Aspen Hollow Equestrian Center

04/26/2026

Our next show is May 15-17 Harmon Classics @ Fence. I need to get a stall count in by May 1. Please let Jessica or Michele know if you plan to attend. Thanks!

04/25/2026

Congratulations to our Aspen Hollow horses and riders on a very successful first show of the season.

Reggie and his rider Natalie were reserve champion in the Trot Crossrails as well as a very respectable 2nd and 4th in the Canter Crossrails division out of 11. Natalie leased Reggie last year and come down all the way from Lenior NC to show him.

Caroline and Jack were Champions of the Trot poles and a nice 1,2,3 in the WTC flat classes. They have only been together for 3 weeks and this is Jack's first show in the several years!

Very proud of both of our teams!

02/27/2026

Hi Everyone,

I’m excited to share that Ali will be opening her own barn. We are so happy for her and wish her every success as she begins this new chapter.

As she transitions, I will be taking over the lesson program, with the support of our new beginner instructor, Ajeya, and Jessica, who will be working with our more advanced riders. All lessons and scheduling will continue as planned, and our program will move forward seamlessly. My priority is to ensure a smooth transition and continued progress for every rider.

Over the next few days, I will be posting a brief bio introducing each of our new trainers. I’m looking forward to everyone meeting them and continuing to grow together.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Michele
(864)367-2968

02/17/2026

This right here 🙌🏼

"There is a growing discomfort in the horse world around the idea of correcting horses, particularly with groundwork," Lindsey Smith writes. "Words like structure, discipline, and physical correction are increasingly treated as red flags. Yet permissiveness (and feeding unruly horses treats by the handful) is reframed as kindness.

I understand why owners want to fawn over their horses with treats and cuddling. Horses give us an extraordinary amount of trust. We ask them to carry us, respond to subtle cues, and stay mentally present even when they are uncertain or afraid. We love them and want to reward them for this incredible gift. But if we expect that level of generosity from them, then we owe them something in return—communication they can understand.

Good horsemanship is about learning how horses experience the world and responding accordingly. When we communicate clearly, fairly, and consistently by using body language, we reduce stress, increase trust, and make their lives more predictable and safe.

Horses do not experience the world the way humans do. Groundwork and correction, when done correctly, are not acts of dominance. They are acts of responsibility. Confusing human sentimentality with equine welfare can quietly become far more harmful than the corrections we are trying to avoid.

Correcting a horse through groundwork is not about dominance or punishment. It is about speaking to them in a language they actually understand—body language.

Fair correction is about timing, clarity, and release. When a correction is immediate, proportional, and followed by a clear release of pressure, the horse understands exactly what was asked.

Allowing a horse to walk all over you, bite you, or ignore personal space while offering treats and affection instead of structure, is not kindness. It is confusing. And confusion, especially for a prey animal, is deeply stressful. In some cases, it is genuinely dangerous for both the human and the horse.

Horses are not humans. They are not dogs or cats. Humans, dogs, and cats are predators. Horses are prey animals. They do not think like us. When we ask horses to give us so much—to carry us, trust us, and perform under pressure—it is our responsibility to learn how to communicate in a way that makes sense to them."

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/02/16/structure-is-not-abuse-why-horses-need-clear-communication/
📸 courtesy of Lindsey Smith

02/16/2026

We had another great weekend hosting Andrea’s Baumann from Germany! 🇩🇪 We got to enjoy a young horse seminar Friday evening and foundational work on Saturday. We were luckily able to condense all riders to Saturday with the rain this weekend. Thank you, Andreas!

02/06/2026

We still have a few openings left for the Andreas Baumann clinic next weekend! Please reach out to Joy to reserve a spot at 864-640-7670.

Friday is a riding seminar to be held in Fountain Inn. Saturday and Sunday are riding sessions at Aspen Hollow. Sessions are up to 2’, up to 2’6, and up to 3’.

12/25/2025

Santa dropped off another Christmas pony!

Merry Christmas to all, and congratulations to Laney on her new partner, Remi! Looking forward to developing this young horse and watching this pair succeed! 🎄

12/14/2025

That’s a wrap for the 2025 show year! Thank you for another great schooling show! What better way to celebrate than showing them off at a horse show?

🎄CC Gambrell showed A Kiss For The Ages in the 18” and put down some of her best courses to date. There were lots of smiles in those trips and lots of ribbons earned!

🎄 Maddie Smith showed Brunello in the crossrails division, earning a blue in one of her over fences and putting in some hard work in the other. She did an excellent job checking her leads and using up her space!

🎄 Noah Boudle showed CC’s A Fairytale Ending in the trot/poles divisions, marking the first show for this new partnership. Noah also earned ribbons for his hard work in competitive walk/trot classes!

As usual, we really have the best group of hard working kids and ponies. So much to be proud of!

11/10/2025

Another congratulations is in order to Jennifer Palomo on her purchase of Queen Of The Nile! We are really excited to see this partnership grow 🦄

11/10/2025

We had a blast at the Halloween show!

🎃 Julia is out for the count with an injury, but that didn’t stop her, Nora, Eeyore, Bruno (and Sabrina!) from winning the costume class
🎃 Noah Boudle competed in his very first show ever aboard Brunello and did an excellent job remembering his closing circles and checking his diagonals in the walk trot poles division, bringing home a few blue ribbons!
🎃 Nora Goßman moved up to the trot crossrails division with Brunello and also did her very first canter class. She also brought home a blue in a very competitive class and had some excellent learning moments!
🎃 Laney Pittman showed Sunshine in her very first show with Aspen Hollow and put down some great trips in the 18”, also earning some ribbons and getting some great confidence and experience under her belt!
🎃 Caylin Carter has been developing her young mare, Poppin It Spritz, and gave her some excellent rides and experience in the 2’ division, also in the ribbons!

Great work Aspen Hollow!

10/29/2025

These guys are kind of a big dill at the barn and on the court… coming in second place in a tournament this weekend are Jody and Kevin… and in first place, boss lady Michele and Scott! Way to go! 🥒🏓

10/05/2025

That’s a wrap! Thank you Andreas Baumann for sharing your knowledge and experience with us this week. We focused on pace, softness, trusting yourself, and trusting the horse. We are looking forward to host Andreas again this spring!

“Emotions must not have control
when attempting to reach a goal,
efforts to succeed instead
are best directed by the head.”
— Anne Kursinski