No Stirrup November!

Hey guys !
So today is the second day of November and for all the horse trainers and students out there you know what that means !
no stirrup November has officially begun !
Today I want to talk about my experience with this lovely month as well as some cool ideas to do with your students that include dropping those stirrups !

So from previous experience no one likes to ride without stirrups. It hurts your calves thighs and even back. But everyone knows loosing the stirrups only makes you become a better rider. What better way to strengthen those leg muscles then gripping for dear life as you are being tossed around by a thousand pound animal. So for those of you who hate riding without stirrups but want to strengthen those legs, do yourselves a favor, suck it up, and get to work!

So what has your trainer made you do without stirrups ?

Here are some things that I have had to do and have found very painful and helpful.
1.) Simply Walk around with your legs held where they are suppose to be.
Now this may seem like an easy task but if you do it long enough you will be sure to feel the burn. This is something that a lot of riders should do because it doesn't hinder your riding time and can be done just simply as you walk your horse around the ring to warm them up.
Hold your legs back behind your girth and heels down. Keep your leg here without stirrups for a good ten minutes each time you warm up. This is a great way to ease yourself into no stirrup November !

2.) Lets trot !!!
Ohh no now things are getting a little scarier but its not as bad as you think. Drop those stirrups and make your horse trot. To make it a little easier on yourself sit the trot and then once you feel as though you can hold yourself up there try posting the trot. This may not seem like it would be any harder then sitting but trust me it is way harder to get your but out of that saddle when you don't have the support of those stirrups !

3.) Cantering.....
Everyone's favorite!
This is something that may seem very hard to do without stirrups but actually it can be a little easier then trotting if you have a good center of balance. So drop those stirrups and make your horse go right into a canter or thee fast trot will be sure to throw you a little. This is something that can be a little hard on your horses back so try to not do it for as long as you would trotting.

Hope these three exercises helped out and make sure to try them !!
No stirrup November only comes once a year so MAKE IT COUNT!
Have a super week guys :)

Maclay Finals are complete !

Hey guys !
Happy Monday !!!

Today I thought I would talk about something a little different. So for this post I want to address the Maclay Finals that went underway October 13th. Because I know I have a lot of readers who are not necessarily horse people I am going to take a second and talk about the Maclay so we all know what this post is about.

So then short of it is that the Maclay Finals is a huge horse show for junior riders, any under the age of 18. These riders jump around a 3'6 course and only the best of the best attend. There around 156 horses and riders that compete for this title every year. Lets just say it is a BIG deal and everyone junior riders dream!

Now lets talk about the amazing young pair that took home the prize this year. Mckayla Langmeier and her beautiful horse Skyfall from Kalienda Farm took home the first place ribbon and had their names permanently sketched in history. This amazing duo actually followed the family tradition as years prior Mckayla's mom actually won the Maclay Finals.
As you can imagine this was an amazing victory for this 15 yr old.

This team took the judges breaths away and stood out over 152 other horses and riders. That is quite an accomplishment and something that I am sure this team will never forgot. At just fifteen years old an amazing talented young riders life was changed.

Thanks for reading guys !!!