Invictus Equine

04/20/2026

Congratulations Megan on your medal win today. You have earned a spot at IHJA B Medal Finals 2026!

🏆 Invictus Equine

📸 Andrew Ryback Photography, LLC

Illinois Hunter & Jumper Association

02/21/2026

Megan Howard you are a rockstar!!! And way to go Alyssa on your big wins today moving up!!!

02/21/2026

Starting this morning out strong with a 1,2 win!!! Congratulations Stacy Lynn and Sam!!!

02/01/2026

Let’s Talk About Trainer Rides.

There’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, and it feels like an important conversation: Trainer rides.

Somewhere along the way, I feel like trainer rides have started to feel optional, like a luxury, or something only needed when things go really wrong. But I believe they are one of the most important parts of keeping horses happy, confident, and reliable in their jobs.

Especially the good ones! The steady school horses. The saintly kids horses. The show horses packing their riders around week after week. Those horses don’t stay that way by accident. They stay that way because someone with experience is checking in with them from the saddle.

Horses are athletes, but they’re also thinkers and feelers. Over time they develop habits, compensations, and questions, just like riders do. A horse gets a little crooked or starts dulling to the leg. They lose confidence in a certain question or quietly start carrying more than their fair share. These things can show up as the ride feeling harder, less smooth, less fun… until suddenly both horse and rider are frustrated. Or they start to voice their frustration and they get labelled as having “bad behavior”.

That’s where a trainer ride isn’t a luxury, it’s part of the care. A professional ride helps to clarify the aids, rebuild confidence on the flat and over fences, and supports them physically and mentally in the job we ask them to do. Then that carries over into the owner’s ride. And the rider gets to build their relationship on a solid, supported foundation instead of constantly trying to fix things themselves.

It’s also about fairness.

Our horses work hard. They try, they tolerate mistakes, they take care of their riders. It’s only fair that we give them rides where the aids are clear, the balance is correct, and they get help doing the job well. Those rides keep them happier in their work and help prevent the slow mental burnout we sometimes see in over-generous horses.
That’s not taking something away from the rider, it’s supporting the partnership.

When horse, rider, and trainer all play their roles, the whole system works better. Horses stay more reliable. Riders progress with less frustration. And the relationship between them gets stronger, not more strained.

At the end of the day, trainer rides aren’t about control. They’re about responsibility.



Photo Credit: Wild Griffin Photography

02/01/2026

We have some stall (12x12, matted with gate fronts) and pasture board openings, where the horse care is our top priority!A few requirements (must understand we are an extremely supportive group, a minimum of one lesson or training ride per week, and help as needed!) overly bedded with quality shavings- quality 24/7 hay inside and out and a feeding program custom to each horse. 7 day turnout (weather permitting) stalls cleaned daily- indoor and outdoor arena- indoor washstall… we do attend shows and host shows at the farm! Mainly hunter/jumper but open to all disciplines. Pm for rates and a tour! Truck and trailer and owner on site! Located in Yorkville IL
Some pictures with some of our family!

12/31/2025

If you ask trainer and “R” judge Geoff Case how to become a better rider, he won’t tell you to buy a better horse. He’ll tell you to ride more horses—especially the tricky ones.

“The best riders aren’t the ones who only ride nice horses,” he said. “They’re the ones who learn from every horse they sit on.” The goal is growth. And the fastest way to grow is to stop waiting for ideal conditions and start learning from whatever you have right now.

Case’s training philosophy is rooted in experience, not ease. “If you only ride perfect horses, you don’t actually learn that much,” he said. “You get better by figuring things out.”

He remembers his early years, when getting on a variety of horses—green, lazy, spooky, or stubborn—wasn’t optional. It was how you earned your education. “You got on whatever needed to be ridden,” he said. “That’s how you learned timing, feel, and patience.”

That trial-and-error process, Case explained, teaches a kind of adaptability that can’t be coached. “You start to realize there’s no one-size-fits-all answer,” he said. “Every horse requires something different from you.” Those lessons stick with riders far longer than ribbons or medals. “It’s the uncomfortable horses that teach you the most,” he said. “They make you think. They make you better.”

Case believes curiosity, not perfection, is what turns good riders into great ones. “You have to want to understand what’s happening under you,” he said. “That curiosity is what makes you improve.”

When something doesn’t go right Case encourages riders to ask questions instead of getting frustrated. “Don’t get mad, get curious,” he said. “Ask yourself, ‘Why did that happen?’ Then try to fix it.”

That self-reflection, he added, is the real mark of a thinking rider. “It’s easy to ride well when everything goes right,” he said. “The real riders are the ones who figure it out when things don’t.”

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/12/29/why-the-best-riders-dont-wait-for-perfect-horses/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

12/31/2025

🌟 Happy New Year from Invictus 🌟

To kickstart the new year with us, new clients can enjoy a special offer!
Buy one lesson, get one lesson half off!
Special offer lessons are good until January 15th and used by February 15th!
*Must mention this when scheduling!*

11/09/2025

We had a wonderful Jingle Bell Classic horse show and clinic this weekend! Congratulations to all of our winners and another big thank you to our sponsors! Another big thank you to Jeannine Lamb for judging and giving a great clinic!

09/29/2025

What an awesome first IEA show weekend!!
Saturday coco was horse of the day- Mikaela was high point HS rider and Carolina was reserve High point middle school!! Ashley and Lisa were a duo sportsmanship. Our high school team was high point team and middle school was reserve!

Sunday Lucky was horse of the day
Middle school was high point team and high school was reserve.
Carolina was reserve high point again!!
Ava was sportsmanship winner

09/27/2025

Awesome people with amazing drinks. So excited to have them back tomorrow and in two weeks, and again for our benefit show Nov 8

First Saturday event at Invictus Equine today! Great view of the horses too!

09/06/2025

Big thank you to everyone who came out to help with barn cleanup today!