Cardinal Ridge Equestrian Center

06/01/2024

Hahaha so true 😅
credits: Pinterest

03/19/2024

03/02/2024

Ok friends, let’s be real… We’ve all seen some ISO ads lately that would make any true horseman stop in their tracks…

—————————————————————
ISO Unicorn

Absolutely no spook, quirks, vices, maintenance, special needs. 100% safe.
—————————————————————
Thank goodness they are shopping for unicorns and not horses, because a good horseman knows that is absolutely impossible from a horse.

Personally I spooked at a squirrel yesterday, and I have better vision than a horse and am not a prey animal.

No one can guarantee any activity in your life is safe—-not soccer, not baseball, not tennis, nothing. Those are the choices you make and the risks you voluntarily take on to participate in the activity you’ve chosen and to live your life. We all try to make the best choices we can of course, but any seller that promises any facet of your life is guaranteed safe is selling snake oil.

As for the horse’s quirks and special needs? I’ve owned hundreds of horses in my career and worked with many hundreds more. The five best horses of my career were as follows:

—————————————————————
Horse #5. Vices: Cannot pull mane or body clip without heavy sedation. Must be in front when hacking in group. Why it’s worth it: Horse of a lifetime for his rider.

Horse #4. Vices: Free because he failed his PPE so badly at 5yo. Needs $800 shoes from a top farrier every 6 weeks. Why it’s worth it: Competed at the upper levels of eventing very successfully and reliably for 11 years.

Horse #3. Vices: Poor mover in the trot, extremely hot, needs a very kind rider. Why it’s worth it: Evented through advanced level, national champion at intermediate.

Horse #2. Vices: May rear and buck. Kicks and bites on ground. Will not go in any wash stall. Why it’s worth it: Never once dropped his rider. Evented through advanced level.

Horse #1. Vices: Incredibly spooky, poor mover in trot, chip on X-rays. Why it’s worth it: Successful and prolific advanced horse, sold and exported to a European Olympic team.

—————————————————————

Our horse shopping advice to you? Be a good horseman.

If the horse makes you smile every day, who cares if it’s tough to pull its mane?

If the horse takes the best care of you, who cares if it flinches trotting past a trash can? Use your inside leg.

If the horse does the job you need it to do, who cares if it needs a good farrier? They should ALL have good farriers.

If the horse saves your behind every time you don’t see a distance, who cares if it cribs on a feed tub?

Good luck, happy shopping, and for the love of unicorns, stop seeking things that don’t exist or you’ll never find it.

—Megan Moore, Verona Equestrian
—————————————————————

(Welcome to share, please don’t copy paste.)

02/25/2024

Rogue, lol

02/22/2024

I have seen horses thrive barefoot.

I have seen horses that need a supportive boots/shoeing package to maintain quality of life.

I have seen horses thrive on a grass-free track system.

Equally, I have seen horses flourish when taking them off the track system and into a more 'traditional' management setting which includes grass.

I have seen horses unwind when they are given the opportunity to hang out with conspecifics.

I have seen horses that are so poorly socialised that they need a rehab plan and careful management to help them to feel safe and develop positive associations in a herd-based environment.

I have seen horses that visibly sigh with relief when their exercise schedule is reduced.

I have seen horses breakdown at the reduction of their workload intensity or routine.

I have seen horses graciously carry their terrfied human around a trail ride.

I have seen horses come completely undone at the slightest hint of tension from their rider.

With all the horses I have had the privilege to meet, I have NEVER seen a horse do well out of a one-size-fits-all approach.

Whilst gold standard for horses might look like one collection of traits or variables, gold standard for your horse might not be that for your horse at that particular moment - or ever.

Recognise your horse is an individual, with needs that are founded upon their in-utero, early life and day to day experience.

And surround yourself with professionals that do the same too ❤️

02/18/2024

In German, there is a saying: “Reiten lernt man nur durch Fegen”, which translates as “Riding is only learned by sweeping”. I have often thought about this saying.

Wherever there are horses, there is a lot of work to be done: Cleaning, sweeping, brushing, feeding, repairing…It’s not only the fun sides of pushing yourself off the ground and into the saddle. Learning to ride takes commitment and discipline, and we might have to do a lot of things which are not very glorious. Sweeping teaches us humility and keeps us grounded.

For me, this saying is also about apprenticeship. You start at the bottom, you sweep, you get off your high horse and you become open to learn. You admit to yourself that you don’t know everything. Sweeping is good for our ego. If you are an apprentice, the master can afford be honest to you. You don’t pay for lessons and s/he has nothing to loose if s/he scares you off. And that kind of honesty we need if we want to develop.

When we do chores around the barn, we also have the chance to develop a more natural kind of relationship with our horses, or with horses in general. We are not directly focused on them and can observe how they interact and what they are doing.

Sweeping is also my zen practice. Whatever my troubles are, I usually feel better after the morning chores at the barn are done.