MH Eventing

02/11/2026

Anyone who’s ridden with me long has heard me preach about this. Many of the “problem” horses I’ve worked with were a problem because the first thing they learned under saddle was how to stop, instead of how to go forward. If your horse has a dangerous behavior and pain has been ruled out as a factor, ask yourself if it’s truly off the leg.

(And no, the hot thoroughbred you’re scared to put leg on isn’t actually forward.)

The number one most dangerous thing a horse can be is behind the leg. This includes being behind the forward aid from the ground; horses who are sulky to lead or want to walk behind the rider have any number of life-threatening tricks they can pull from being behind the aids. And of course there are any number of physical reasons why a horse might be sour to the leg or unwilling to go forward, but it is imperative that a horse learns - first and foremost! - to go like hell from driving pressure. We joke-not-joke around here that we’ll slow them down when they’re 8. (Maybe.)

And that’s forward, by the way. Not fast. Fast isn’t forward. I know plenty of horses who go fast behind the leg, and piaffe or canter pirouettes are forward. In order to be safe, a horse has to accept the driving aid with a smile. If he doesn’t, he’s not properly backed yet. The kindest thing to do for your horse’s long term safety and security is to make sure they go forward when they’re told, both under saddle and in-hand.

01/11/2026

Havana
13 year old 15h Andalusian cross mare (3/4 Andalusian 1/4 Arabian), registered IAHLA

Havana is looking for someone who wants to do a bit of everything. She is well schooled on the flat and has recently scored in the mid-60s at 1st level in a schooling show with an AA.

She started jumping last summer and has really taken to it! We’ve jumped her up to 2’3”but I believe she’ll be capable of at least 2’6” or 2’9”.

She’s also been trail riding (with deer and pheasant sightings included) and has been ridden down the road. I frequently have an assistant ride her out with me to babysit the green beans.

Now the important bit to read before you message me: Havana can be spooky. She does not bolt or spin - but will jump sideways and stop. You know the joke about horses thinking one corner of the ring being haunted?That’s her. She gets her confidence from her rider. Some of my confident amateur lesson students have been riding her and are more than capable of handling it.

Havana best when she has variety in her work. She is more relaxed and quiet when she also gets to jump or hack outside during the week. she handles time off well. If she sits in the field and doesn’t get worked for a week she’ll be the same horse.

She has great ground manners, goes around barefoot, stands for the farrier, and is an easy keeper.
Lowest of 5 figures and open to a full lease. Looking for the right fit.
Located in Norwalk, IA

https://youtu.be/7J3RZgyOdgA?si=62MePZIUhxBH89u5

https://youtube.com/shorts/GWklo5wxwJE?si=xA0QC2jY8_qmJRYSres

12/29/2025

Have you ever wanted a horse that can double as a hair model? Then we have the one for you!

Effie - 6yr old 14.1h Gypsy Vanner cross

Effie is coming 6 in spring of 2026. She is 3/4 gypsy vanner, 1/4 mustang, 100% hair.

She’s been started in both western and English tack, and is going nicely w/t/c under saddle. Gets her canter leads easily. She has been trail riding and ridden down the road, and was super well behaved for both! She goes over poles but has not yet started jumping. Her ground manners are good, which is great because you might spend a lot of time braiding her mane if it’s kept long!

I can see her excelling as an all-around type pony or in western dressage. Her hair and 4 white socks make her very eye-catching! Effie is not for a beginner rider at this point, because she is still green. An experienced adult rider or capable young rider with a trainer could easily bring her along.

She is barefoot and an easy keeper. Lives outside currently but is quiet if she has to come into a stall.

VIDEOS: https://youtu.be/e74KH7hfUZk?si=EUed9UBhPHS9QnqS

https://youtube.com/shorts/BwFCX0p4FIo?si=7rVH5JFu24OPowTM

Located near the Des Moines, IA airport. She is currently 7️⃣k, which will increase with training.

12/15/2025

12/04/2025

Job opening!
MH Eventing is looking for a groom. Duties include: feeding horses, turn in/out, grooming, tacking up, and some lungeing and riding is possible. Occasional help with farm maintenance. Very little stall cleaning. Our horses stay outside and only come in for bad weather. In the case that they are in you will have help cleaning ~10 stalls.

This position is 25-30 hours a week, 6 days a week. The 6th day (Saturday) is short (just feeding) and flexible on start time. Pay is hourly. You must have a driver’s license and experience handling horses.

Please reach out to Mallory for more details.
[email protected]
402-677-7434

10/14/2025

“Buggs” SD Magnus Azai
12.2h Gypsy Vanner gelding born in 2019

Buggs was imported in utero from the SD breeding program in the UK. He has impeccable ground manners, is very well broke to drive, and is currently in training under saddle. With the carriage he has experience both in the arena and trail driving and is very safe. He is solid at walk/trot and working on canter under saddle. He trail rides and rides around other horses well. Buggs is a very willing partner and wants to do well! He has good natural balance and no funny business, he would do well with an adult amateur.

Buggs is very sturdy and takes up leg well - rider in the videos is 5’3”. He has good gaits and even being green to cantering under saddle it is a nice clear 3 beat canter. He could be very versatile in the show ring; I could also see him doing combined driving or dressage.

He quickly made himself a barn favorite! Easy to handle on the ground, easy keeper, goes barefoot, and gets along very well with other horses.

Buggs is sadly for sale due to owner’s health issues. Our priority is finding him the perfect home. Asking ✌️5️⃣k. His harness and carriage are also available. MESSAGE with questions please, it is too easy to lose comments in notifications.

https://youtu.be/SkCaHwwuwqU?si=ys4YAf8Ri-Fa-Ezg arena driving

https://youtu.be/-5DCBGZ0VyQ?si=D2qmsjl5ydzJI9lT under saddle w/t

https://youtu.be/5_Fksa9Vl_w?si=tXRiiD0h22xbuIOA driving outside

https://youtu.be/pqIHeN-io88?si=CaPkM3sRUASO5bGK https://youtu.be/3OjqS9xzGNY?si=bCqQxcg0H1Vqa0kg canter under saddle

Located near Des Moines, IA

10/05/2025

Rod Van Wyk’s Geertsje D.V. had a successful USDF regional championships show. 1st and 2nd place in second level and first level test of choice, respectively, on Thursday. And on Friday we were 5th in the first level open championship and 3rd in the professional equitation challenge! Producing Gertie and feeling how much better she becomes every year is a blast.

Nexus Saddlery MidWest Saddle Fit - I’m sure we would not have done nearly as well (especially in the equitation!) without you ❤️

09/06/2025

Last weekend I went to Silverwood Farm Horse Trials for the first time. It’s a beautiful venue and a very well-run show!

While it wasn’t a good weekend for Valor - coming off a month filled with lost shoes and other small things interrupting his training - they offered xc schooling Sunday which was a great learning experience for him.
Gracie was a little wiggly but brave on xc after show jumping clean. We had one drive-by on a bank that I thought might be difficult for her to read, and had to wait for a little bit as a loose horse ran around between our next couple jumps. Very pleased she was able to get her flow back (and didn’t care about him running straight for us!) and finished 5th in her second BN.

08/29/2025

I can’t overstate how happy I was with our team at the Maffitt Lake Equestrian Center, LLC fantasy show last weekend. All of the girls rode beautifully, the ponies (Egg and Q) were perfect, and we had great weather to top it all off! It is so rewarding to see your students doing well ❤️
I think I was the only one to pull any rails this weekend 😂
And look at the great braids the girls did for the horses - they really looked their best out there.

08/09/2025

We didn’t take photos at the show because it was a million degrees, and of course it took me two weeks to get photos of Gertie, Fiona, and Egg with their ribbons. They won
Friesian Horse Association of North America, American Connemara Pony Society, and American Haflinger Registry high point awards respectively.

Not pictured are Hope Maria Cruse and Rosalynn. This was the first dressage show for both of them, and Rosalynn’s first time showing under saddle after a career as a driving horse. They both did great!

I also rode Gracie and Emmy in addition to Gertie - because why ride one horse when you can ride three? I am so pleased with how both mares improved over where they were last year. Its fun to win things of course, but what’s really rewarding is seeing the concrete improvements being made by earning better, more consistent scores, and nicer comments from judges.

As always we want to thank everyone who keeps the horses feeling (and looking!) their best.
MidWest Saddle Fit Nexus Saddlery Norse Horse Designs and Cale Danielson, CJF

06/10/2025

Spring Windermere 2025 was a successful, if wet, show. At least I was sitting in the barns when the crazy rainstorm went through and not caught out on course or in the ring!

Both horses got good dressage scores (29.7 for Valor and 30 for Gracie. I’m consistent I guess 😂). Valor had some issues leaving warmup at the startbox but once past jump one and through the tree line had a focused, careful, cross country round.
Poor Gracie had to do her first beginner novice as a mud run. She handled the terrain well; she was a little more cautious than Val but that’s to be expected. She glanced off two of the “scarier” jumps that were pretty muddy at the base but circled around and went right over them. Gracie was the last to go in the division and it looked like a couple jumps had been painted with a brown stripe of mud down the middle 😂

Both horses were pretty slow around the course but I preferred that they have a confidence boosting run in what’s the muddiest terrain either has seen yet than to try and push for speed. The footing at Longview held up pretty well and I was pleased that neither horse ever felt in danger of slipping or loosing their grip.

I didn’t ride either perfect in show jumping but felt that both had major improvements there and came away better educated from the experience.

Looking forward to Silverwood in July!
Thanks to Nexus Saddlery MidWest Saddle Fit Norse Horse Designs danielson CJF for keeping the horses fit, happy, and well turned out.