M&K Equestrian Center

Have a nice project mare coming available this week. More info and photos to come.
16 year old grade bay mare. QH/Frisian cross. Nice bone. Around 16 hands. Not fancy broke.

A lesson once a week won’t change your riding.

Applying that lesson the other six days might.

As a trainer, my job is to explain, demonstrate, and help riders understand what needs to change. But the riders who make the biggest improvements are almost always the ones who go home and intentionally work on those things ride after ride.

Not once.
Not twice.
Not until it gets frustrating.

Until it becomes a habit.

The truth is that progress is usually built through repetition. The lesson points you in the right direction, but the consistency afterward is what creates results.

What skill took you the longest to turn from something you had to think about into something that became second nature?

We have Chenoweth Equine Dentistry coming Tuesday October 13. We have availability for haul ins. This will be with Jeremy. Please message us if you would like a spot.

Things your riding instructor wants you to know:
1. This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.

2. You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…

3. You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..

4. This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.

5. EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...

6. Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.

7. You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.

8. Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.

9. We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.

📝 Kimberley Reynolds

📸 Max & Maxwell: Equestrian Photography

For most horse owners, the barn is their happy place. The place they go to take a deep breath, spend some time with their horse, and catch up with their barn friends.

While the barn can act as an escape from day-to-day obligations and chores, it’s important to remember that there is a whole staff behind keeping the barn a clean, functional place so that you and your horse are able to spend time together and enjoy each other’s company.

While barn staff doesn’t expect riders and boarders to chip in on the big things, like blowing the aisle or dragging the arena, small things can add up, and are much appreciated! Take a look at our list of “little thing” that make all the difference.

Sweep Up After Your Horse: Did you pick your horse’s feet out in the aisle? What about if you clipped your horse and now there is hair everywhere? A quick sweep will clear the aisle and make work for staff a little easier.

Close The Gates: When you take your horse in from the paddock, make sure you close and secure the gate behind you. When gates aren’t secure they are more likely to break, which can be a costly expense for a barn owner.

Leave Things Where You Found Them: This applies not only to any items that you use around the barn, but also to any open or closed doors. Remember, there is always a reason for the way things are at the barn so yes, you have to put those scissors back in the same spot!

Make Sure You Put Your Things Away: Whether it’s tack, brushes, or your boots, make sure that you put away all of your items before leaving the barn.

Fold Your Blankets Neatly: There’s not much worse than stuffed blankets in front of a stall. Neatly fold your blankets and sheets before hanging on your horse’s stall. Don’t know how to fold a blanket? Just ask!

Turn The Lights Off: When you’re the last one leaving the barn or arena, make sure you shut the lights off. It’s also important to really make sure you need the lights on. If there’s natural light, maybe think twice! Electricity bills add up fast.

And For Goodness Sake…Pick Up Your Horse’s Manure!: …I don’t think we need an explanation for this one.

Next time you’re at the barn, keep this list in mind. Chances are that just by doing one of these “little things”, you will make your barn staff’s day!

📎 Save and share this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2023/06/19/respecting-the-rules-its-the-little-things/

Since everyone who participated in the last quiz, seemed to have so much fun.
Here is another one….
Who knows what a horses:
1. RESTING heart rate should be?
2. Respiration rate?
3. CRT(Capillary refill time) ?
4. Pulse?
And where do we check on our horses to find this info?

In light of the severe weather coming tomorrow. While I ARE in direct line with storms. We do have shelter available for horses. I have a few stalls available.
No guarantees we won’t get hit as well. But we have shelter

For those that played along yesterday! If you said 3 horses. You are absolutely right!
For those that think they knew who they were. The correct answers are
1. Darryl
2.Fozzy
3.Jackson
Darryl and Jackson when in full fly gear, can be very hard to tell apart in a pinch. Throw Fozzy, Who while dark, is a different color all together in the mix. And people that occasionally come when horses are up at the fence can get him mixed up in these 3 as well.
We keep it easy for Darryl and Jackson’s distinguishment.
1 has a mane. 1 does not