailgate with some of the rest of the team while we watched the other classes. It’s always a nice treat to hang out outside of the barn!

Thanks Topeka Custom Design & Photo and Jessica Duffy for the fantastic images!

No stirrup Saturday! Or is it Wednesday? I encourage riders to spend a little time each week practicing without their stirrups- it’s much friendlier to horse and human than long sessions, and working without stirrups is important for developing good balance and strong legs. How often do you drop your stirrups?

📸Topeka Custom Design & Photo

Does your cross country school come with your own personal paparazzi? Just us? Well, that’s one way to make the girls feel special! ✨

Symphony Equestrian is proud to be sponsored by Topeka Custom Design & Photo, and we are so grateful for everything Kira and her team do for us. Emily DeWind spent Friday with us, documenting a great morning schooling at The Maryland Horse Trials as we prepare for our fall season. The riding was good, the horses were great, and the incredible photo memories are the icing on the cake.

Thanks to everyone who makes it possible for us to do what we do!
K.P. Farrier Services
Forestier Sellier USA

I am so grateful to be sponsored by Forestier Sellier USA. I care deeply about the comfort of my horses, and the difference my horses show while wearing these saddles- better work through their backs, increased willingness to move forward, and beautiful muscle growth over the topline- speaks for itself. The balance and comfort that I personally experience gives me confidence knowing that I am working with my horses, not against them. If your saddle isn’t serving you AND your horse, I highly encourage you to make a change and check them out!

📸Topeka Custom Design & Photo

We had a great time on Tuesday, practicing our show jumping at Enduhring Farm! It was a great low key environment for building confidence, testing new tack setups, and moving up, with great footing and a fun course. Kelly/Khan, Toree/Peppy, Jess/Regan, Gigi/King, Emily/Tiki, and Jess/Tempo all came away with smiles! We will definitely be adding this to our rotation for the future.

Thanks Revelry Media for capturing the moments!

Happy July! I’ve been so behind on updating things, so please enjoy this recap of the past month…

We had a great outing at Hunt Club Farms in June, with Emma/Sadie and Gigi/King both moving up to starter. They both had fantastic days and are well set up for the rest of the season! Reanna and Flip had their best showing yet in starter, with just one “oops” moment on XC keeping them out of the ribbons. Katura/Regan and Emily/Tiki both had great double clear rounds in the BN, with Katura taking home a close 2nd place, and Emily/Winnie rounded out the day with a good ride in the novice, adding just 4 in the SJ to their score.

We have been enjoying the CDCTA dressage shows, with Emily/Ovi, Ashley/Mozart, Winnie and Tempo attending the last show. We love this local series to get great feedback and keep getting the young ones out and about!

Finally, we enjoyed a hot but fun day at A Jump Above today. We had a big crew of riders in the 2’3”, with Emma/Sadie, Gigi/King, Emily/Marv, Kelly/Khan, Reanna/Flip, and Charlee/Luigi having some great rounds. Reanna and Charlee also had good rounds in the BN, and Tempo enjoyed an easy skip around the BN as well. Rounding out the day was Emily P/Tiki in the BN and N, and Emily D/Winnie in the novice and training, both looking ahead to more fun this season. We love attending this series so much- even when it’s 90 degrees!

Not pictured, but also notable, have been lots of XC schooling trips, fun group jumps, and a lot of early morning flat lessons to beat the heat. I am immensely proud of how hard my students have been working and the incredible improvements they and their horses have been showing! I am so fortunate to have such a fantastic group of students and horses to work with every day.

📸the incredible Topeka Custom Design & Photo and SDH Photography

We had a fun (and rainy and humid!) day at A Jump Above today! With riders ranging from ground poles to Training, it was a long day but always a good time. Ashley and Mozart had a great first outing of the year, with placings in the ground poles and crossrails. Emily had two rides in the small ring, with Meadow taking a crack at the 18” and Marv in the 2’3”. Down in the big ring, Charlee and Luigi had a great time at their first proper jumper show, with two clean rounds in the 2’3” and only a steering error keeping them out of the ribbons. Reanna and Flip got their first outing underway as well in the 2’3”, and are looking forward to a fun season! I rode Kira’s Pepperbox around the 2’3” and Flip around the BN, with good educational rounds for both of them. Finally, Emily’s third ride was Winnie in the novice and training, placing in both with good clear rounds.

It’s been a slow start to the season but we are finally feeling well underway and looking forward to what comes next! Thanks to AJA for putting on a fantastic show as always, and for working so hard to provide good courses and great footing even after four days of straight rain. Huge thanks to our photo sponsor, Topeka Custom Design & Photo, for the incredible photos, and to SDH Photography for helping capture these memories!