Stonelea Farm

09/25/2021

9/25/21 Santana did his very first trail ride, out in open fields and with cattle. Cassidy said he was a champ! He actually liked leading almost the whole way!

09/24/2021

9/24/21 wow, now Cassidy has Santana jumping at the canter! Once things made sense to him he just keeps moving forward in his learning!

09/24/2021

50-Year Breeders: An AQHA Legacy - AQHA

Look at this, about Santana’s breeder! Incredible, I feel honored to have a Sutton Ranch quarter horse!

https://www.aqha.com/-/50-year-breeders-an-aqha-legacy-1?redirect=%2F&fbclid=IwAR0tGwtJzti2vkeg1tWRGSNjAoK5rE3FovMd0vZ_B-KUhzHlseYqT58lgRo

View the American Quarter Horse breeders who most recently hit their 50th cumulative or consecutive year of breeding the world’s most versatile horse.

09/20/2021

9/20/21 Santana gets his first set of four shoes and he was super!

09/08/2021

Cassidy Cain has done a beautiful job with Santana’s training these last 30 days! You saw the video of the first canter she did with him under saddle when he was so unbalanced at the beginning of the month and now look at him, impressive! He is confident, balanced, and most of all, happy! He really trusts her and it makes my heart happy! He is definitely a people horse. He has bonded with her but he also clearly remembered me when I showed up! If you know anyone who needs to have a horse trained, I highly recommend her! She’s working under Olin Armstrong in Verona, VA, and beginning to take outside horses herself. She has such a wonderful foundation for doing this because of the years she has spent working under this iconic horseman!

08/20/2021

Since I was still on the waiting list for Petey Wright to get Santana back in there, and he and Brooke knew how badly I wanted him back in training, Brooke recommended fellow trainer Cassidy Cain, who works with Olin Armstrong in Staunton, VA. Santana is relaxed and happy and only thinks about doing his job. These photos are of him going around the outside track of their convoluted training ring. They have a lot of stuff in the middle of it and it serves to desensitize the horses. Then they have the horses go around the outside edge. He did that for a couple of weeks and then today she added the barrels for him to figure out how to place his weight for jumping without the weight of her being on him. Look at those knees!
Previously, she used this to help him learn how to balance in a much smaller area while cantering. Then she cantered him in the outside ring for the first time. It is very large and he was good, carrying her weight, but he doesn’t turn very well! Anybody who rides here and has seen the younger horses go, and hear me tell them that if they want to turn at the bottom or top of the ring they need to start their aids at B or E, know what I’m talking about!

08/16/2021

Photos from MissDi Kreations's post

08/11/2021

The Modern Pentathlon Debacle

Here it is again, in a nutshell, with great commentary.

Ok, let’s talk about this whole modern pentathlon thing shall we? This Olympics was not my first introduction to it. I remember watching parts of it during the London coverage and cringing th…

08/09/2021

I am sad to announce the recent loss of our cherished Adara (aka, Doodle). She came from my friend Tonya Withers, who entrusted her care to me 6 years ago. Over all those years Adara taught many riders with her perfectly cadenced canter, and careful precision in jumping grids, combinations or single fences, always going over, even if the rider was struggling for balance or timing. In the language of a school program, she was a “saint”. Thankfully, all my students who had the opportunity to ride her truly valued her and spoiled her with treats, hugs, love, and extra grooming, especially after a good roll. Sometimes she’d come in looking like she knew she was supposed to be gray, so did some special, extra rolling just to get that extra grooming time!
It was obvious that she died peacefully, just laying in the field. A student saw her alive, and 15 minutes later she didn’t come in with the rest of the group for feeding and that’s when we found her, just asleep on the ground.
All of us at Stonelea Farm miss her terribly. She was a very special mare!

08/08/2021

🔥Act now: Make Changes in the Olympics' Pentathlon Horse Riding Competition

Hey Everyone, after the debacle of the Pentathlon at the Olympic games, Please read this completely accurate portrayal of the horses used in the final phase. Any seasoned or knowledgeablehorse person would agree.

Let’s get to 2300 signatures by the end of today - can you add yours?

07/18/2021

Oh the sport we love! These ladies work hard all week, juggling jobs, kids, and general family life and come here for that special time and connection to their favorite horse. They groom them, stroke them, talk to them, spoil them with treats and make these lucky horses feel loved ❤️. Stonelea school horses have a very nice life!

Oh the sport we love! These ladies work hard all week, juggling jobs, kids, and general family life and come here for that special time and connection to their favorite horse. They groom them, stroke them, talk to them, spoil them with treats and make these lucky horses feel loved ❤️. Stonelea school horses have a very nice life!

07/17/2021

Beating the summer heat. They are walking out after a 7:30 AM lesson
😜

Beating the summer heat. They are walking out after a 7:30 AM lesson
😜

07/15/2021

Working Students do it all! They are 11-15 years old. Farm life, farm responsibilities! Good job Lucca!

07/15/2021

Look at the tiny (42”) pony leading the big guys! 😂

06/27/2021

6/26 & 27, 2021. Hey, look at these talented riders! Kat/Kyrie, Lucca/Worthy, Carolyn/Roman participated in the team challenge in Dressage in Culpepper this past weekend. They came home with ribbons in their classes both days and finished as champions in the team challenge. On top of that, Kyrie was the highest scoring Thoroughbred both days! You can see in the second picture how surprised Kat was, LOL!
(this is pretty exciting to see how well-rounded thoroughbreds can be. So far Kat has done the following activities or competitions and placed well with Kyrie: Dressage, Hunters, Show Jumpers, riding bridleless, and trails. She competed in Florida with her for a month (thanks to Michelle Mahoney and Dorna Taintor) and she placed with her at Upperville. I’m so excited for Kat since this was on her bucket list and she’s doing it all this year before she moves to Kentucky in October!)
Way to go everyone! Great job!

06/18/2021

Some jumping fun with Lucca on Worthy and Kat on Gracie!

06/12/2021

Jewel and I finally did an official 25 mile race at the Old Dominion, and my training with her paid off. It was a fun, yet challenging experience and it wouldn’t have gone nearly as smoothly if I hadn’t had my last minute “pit crew“ of Cat and Lucca Reese, who were quick to learn what the job required but also were so efficient with helping in the care of Jewel and the general runnings of the day while at the trailer. We came in tied for third and I still had energy left over. We also won our weight division.  This little paint/quarter horse kept up with the two Arabs on the way out to the vet check and led them most of the way back to base camp. I figured that since she has her breed going against her in the sport, the best thing I could do for her was to get her as fit as possible. She’s got a big heart and a lot of try! Thank you to Jeannie Waldron, Jessica Pully, Sarah Fletcher, and Trisha Juerling for all the coaching and encouragement, and for embracing me and my pit crew as we enter the sport. You all make it so fun!

06/09/2021

Congratulations to Kat Donnelly on her fifth place at the prestigious Upperville Horse show on her favorite mare, Kyrie! The two have formed such a bond, and it’s only because Kyrie trusts Kat so much that she keeps her head together when there’s so much going on around her. Like so many horse and rider teams, there’s a lot of work, worry, aggravation, disappointment, then highs when Kyrie puts all the many lesson pieces together and gives an outstanding ride! I’m so happy to not only be able to see all the steady and hard work behind the scenes, but to witness the accomplishments this pair has achieved! Congratulations Kat!

05/13/2021

5/12/21 A good foundation is just that. Once you have it, even if you take a break from riding, you will always have it! That’s what I strive to teach here and it’s been proven again and again. This is John, on Darby ba****ck, after about a year not riding. 😜

05/10/2021

Heaven on Earth 🤩
Serravalle Designer Outlet, Italy

04/28/2021

In late March I was able to place Cricket at my college friend’s farm in Strasburg, Virginia. Cricket had been having trouble breathing and had developed heaves. It was stressing her heart as well as her lungs and this just wasn’t a good situation for her because she was reacting to any of the hay she was fed, either square bales or round. By being at Suzanne’s with just one other horse and access to 10 of the 40 acres of pasture, this was the perfect answer. She will rarely need hay. Already she has stopped having the breathing issues! And she sure is spoiled!

04/27/2021

Simple joy! A beautiful, shared moment between Kaelyn and Keswick 😊

Simple joy! A beautiful, shared moment between Kaelyn and Keswick 😊

04/24/2021

What amazing togetherness and balance in this stunning photo of Sharon White and Cooley On Show (Louie)

UPDATE: I'm making this image available as a 24x36 poster for one week only! Framed or unframed, follow the link to order now -> https://eringilmorephotography.pixieset.com/puresport-lrk3de-limitedrunposter/

ALSO: I will have one poster signed by Sharon White to give away to one lucky person who orders. Thank you for the amazing response to this image!

How are horses real 🤯
No words for this level of epic served up by Sharon White & Cooley On Show today on course at #lrk3de #lrk3de21

04/24/2021

4/24/21 This crew is working way too hard moving hay 🤣

4/24/21 This crew is working way too hard moving hay 🤣

04/23/2021

4/23/21 Rachael will be posting on Practical Horseman’s INSTAGRAM throughout today. Follow along to see Louis’ typical day at a five star!

04/22/2021

Vote for the ‘Flyest Horse at Kentucky’ Groom’s Award - Eventing Nation - Three-Day Eventing News, Results, Videos, and Commentary

Let’s all vote for Rachael Livermore and Cooley on Show!

We spend a lot of time talking about fashion choices and trot-up outfits at a five-star, but let’s take some time to celebrate the hardworking grooms of Kentucky! We love seeing horses turned out to

04/21/2021

Our cute little Soda Pop is currently at the Equine Medical Center in Leesburg Virginia. They are taking great care of him after he started to colic on Sunday night. One time a day vet visits on Sunday and Monday with a nasogastric tube putting fluids and electrolytes in his stomach did not do the trick of clearing his impaction. On Tuesday morning, on to Morven Park we went. Although he seemed perky at drop off he was not his usual self. After a day and night of fluids and passing four poops last night, he’s a completely different animal, much to their surprise! This just means that you really need to know your animals. To anyone else who didn’t know him he might have seemed OK but he is a spunky little fellow, moves around a lot and calls a lot, which he is now doing over there! I hope to bring him home tomorrow. They are spending today introducing food and making sure that his system is processing it and getting it back out of him! Thank you to the staff at the medical center that kindly took these pictures for me. Alas, due to Covid there are no visitors allowed so the closest I got was to the parking lot where he was unloaded, LOL!

04/21/2021

Meet #USAEventing's Wood Baughman

Woods has continued to climb up the levels. It’s been fun watching him just as it was to watch him on Kalle!

04/18/2021

4/17/21 Jewel and I did 18 miles at the Old Dominion No-Frills ride in Star Tannery, Virginia today. My friend and I and another rider all came in at the same time and Jewel’s pulse came down within five minutes. This means our preparation for these rides is working! Base camp had beautiful views of the mountains on both sides of us and where we went for the race. After only a mile the trail got extremely rocky and sometimes treacherous so we had to walk. The views were gorgeous once we got to the top. A couple of the pictures below show how rocky it was. The last picture shows a summary of our ride which includes what gaits we were doing, for how long, and what distance. Unfortunately I forgot to start the Equilab app until a couple miles in. It’s still very useful!

04/13/2021

I put together this little video to show you about how I place and use the heart rate monitor. Also, I share with you the tack that I’ve learned to use and why. Enjoy!

04/11/2021

4/10/21 Here’s a video of one of Lucca‘s rounds on Worthy. Congratulations Lucca!

04/11/2021

4/10/21 Kat took Lucca and Worthy to Lucca’s first show ever! Kat’s great coaching helped Lucca get great results! (As well as Lucca’s continued practice and focus with her homework at home on Worthy.)

4/10/21 Kat took Lucca and Worthy to Lucca’s first show ever! Kat’s great coaching helped Lucca get great results! (As well as Lucca’s continued practice and focus with her homework at home on Worthy.)

04/11/2021

4/10/21 here’s a video of one of Kat and Gracie‘s rounds from today :-)

04/11/2021

4/10/21 Kat took Gracie to a show today, Gracie’s first after many years, and she’d only been to a few in her life. She had a wonderful day!

4/10/21 Kat took Gracie to a show today, Gracie’s first after many years, and she’d only been to a few in her life. She had a wonderful day!

04/09/2021

Got my trot work in with Jewel, finished just before the storms hit. We did 10 miles and finished with her heart rate at 148 and maintaining an average 7.2 mph speed. 10 minutes later, having walked, her heart rate dropped to 72. This assures me that I am properly preparing her for this new sport. 😊