Ponder's Western Riding Lessons

10/29/2026

10/28/2026

One thing I try to make room for in my lessons is a little extra time to simply enjoy the horse. Whether that’s walking around ba****ck, spending a little extra time together, or just having the opportunity to experience the horse outside of a structured lesson, I think those moments have their own value. Because sometimes, those are the moments when the unexpected happens. And while we can’t plan for every situation, we can use those experiences as opportunities to learn.

As an instructor, I want my students to develop more than riding skills. I want them to develop confidence, awareness, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work through unexpected situations with their horse. I want them to understand that horsemanship isn’t just about knowing what to do when everything goes right. It’s also about learning how to respond when things don’t go as planned. And when those moments happen, I’m right there with them. We talk through what happened, work through the situation together, and take something meaningful away from the experience.

Sometimes, the most valuable part of a lesson isn’t how much information we covered or how many new skills we practiced. It’s watching a student work through something unexpected and walk away with a little more confidence in themselves and their abilities than they had before. At the end of the day, my goal isn’t just to teach someone how to ride a horse. It’s to help them become a more capable, confident, and knowledgeable horseperson. And sometimes, the lessons that stay with us the longest are the ones we never planned.

10/28/2026

🐴 Miss Ponder’s been keeping busy with educational opportunities this fall! 🦴⛑️I’m SO excited to attend one of my most anticipated clinics of the year! It directly relates to the work we do at Happy Trails Farm as a rescue, along with just owning large animals in general. It’s free and if you own a horse - GO!

A frightened 1,000-pound horse doesn't understand that the people approaching are there to help.

That is just one of the challenges responders face during a large-animal emergency.

Whether an animal is trapped, involved in a transportation accident, unable to get up or needs to be safely moved, rescuers have to consider much more than the physical rescue itself. They also need to understand animal behavior, stress responses, handling and restraint.

On November 7, the Fire Service Institute will deliver Large Animal Rescue Operations at Midway Trailer Sales of Litchfield

The course provides specialized information and techniques for responding to emergencies involving horses and other large animals.

Hosted by the Horsemen’s Council of Illinois and Midway Trailer Sales and Service.

📅 November 7 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
📍 18292 E. Frontage Rd., Litchfield, ILLitchfield, IL

Space is limited. Registration is HIGHLY encouraged

👉 REGISTER HERE: https://hci.wildapricot.org/event-6865086

10/27/2026

♥️ Happy birthday to the farm!

🎈🎂🧁🍰Today is Happy Trails Farm’s 19th birthday! 🎉🥳🎉🎂🎁

If you can, help us celebrate by donating $19! 🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

Thank you in advance for helping us in our efforts to rescue animals!

10/12/2026

Back home, back to the horses, and ready to get back into our usual routine! As important as it is to keep learning, growing, and building our knowledge, it’s just as important to take a step back, recharge, and allow ourselves and our animals the time to rest. 💚

Growth doesn’t always happen when we’re actively working. Sometimes, the time spent resting and simply enjoying life is just as valuable as the time spent learning. Coming back refreshed allows us to show up better for ourselves, our horses, and the people we share our knowledge with. I’m feeling revived and excited to get back to learning, teaching, and continuing to spread knowledge about horsemanship and the wonderful animals who make it all possible! 🐴

Whether you’re brand new to horses or looking to continue building your knowledge and confidence, there’s always something new to learn and room to grow. Message the page today for more information!

10/03/2026

Tomorrow is the last open day of the season! Come join us 🤠

TOMORROW!!!!
Join us at Happy Trails Farm tomorrow from noon until 5pm for the farm’s last open day of the season!
Enjoy the peace of farm life and the joy of interacting with our animals.
Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated, and some activities cost (cash only).
So grab the family and we’ll see you on the farm!

10/03/2026

Stuff can go wrong. Oh boy can it go wrong

If you’re around horses, it’s not a matter of if, but when.

But whether or not you learn from them, or become a victim of circumstance and chance is totally up to you.

The moments after a wreck or accident matter. Once you’ve all regrouped, attended to what needs attending to - injuries, repairs, some deep breathing - it’s time to take stock in what happened.

There are SOME freak accidents, but most could have prevented. Could’ve would’ve should’ve is actually helpful when trying to learn from a situation. At this point you have several options: let your pride and embarrassment swallow up any chances of learning and pretend it isn’t in any way your fault, or, become so engrossed in self blame that you are wallowing in pity to the point you can’t move on.

Being that neither one is super helpful, another option is:

Try to remember what happened.
What went wrong? Can you pinpoint an actual moment? Was there a judgement call made that turned out to not be right?

Were there skill sets missing on your part or the horses or those around you?
Were emotions involved? Time constraints? Social pressures?

What regrets do you now have that can help move you forward in a positive direction?

I find guilt to not be super productive because of its close association with shame - but some amount allows us to look accurately at what needs to change.

To err is human, to forgive divine -
But forgiving ourselves, I believe, means learning from the mistake so we can prevent it from happening again.

And if possible, make amends with those we failed. Ignorance harms many horses - we can’t avoid making mistakes from ignorance. But we can help those we have from our learning or pay it forward.

My path to education is littered with mistakes. Many very, very preventable that I now can help guide people to avoid. I owe a lot of horses many apologies for my ignorance and sometimes emotional interferences - and I try my best to now pay that forward. I’m sure there will be more, but each time I learn better how to accept my mistake without deflecting blame and trying to make up for it.

It can be pretty hard to be human sometimes. Horses are masters at teaching us how to be the best humans we can be.

Here’s me getting very lucky and learning from one such mistake

09/30/2026