Great Old Men
A friend of mine lost her horse recently. He was older, and he died in the way we all dream for those we love—out in the field with his friends on a beautiful day, healthy and sound and full of life. And then gone, in an instant.
That doesn’t make it much better, of course; just because it’s a far cry from the slow decline and the tough choice doesn’t make it easy, just ever so slightly easier.
This horse had had an excellent competition career, but you’d probably never heard of him, or at least not heard much about him. But that wasn’t the thing that made him extraordinary. He’d brought countless young people up the levels. He gave his riders the big horse feeling for the first time. He taught them. He humbled them, often rather a lot. He made them.
Read the rest at The Chronicle of the Horse!
It’s a weird year for me. I’m teaching a ton of clinics, which I love, but it means I’m away from home a lot of weekends. And with only Puck to ride at the moment, who will be showing first level next month (woo) but not with any illusions of grandeur, my focus is on my students and on their competitive and personal goals.
Grooming isn’t just about pretty – it’s about your horse’s health, and about building a great partnership! Join us for a fabulous morning grooming seminar with guest speaker Liv Gude of 
We’re delighted to welcome Colleen Meyer of Advanced Saddle Fit back to Clearwater Farm July 20-22. Whether you’re looking to evaluate the fit of your existing equipment or you’re in the market for a new dressage, jump or AP saddle, you need Colleen! Colleen Meyer’s decades of experience have made her 
I tell my students it takes a year to get to know a new horse. Some behave differently in response to the weather, so taking all four seasons to get to know them is important, plus it just takes a year to accumulate enough experiences on and off the property to learn who they are and how they think. But I’m learning a bit about Puck already.
Olympians? Check! Saddle fittings? Check! Bronze Medals? Check and check! And blue ribbons? Always a check! Check… our our June e-newsletter, and sign up to have it delivered directly to your inbox, by clicking here!
Join us July 8-9 for a clinic with the brilliant and hilarious Michael Barisone. A member of the 2008 US Olympic Dressage Team and coach for the 2016 Bronze Medal winning Olympic Dressage Team and 2012 Olympic Eventing Team, Michael will coach professional, Jr/YR and amateur riders from green to Grand Prix.
We’ve had wonderful back-to-back weekends at Morven Park and HITS Culpeper, and a full report is to come, but congratulations are due to Assistant Trainer Lauren Fisher on completing her USDF Bronze Medal! Huge thanks to Beverley Thomas and her inimitable Fiero for helping Lauren achieve her final scores! Photo by TLP Equine.
Meet Gretzky! Gretzky RV is a 2011 KWPN Gelding, Johnson-Elmshorn, and he’s the latest addition to Lauren’s show string. He’ll be Puck in the stable, and with his quick hind leg and bold markings, he’ll sure to be noticed in the showring. We’re excited to see him arrive from Holland next week! And thank you to the team at