Pine Trails Ranch

09/04/2026

Have you seen the secret ducklings? Momma hatched them last week and is keeping them mostly to herself. Lol. But she hasn't lost one all week and not many manage that! But please don't get too close. She will get upset!

09/03/2026

From Michelle- I want to post a post of gratitude. We have so many lovely people in our barn family! They bring treats from their gardens, favorite treats to share, and lending a hand when I am so under water I wonder if I can breath. You all make life so much better. There will always be those days when a horse is sick, or a difficult new client doesn't like that they have to clean their own horse or clean their tack. But the people who smile and say of course I oiled the bridle, or I brought some flowers from my garden will always be the ones who make me glad to do what I do. Thank you barn family. Its been a great summer. Matt and I would like to give anyone from our barn some free firewood. Anyone going camping or have a fireplace? Please come get some wood. Its all cut and cured.

09/02/2026

One reason we have unmounted lessons. A safe way to learn and mistakes are ok.

Following up on our "teaching" post this week.....do we give students time to FAIL?

Students need time to experiment. Learning what feel "isn't" is just as important as learning what feel is. We can easily start this from the ground with a horse in- hand. How does our position and posture change the outcome? Go from one extreme to the other with experiments like human walking stride (shuffling to long and powerful), energy levels (1-10), hand position (forward and up or down and "dangling"), etc.

We can discuss the results in relation to mounted work, provide opportunities to "fail', and protect our horses. We DON'T need to allow failure that hurts the horses with yanking, large kicking, etc.

Failure is learning. Yes, with kids and thousand pound animals we need to bubble wrap a little (and maybe have a couple good ponies), but when we build a culture of groundwork we can create a learning environment where failure is simply part of the process.

08/27/2026

Torre is learning to be a riding horse! She is just the sweetest girl! She is an older Morgan who never got trained. She is very well bred, and sadly that meant people wanted her more for breeding than for riding. But when mares get older and can't make babies they end up thrown away as happened to the beautiful mare Bella who we pulled out of a feedlot before she was shipped to Mexico for meat. So now Torre is being trained to be a gentle riding horse so she can be loved by folks all her days. Thanks Meghean and Vatani for your help! Now that camp has finished for summer we are training lots of horses. If you want to learn about this process, or have a horse who needs training, contact Michelle!.

08/23/2026

Good information.

What happens to your brain when you fall from a horse?

The answer is more complicated than simply “wear a helmet.”

A fall can expose the brain to both impact and rotational forces, and a concussion or other brain injury may not be immediately obvious. Riders can experience changes in memory, focus, balance or even finding the right words — sometimes after what seemed like a relatively minor fall.

And getting back on isn't always as simple as shaking it off and continuing the ride.

Helmet technology has come a long way, but no helmet can eliminate the risk of brain injury. Fit, certification, replacement schedules and replacing a helmet after a fall all matter.

For riders, especially those who have been in the saddle for decades, there's an important shift happening.

**A head injury isn't something to tough out. It's something to take seriously.**

Recovery can take time, patience and the right professional support. And the science around long-term effects and returning to riding continues to evolve.

**Have you ever had a concussion or head injury from riding?** Or have you ever gotten back on after a fall and later realized you probably shouldn't have?

Tell us in the comments about your experience or what you've learned about brain safety as a rider. If you'd like to read the full article, comment below so we can connect!

08/22/2026

Michelle is going to take a little recharge day at the start of the week. Please message anything you need right away and be sure to let us know if you need to change anything for your Monday lesson by noon Sat. Please don't forget you need to make changes to lessons schedule 36 to 24 hours ahead of any lesson or we have to charge you. We aren't trying to be mean. We have to pay our instructors and we have to run a business. So just plan ahead and it all works!

08/21/2026

Its been an amazing summer and.today was our last day of camp. Our campers did great and had a great last week with fairly nice temperatures for August. Hope we will see you in lessons this year! And now we have some very nice horses available for half lease. Don't miss out if you have been waiting for a good horse! Taiji is already spoken for, but Mony is looking for a partner, and so is Cloud , Gino, and some others. Contact Michelle!

08/19/2026

These look useful.

08/19/2026

Can anyone help?!! This kitty with her babies was dumped out in the country. Sweet kitty is a love. But lady who found her is 95 and can't care for them. Please help! They will help you to get her spayed but just don't have ability to keep her. Needs a safe spot asap! Message us if you can help! *** Found a safe home !***

08/19/2026

Are any of our barn clients looking for a good massage therapist? Zoe is an old client of ours who has started her own business. Give her a shout to improve your wellbeing! And if any of our clients have a local business, please let us know. We should all help each other!