Hana Jumping Cabbie.
Important Cross Country Tools
January 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I would like to share with you one of my life changing experiences in training with Judy Hartman. My name is Olivia and my pony is a 13.2 hand sport
pony named Rookie. I have always had issues with him taking off or running out of
jumps on the cross-country course. Now that I am growing out of him, I have been
riding Judy’s mare that is a 16 hand Thoroughbred Hanoverian cross named Cabby.
I took her schooling cross-country to see if my skills had improved enough that I
could handle her on a cross-country course.
When you are riding a cross-country course you need to be able to control
five things
1. Line of direction
2. Speed
3. Balance
4. Rhythm and
5. Timing.
These are called the “rider’s responsibilities.” Throughout the cross-country course
Cabby listened to almost all of my cues. At one point when we were approaching a
jump Cabby was cantering and I had to shove my leg forward, sit up and do a really
big half halt in order to rebalance her so that we could take the jump safely. Another
time that I used one of the above tools was when we had just jumped a log and were
cantering down a slight hill, Cabby started to go faster and I had to sit up, stand on
my toes and push my knuckles into her withers to slow her down – this is called
the sail position. Effectively using these tools helped me finish the entire beginner
novice cross-country course successfully.
Overall I had an amazing and successful cross-country ride with Cabby. She
has taught me a huge number of valuable lessons that I will cherish my whole life.
Thank you Judy for teaching me some of the most life changing lessons ever. I could
never be able to ride Cabby without you. After every thing you have done for me,
you still make me a better rider every day.
First Horse Trial with Jitterbug
October 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
My First Rated Trial With Jitterbug
By Allison Anson
Trail Ride with Jitterbug
How would you deal with a nervous or exited horse in cross country warm up? Would you soothe or beat them? Hold them back or allow them to take the fence? Try to figure out what is wrong or keep on repeating aids that are obviously not working? My name is Allison and I had an amazing experience when me and my trainer, Judy Hartman, went to my first rated horse trial with my new horse, Jitterbug.
I was nervous when we were warming up for cross country because Jitterbug was exited and bouncy, there were a lot of people warming up with me which didn’t help with my nerves. I couldn’t stay over the fences long enough (which means I kept sitting in the saddle too early), and Jitterbug kept on flinging her head up after the fences because I wasn’t releasing my hand. It all felt wrong. But Judy just kept on telling me to relax and soften over the jump, to just let Jitterbug jump the fence and stop micro managing her. With that in my mind, we walked over to the start box, where you start the cross country course. Jitterbug was still exited and I was still nervous, but when the lady said ‘have a good ride’ I trotted off and took the first fence. Jitterbug felt awesome, I stayed over the jump and released my hand so she didn’t fling her head up. That gave me confidence. We flew over the second and third, almost took a wrong turn after the fourth, but that didn’t faze us at all. Jitterbug loved it and the next six jumps flashed by. Now was the scariest jump on the course for me, a sunken road and uphill to a log. No problem whatsoever. We finished the last six jumps and nothing could have ruined how proud I was of Jitterbug. Judy proved to me that I could do anything if I relaxed, and just allowed Jitterbug to do what she needed to do.
It goes to show that Jitterbug and I couldn’t have run the cross country course that well without Judy’s help, and I shouldn’t let my nerves or the nerves of my horse affect me. There might be what seems like thousands of people in the warm up ring, but only you and your horse are out on that cross country course, the same for stadium jumping.
DON’T FORGET IT!
A Poem Called “Me” by Ellie Corbett
September 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I think that I love to ride
It is fine.
Dancing is nice, but it is just not right.
It is not me.
I like to ride, now that is me.
I have a snack before I go.
Butter and toast just to go.
I LOVE TO RIDE.
Ellie Corbett, 7 yrs. old
Trotting on the Road
July 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I got to ride Nemo today and Ms. Judy let me trot on the road. I also got to weave in and out of the poles and trot over the poles. I love being outside of the practice arena. We also got to see Ms. Laurie getting her horse Heidi used to getting in her trailer. When I was done riding Nemo I had to be extra careful and pick out his hooves in case there were rocks in there from the road. His hooves were really packed!
Beginning horseback riding at Milestone Farms in Austin
Cabernet is For Sale
July 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
My Cabernet it for sale! She is doing amazing, thank you Sydney Conley Elliott for the video. Please contact me for more information. 6 yr old Han/Tb mare, 16 hands Chestnut. Competed through novice. Should be ready to move up to Training in the fall. Could be a great childrens hunter too.
Riding Lesson On Thinking Ahead
July 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
By Ellie on July 3rd, 2011
Today Miss Judy told me to think ahead. She wants me to control the horse. Once I got in control, she let me go across the arena. Then she let me go outside of the horseback riding arena. I love going outside of the riding lesson arena and I really had to be in control. It is hard to be in control sometimes because my horse Tessa will not listen sometimes because she will not turn or just stops for no reason.
Daddy asked me where else in life is thinking ahead and being in control important. I told him I thought it was important when I played tennis too. It is important to get to the ball and think ahead about getting your feet set to hit the ball.
Austin Riding Lessons
July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Austin Horse Riding Lesson by Kathleen Stevens
Today during my horse back riding lesson I was riding the new horse named John. He was a pony but he trotted like he was a horse! John was a really good boy during my lesson. I was really scared and cried most of my lesson and he never spooked! Sometimes, my stress relief is crying through my fears. It seemed as though he was going really fast, but Judy told me that he just had a very big trot. John actually picked up his feet! I’m not used to having a horse that picks up their feet because I have been riding Tessa for a while now and Tessa NEVER picks up her feet.
I went to a horse camp last week at Meadow Creek and I took Tessa. This was my first time to be totally in charge of a horse 24/7. During that week at horse camp I felt that I learned a lot more about Tessa and how to show her who’s boss. I also learned that I don’t want to Jump – I just want to do dressage for the rest of the time that I am riding horses. I enjoy learning how to move with the horse, and making them round, learning new skills to make me a better rider. That is why I am riding John. He is a lot more responsive to me and I can make him do what I want a lot easier than I could on Tessa. He reminds my mom of a puppy – ready to go and play, just let him know what you want him to do!
Riding English vs. Western by Ellie
June 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
This week I am going to a summer camp where I am riding Western. The first thing to know about horseback riding is to know whether you are riding English or Western. The saddles are different and you hold the reigns differently. A Western saddle has a horn and you hold the reigns in one hand and hold the saddle horn with the other. An English saddle doesn’t have a horn.
English Saddles in the Tack Room
I like riding English because you have to work harder. When you are riding English you have to post.
Note from Mom: I love that Ellie is getting experience riding both English and Western. Her camp this week has been fun because she has been with a bunch of friends, but I know she is ready to get back to her serious lessons. I also love that she is missing the discipline that riding English requires. Now, if only she craved that at home too, not just with the horses! Ah, a mom can dream…
Becoming a Working Student
June 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
To be a working student, means that a rider and horse would go to a farm to train under a famous rider that is currently competing in international shows and work there horses. Famous riders have around ten to even fifteen horses going at the same time in competitions, so daily exercise is a task all in itself. So, these riders then offer working student positions, in which a rider can move to the barn and ride their horses and exercise them, along with daily barn chores the famous riders are too busy to complete. This is a job, and pay is free lessons on one of their world class horses or one of your own. The point of doing this is to get better training from someone who has been there and done that, and can teach you the true ways of eventing from a professionals point of view and experience. After college I plan to become a working student for any of the following professionals I have listed in the website earlier. I would love to have this experience because through being a working student this is how one becomes a better rider that can hop on any horse and make the most out of the ride. Since I want to become a rider that is internationally competing, the best way to learn is through the training of a current international rider. This would be a truly great experience and I plan to graduate early so that I can have this experience sooner.
