Integrity Equestrian

I know I’m a day late but happy new year and happy birthday to all JC registered thoroughbreds!

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀?

Because every “neat” moment you see in the ring - the clean flying change, the tidy rollback, the effortless distance - is built on a mountain of basics: rhythm, balance, straightness, clarity, repetition, and trust.

The real magic lives in the base of the pyramid - not the shiny bit at the top.

Advanced work only works when the foundations feel solid, repeatable, and understood by both horse and rider.
And that’s exactly what creates the horses who are genuinely 𝘧𝘶𝘯 to ride… the ones who jump easily, land balanced, turn like a dream, and both accelerate and wait when you ask.

So yes, I love riding the advanced stuff too.
But I love the basics more - 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦.

Happy Mothers Day to all moms, but especially to barn moms. And especially happy Mother’s Day to my mom, without whom Integrity Equestrian would not be possible, whose steadfast support empowered me to chase my dreams, and who put aside her own equestrian goals and dreams in favor of fostering mine. It’s a privilege and a pleasure to watch you enjoy your horse to the fullest now, even though it’s from afar ❤️ Jessica Hasemann

I love horses in winter, I love horses in winter, I love horses in winter

Saying goodbye to 2024 and preparing to welcome in 2025. 2024 has seen a lot of changes:
- Joker and I entered our first “real dressage” show and we’re going to work to make 1st level solid and possibly begin work on 2nd level in 2025
- Paladin hit 4 years old and got VERY big for his britches. Looking forward to his 5 year old year as he continues to develop into a fabulous horse
- I purchased two phenomenal saddles from Lorri Hart and saw the immediate impact of a custom-fitted saddle
- I received some medical diagnoses that explained so much of the difficulties I’ve been experiencing for my entire life, and I’m now better able to find adaptations that help me do what I love
- I met some amazing new families
- I saw so much growth in my long-term students
- I had some fun and fabulous horsey adventures with my fun and fabulous horsey friends
- I scaled back my lesson program to make room for my family therapy clinical internship

In 2025 I am so excited to meet more horse-crazy people, continue growing with my students and horses, and I should be stepping from my graduate intern status into associate licensure around my expected graduation date in June ❤️
2024, it’s been real, it’s been fun, it’s been real fun.

14 Texas Horses Test Positive for EIA Fourteen horses in Texas, located in Harris, Webb, and Nacogdoches counties, have tested positive for EIA.

My favorite thing about my barn is that it is full of kids who are kind, compassionate, and excited to be there— kids who are raised by parents who are kind, compassionate, and invested in raising their children to be good sportsmen, good horsemen, and just plain good people ❤️

Parents, Let's Model Good Sportsmanship - The Chronicle of the Horse Sure, it’s easy to pass the buck, put the burden on trainers, social media, other kids, you name it—but sportsmanship starts with parents. As a mom, it’s my responsibility to guide my young riders and hold them accountable. 

I read a theory about why so many riders lack a deep command of basics, and it was explained like this---

Correct basics are hard to master because there is an enormous amount of repetition involved, and if someone has tried something hundreds, possibly thousands of times, and still can’t do it, it is easy for the person to conclude that he/she is taking on an impossible challenge.

In his book “Mastery,” George Leonard wrote that on the quest to become good, there will be long stretches of “seeming non-improvement.”

Like watching grass grow, change is happening, but so slowly that it can’t be measured daily, weekly, or even monthly. But at some point, for those who stick with it, “suddenly” they can do things that before they couldn’t do.

The issue is giving up in frustration before putting in those many many many many months of practice.

That is ONE theory. I am sure there are many others, but this one does ring true.

9 Facts About Perfectionism: A mindset that must be unlearned or will ultimately bring your riding down 🧠

1. Every rider makes mistakes, even the best of the best.
It’s an unavoidable, universal experience and all a part of the sport.

2. Mistakes are learning opportunities.
You can grow from them and become better because of them.

3. Hyper-focusing on mistakes helps them happen.
They both become a self-fulfilling prophecy and take your focus away from your ride.

4. Mistakes mean you’re on the right track.
You can’t improve, learn, overcome challenges, and level up without them.

5. It’s not what happened but how you move forward from it that matters the most.
Moving on from the mistake matters more than the mistake itself.

6. Mistakes are temporary.
Work to fix and put them in the past instead of dwelling and allowing them to stick around.

7. Mistakes don’t define you.
You may have had a bad ride, but that doesn’t mean you’re a bad rider.

8. Social media only shows highlights.
Everyone is struggling whether they post about it or not.

9. Perfect doesn’t exist.
It’s impossible to meet unattainable expectations.

A perfectionist mindset and a lack of an ability to accept mistakes will do much more harm than good for an athlete’s mental performance. Mistakes are a normal part of sport and life. Everyone makes mistakes no matter how talented of an athlete they may be. Since perfect doesn’t exist, holding yourself to an unrealistic standard will only set you up for disappointment every ride. Instead, give yourself permission to make mistakes, using them to your advantage by viewing them as valuable feedback and learning opportunities. Refer to this post whenever you begin to feel hard on yourself, and remember that you are not alone! 🏇🏽💭✨
www.mindalignperformance.com