Holt Your Horses

09/05/2026

Had 2 trail rides 2 days in a row! The first was a wonderful ride with my friend Janice Anglim who didn’t know what she got herself into but can now say she has 100% been on a real trail ride. Today, a group of us rode up to the top of the peak through some ridiculous terrain. It was absolutely one of my most challenging rides but Duke and all the other horses handled it all beautifully! These mountains make some really good horses and riders.

Reach out today to book a trail ride, lesson, or to ask about putting your horse into training! We take haul ins as well if you want to bring your own horse. Pictures don’t do these views justice they are best witnessed in person and between some pony ears!

09/04/2026

08/24/2026

I take my profession very seriously and only do things the correct way

08/23/2026

Oh horses 😂

08/19/2026

"Heels Down" is a misguided instruction.

I LOVE when students ask questions and last week I got a good one from a newer student: "I haven't heard you say 'heels down', why?"

1. This is the heel/lower leg of the rider who asked the question.
2. "Heels down" is a great way to create pain in the rider and the horse.

This rider was surprised when I showed her this picture, that we got there without ever saying "heels down". We released her ankle and found a more solid base of support in the foot.

What I see in most riders who hear "heels down":

1. Twisted ankles - the rider forces a short/long imbalance in lower leg muscles that causes the ankle to twist. The feel you have when your foot can't stay even across the stirrup often comes from this.
2. A forward lower leg - the lower leg swings forward and muscles jam the knee. The rider loses the "floor" (foot) underneath them, has to pinch with the knee to rise and "flop" to sit. To compensate, the rider tilts forward onto the p***c bone. Then a cascade of other instructions happen - "look up", "chin back", "chest up", "shoulders back" - create more compensation for the real problem.
3. Pain - now the rider is in a twist - forced positions and locked joints that are trying to compensate for a lack of stability. This, ultimately, leads to the pain you feel from riding.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO RIDE IN PAIN! Pain-free riding comes from force absorption in our joints. To absorb force, joints must move.

If you are interested in pain-free riding, follow for more and keep your eye out for our Fall offerings in Hume, VA!

08/17/2026

It has been a wonderful first month of teaching at my new place! With great ponies, fantastic facilities, miles of mountain trails, and views more beautiful than a postcard you can’t go wrong. Come ride with us! We are a stunning private ranch up in the mountains near coal creek canyon with an indoor arena so we can learn in all weather. I offer beginner-advanced western or English riding lessons, trail rides, groundwork lessons, and have one board and train slot available. Spots are highly limited so reach out today to book!

08/15/2026

07/30/2026

Howdy! Trying for the like 700th time to take my business social media more seriously. Here is an old video for that

04/15/2026

“Are you having fun?” I asked.

A conflicted silence followed. One beat, two beats. My client gazed into the middle distance. As if they were wondering if they were indeed having fun with and around horses. I could feel and imagine the internal monologue.

He asked if I am having fun.
Which means I am supposed to be having fun.
What does having fun look like?
Is it ethical to project my idea of fun onto a horse?
I don’t think I am having any fun.
I feel ashamed now for not having fun.
I shouldn’t say No, he wants me to say yes?

I stepped in.

“That sounds like a No. Or a probably not. It’s ok, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Horses are difficult animals to care for, and even trickier animals to succeed with in training. Sometimes it feels like a black hole you never see the end of. But it is important to remember that this is supposed to be, a recreation. For most of us. This is something we do for pleasure.”

And this is the crux of it.

There is a lot of romanticising of pain and suffering in the horse world. Scare a horse, intimidate a horse, suffer along side them a little bit? That’s worthy of our celebration. Because Real Horsepeople are hard. Tough. Mean. Resilient.

And that’s fine if that’s someones choice to embody that. None of my business.

But my business is guiding folks and their horses back to something that is enjoyable. But something that’s enjoyable for the horse too, which is often the harder part to ensure and that’s why we focus on the horse first.

In that process, some folks find they cannot put their horse first, because they have not taken care of themselves first. Self care is the deep breath you take before you dive under the water and swim. Your self care is the first preparation that fuels your ability to focus on the horse. These things blend and intersect.

Yet, we focus on the horse.

And this should be fun. And fun is relative to every single individual, it isn’t a singular monolithic fun you’re supposed to do to fit in. Having fun is about fitting in with you and your horses.

It has been a long time since I had no fun around horses. A long time.