Ask Cari

Kids learning to ride in balance at Windrock Farm on a hack with Cari and Lauren leading the kids on Mr. T and Goldie.   The rider is in control, however, if there is any sudden movement of the horse, we have control of the bridle with a neck rope to prevent any mishaps.  It is critical to instill confidence in the rider from the very beginning of lessons.

The ultimate goal is for the horse and rider to be molded to each other.  Together they form a finely balanced whole, a living work of art, which is beautiful and graceful, and which works with the precision of a clock.

Star is a kind easy horse to ride, he is an eight year old Oldenburg gelding with experience in basic dressage training,jumping three feet easily and hacks cross country.  He would be a fun event horse with plenty of scope to move up the levels.  A beautiful fun horse looking for a partner.  Contact cari@cariswanson.com to come try Star.

Congratulations! Lauren rides Roscoe to the winners circle at Mistover last weekend in a combined test.  Roscoe is a Canadian Warmblood for sale at Windrock Farm.  He is a beautiful mover and effortless jumper.

This is an awesome gelding for the right rider, he is a super jumper and easy to ride.  An elegant mover, come try him for your next show horse or fun horse who can do anything.

Rafa is a big beautiful Hanoverarian mare learning the mounting block exercise with Rex, she is very smart, learning to move when asked and stand quietly.  This is a basic exercise all our horses must learn as part of their foundation training.

Blaze is starting to show his personality more every day, here you can see how regal he can be.  Bugsy is very independent and curious like his daddy, and Blaze is more reserved.  They are starting to play together every day, especially in the late afternoon when it cools down.  Bugsy is now 8 weeks old and a tank, Blaze is 5 weeks old and as tall as his brother.

Your horse should see you as the leader of the herd.  From the moment you snap the lead rope on the halter, he should be paying attention to you and respecting your space.  A common error we find is that people let their horse walk past them, on them, push into them, try to nip them for treats and ignore the handler’s personal space.  How your horse reponds to you on the ground will translate under saddle.  If he ignores you light tug to slow down and stay behind you while walking to the paddock, he will ignore your half halts and leg aids.  Set the tone immediately, and be the boss.

Establish rules and laws.  There must be consequences if these rules are broken or the trouble begins and soon your horse will take over.  Remember that you set the tone for your relationship and if you want a safe, confident, respectful horse, you must lay down the law and enforce them at the beginning.

Does your horse bow to you?  Is he a perfect gentleman, waiting for you to let him know when to move?  He should walk quietly behind you, not running into or over you, stop when you stop and remain a respectable distance from you.  If he is not respecting you on the ground, he will not respect you in the saddle.  Let us know if you need help with your horse, contact Swanson Peterson Productions to schedule a lesson or attend a clinic.

Simon and I take a ride in the fresh fallen snow, staying warm in layers of high tech long underwear.  The horses do not mind the cold at all.  Tony has a thick winter coat to help keep him warm, Mr. T is checking him out.

The Real McCoy is an outstanding athlete with a great mind.  He jumps anything you put in his path, he has excellent ground manners, beautifully trained in dressage basics and he has a charming personality.  McCoy is 15.3, bred out of a quarter horse mare and sired by Makuba, a successful athlete.  He will excel in dressage or eventing or jumping.  Please contact us to try him.

Never raced, intelligent, kind super fun horse.  He would be a great hunter, eventer or all around horse for someone.  This guy has a great sense of humor, excellent ground manners and is very easy and comfortable to ride.  He knows several tricks on command and he is looking for a partner to have fun with.  Contact us to schedule a ride on this amazing horse.him.

Generoso is an 11 year old Lusitano Stallion with excellent manners.  He is uncomplicated to ride, well trained and very comfortable.  Sadly his owner is moving out west and must sell him to an appreciative home soon.  Contact us to schedule a ride on this amazing horse.

Vanessa rides Tony with Cari on Allez and Lauren on a late summer afternoon.  Learning to ride with excellent balance and rhythm at Windrock Farm.  You can never start too early.  Learning correct basics from the beginning will result in a skilled confident rider.

Fiona demonstrates her talent for trick riding on Goldie with Rex on Mr. T, just back from filming on location in Texas.   Seven Days in Utopia (2011) is a new film about a professional golfer who finds himself on a horse ranch and Mr. T had a scene in a rain storm rearing to drop a stunt rider doubling for the principal actress.  T is back in New York for another day on Arthur (2011), a film we worked on this summer with Jennifer Garner and Russell Brand.

Vanessa enjoys a late summer afternoon ride on Tony after she rode Allez around the paddocks with me.  V is only 3 years old and already showing her talent and love of riding!