Capitol Farms, Inc.

My favorite of all the pics I've seen so far.

Merry Christmas!

Capitol Farms, Inc. updated their address.

Capitol Farms, Inc. updated their address.

Capitol Farms, Inc. updated their website address.

Capitol Farms, Inc. updated their website address.

Rocky is fitting right in.

Kathryn let's do this tomorrow! Y'know, when we get tired of eating the bonbons.

This was almost me yesterday morning. Only I wasn't in a skirt.

#TripleAmputeeEventer Scores 8.5 on Rider Position in Show Ring Return - Eventing Nation - Three-Day Eventing News, Results, Videos, and Commentary

she scored an 8.5. 8.5, people.

#TripleAmputeeEventer Scores 8.5 on Rider Position in Show Ring Return - Eventing Nation - Three-Day Eventing News, Results, Videos, and Commentary Earlier this year we shared the heart-wrenching yet inspirational story of Jessica Thoma, the 25-year-old Tennessee eventer whose legs and left arm were amputated in January of this year. For all her losses, Jessica’s determination

Capitol Farms, Inc. updated their business hours.

Capitol Farms, Inc. updated their business hours.

Meet Spinalis, the Forgotten Muscle in Saddle Fitting - The Horse's Back

Meet Spinalis, the Forgotten Muscle in Saddle Fitting - The Horse's Back This overlooked muscle is highly involved in the effects of bad saddle fit, as it mobilises and stabilises the base of the neck, deep between the shoulders.

Harter's Hospice Rescue

Harter's Hospice Rescue HHR is a foster home based rescue. We focus on senior and sick dogs but will accept any aged dog. HHR is licensed and a nonprofit and 501c3. We run on public donations

The People's Million

The People's Million The unarmed and neutral White Helmets are being targeted for saving lives in Syria. They've saved over 78,529 lives. Now they need you and me.

So pretty.

Wrong. It's to get the horses out, clean stalls, do the 43 hours of extras and get the horses back in before they start their temper tantrums. The only Starbucks crowd I beat these days is the employees :(

Does anyone have a spare 32" girth sitting around that Julie Simmons could borrow for a few days?

We will be hosting Bryan Lynch of Black Country Saddles this coming Friday and possibly Saturday, May 20-21. Send me your email asap if you're interested in trying some demo saddles!

Subtle Abuse: When Aids Become Weapons.

I've only met maybe one or two horses who were just "bad" - contrary or distracted or stupid or an as***le - and I'm pretty sure that just means I wasn't smart enough to figure out their baggage and try to help them fix it.
They always have a reason. It doesn't matter if you think it's a stupid one or not - if you want them to play your game you'd better figure it out and have a plan to fix it.

Subtle Abuse: When Aids Become Weapons. My client’s mare is lovely; a very well-bred athletic horse. When my client bought her, the previous owner suggested my client get a cowboy to ride her at fir…

Equine Symptomatic Lameness

Equine Symptomatic Lameness Why is my horse lame? Why does he keep stumbling? Why does he seem to trip over his own feet? The horse suffering from back pain or injuries can exhibit symptomatic lameness, which can also manifest as behaviour issues including stubbornness or resistance. When the horse is displaying symptoms of la…

Timeline photos

Nervous horses are hard to ride horses. Hard to ride in that they are too reactive. They may not stand quietly to be mounted. They may not walk calmly. They may escalate the speed at all gaits. They may not handle downward transitions very readily. They may dance sideways in anxiety. They may leap into the canter. They may spook and wheel from all sorts of perceived threats.

It is difficult and frustrating to ride nervous horses. Many riders "fight fire with fire" by getting tense and rigid and abrupt and strong. They will try to force the nervous horse to obey, maybe by lunging and lunging and lunging, or by using stronger bits, or draw reins, or leverage rigs, or by spinning the horse in tight circles, or by withholding food and water, or by tying the horse for hours so that "he can think about what he did wrong."

The reason the horse is nervous is usually either because he is "high" and has pent up energy, or because he is scared from past experiences, or because he is green, and is afraid of new situations, or is in discomfort, or some combination of these. And, I think, some horses are born more nervous than others, and that isn't ever easy.

To try to force a horse to be calm, short of drugging him, is futile, because it is impossible. You can force him to be tired, you can force him to "give in" to draw reins or long shanked bits, but those are not cures, only temporary fixes based on force, and force may well be why he is nervous in the first place.

Most riders are not equipped with either the skills or the patience to deal with highly nervous horses. And some highly nervous horses have been so emotionally damaged that they never recover even when correctly handled.

It seems that the first thing to do, if you are in the situation of having to deal with a highly nervous horse, is to try to determine the source of the nervousness. Is he simply too high, maybe too much confined, fed too much grain, ridden too little?

Is he afraid? If so, afraid of what?

Is he green?

Only when you can figure out the source or sources of the nervousness can you begin to effect some possible cures.

One thing NOT to do is fall back on that anthropomorphic "He is being bad." cop out. Horses are not people. I repeat: Horses are not people. One more time---Horses are not people.

Until you can fully understand that truth, you are not yet ready to train horses.

Absolute Elevation – The Sister To Rollkur

Absolute Elevation – The Sister To Rollkur The controversy of rollkur within the world of dressage is not a new one. Also called hyperflexion, it is the practice of forcefully pulling a horse's head into an extreme low, deep and round posit...

Fabulous.

14 Cross Country Training Tips From Kim Walnes

1. First and foremost, invite your horse to be your partner. You do not want to be on top of a totally submissive machine awaiting instructions while you are galloping along undulating ground, facing solid obstacles in uncertain footing. You want to be on a horse who is alive in the moment and thinking toward the same goal you have: to have fun solving these puzzles and be safe while doing it. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been saved by my horse making independent split second decisions.

2. Give yourself and your horse the gift of trust training. This does not mean de-sensitizing. It means investing the time it takes to teach her that she can rely on you to give her valuable input when she is faced with something she has never seen before or does not immediately understand how to handle. There are lots of exercises online…start easy and build. Trust your instincts about what is right for your horse.

3. Whether your horse is young in age or in experience, get him out and about. Trail ride, hack on the roads if they are safe in your area, and if you have the opportunity, take him hunting.

4. Figure out the way to navigate hills with balance, starting on your own two feet—up the hill, down the hill, and across the slope of the hill. Most people, like horses, balance in their shoulders and chests rather than lower down in their centers. They pull up the hill with their legs instead of pushing. They fall from step to step down the hill instead of sitting. Across the hill they teeter, tending to tip to one side. Experiment with lifting your knees higher, put your weight more toward the back of your spine and lower down your torso. Find the plumb line of your spinal cord. Then go up, down, and across. When you find balance at the walk, take yourself into trot and canter. Once you’ve experienced this in your own body, take that awareness to your horse. It’s best to start teaching it to her on the ground by leading first, then mounted. Only trot when the walk is mastered, only canter when trot is easy.

5. Each type of footing requires its own skill set. Hard ground, slick ground, deep mud, sand, leaf covered, snow…you just never know what will be presented, so it’s best to prepare for any eventuality. A horse’s natural instinct is to go faster when presented with deep or slippery footing. They want to get out of it as soon as possible. They need to be educated that the opposite is required…to slow down, be mindful of each footfall, soften their muscles instead of tensing, rock the weight back instead of throwing it forward. I start this training from the ground. I teach them to take one step forward, stop. Repeat. One step back, stop. Repeat. One step to the side with one hind foot, stop, etc. I follow this with doing the same progression over poles. Once they understand the concept on the ground, then I do the same mounted. This simple exercise can reap huge benefits. There are lots of variations and applications. Be creative. I also teach them a word, “Careful!”. I use it whenever we are entering a footing situation where shifting the weight back and being mindful are required.

6. Teach your horse to follow your eye. The best exercise I’ve found to train this is to put ground poles out w***y nilly all over an area and go from random pole to random pole. At first you have to help with steering, but with practice, the horse soon starts to pick up your focus and follows that. Once he has that down, start aiming for specific spots on the poles. Again, this is first done at walk, building the gaits only as each previous one is mastered.

7. In today’s Eventing world especially, teaching your horse to jump a very narrow object is vital. It’s also important in general training because it can save your life when you are out and about. Sometimes the landing is only good in one tiny place, and if your horse wavers disaster can follow. Start wide and gradually narrow till you are eventually jumping a single oil drum, chair, or upright jump block—both straight on and angled.

8. Find a dressage instructor who understands straightness training. A horse who falls on his inside shoulder in the turns is at risk on imperfect footing. There’s been many a fall on turns between obstacles. Not to mention pulled rails resulting from such a turn in show jumping.

9. Learn the science of using studs. Some horses need them to feel confident even at the lower levels.

10. Learn, follow, and be disciplined about a proper conditioning schedule.

11. So far we’ve been discussing the horse, but you are equally important as the rider. Eventing requires respect, or it can result in catastrophe. Find exercises that work for you which result in aerobic, core, and muscle fitness. Walk. People often don’t understand how much walking is involved in checking out the XC course.

12. Walk the course THREE times. The first is to find your way, get a general impression, and see the course from your horse’s eyes.
The second is to strategize. Examine the ground leading to the fence, in the takeoff zone, and the landing. If a specific angle or line is required, where are your markers--taking into consideration that your eyes will be at mounted height. What will the light be like at the time of your go? If rain is involved, determine if there is a spot off the general path that still works and might be less chewed up when it is your turn. I always brought a notebook with me and made notes.
The third walk is to put all the parts together. Really feel like you are riding when you do this last walk. Do this walk alone. No distractions. Get in a rhythm with your walking stride as if you were on course.
After that last walk I used to go back and tell the whole course to my horse out loud. Made a big difference. They understand more than people give them credit for.

13. For your horse’s sake, find an instructor who can teach you a proper balanced jump and gallop position. One that does not have you leaning on the horse’s neck (or worse, reins) coming to the fence. No knee gripping, leg swinging, standing up in the stirrups. Your horse has enough to do balancing herself without you being a swinging pendulum on her back that is also creating wind drag.

14. Throughout everything, remember the reason we do this is FUN. Listen to your horse about how best to teach them, allow them partnership in your day to day work, and above all, enjoy the process!

Timeline photos

Love this pic! http://www.facebook.com/HorsesInsideOut

SOUTH EATHERTON ROAD TO REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL LATE SPRING

SOUTH EATHERTON ROAD TO REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL LATE SPRING SOUTH EATHERTON ROAD TO REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL LATE SPRING

Paddock horses were out for about 3 hours this morning. The boys in the field went out late and are staying out 'til dinner.

Capitol Farms has one stall available to the right person. Please call 636-236-2555 for more information.

First Grade

First Grade In this age of the Millennial horse show rider, it would seem so many little things get overlooked. We have catered to generations of riders who love to show up, sit on a horse, get to the show ring, navigate a few obstacles, receive a ribbon, return to soccer practice, or Gucci, Barney’s, or whatev…

Please join us for the Capitol Farms Holiday party this Sunday, December 13 from 2-4 at the barn. BYOB and a snack to share!

We're also collecting new and gently used winter clothing for families in need at Fairmount Park. If you can't make it for the party you can drop things in the office any time.

Before You Buy Your Kid The Next Best Horse, Think Again

Before You Buy Your Kid The Next Best Horse, Think Again Anxious, wide-eyed parents ask me how to keep their kids interested in horses. All. The. Time. “You know...like you are, after all these years...” More often than not, this question is followed up with an analysis about how their child has outgrown their pony, and maybe needs a bigger/better/y

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I thought this was too funny not to share 😂😂😂😂
Thanks for sharing it with me Scott

Photos from Tamarack Hill Farm's post

Is Your Equine Athlete Happy?

Is Your Equine Athlete Happy? Scientists are on the hunt for reliable objective measures of positive emotions in horses being ridden and trained.