Whig Hill Farm

12/21/2025

11/17/2025

Why does TikTok think Cupid is an Icelandic horse? 😂

11/12/2025

These days, everybody seems to have grooms, but “R” judge and trainer Geoff Case thinks many riders are missing the quiet time spent simply doing for their horses. “Horsemanship doesn’t just happen in the saddle,” he said. “It’s everything you do around the horse that teaches you who they are.”

Case believes that the best riders, the ones who seem effortlessly in sync with their mounts, aren’t just great athletes. They’re great caretakers.

Case came up in a generation where riders did everything—groomed, bathed, wrapped, and tacked up their own horses. He still believes those habits are the foundation of success. “When you groom your horse, you start noticing things,” he said. “You feel the muscle tone. You feel if something’s tight. You learn their reactions.”

That kind of attention builds awareness and empathy, two things that can’t be taught in a lesson. “If you only ever show up to get on, you’re missing half the education,” he said. “It’s in the details. How they stand, how they breathe, how they look at you when you walk up with the halter.”

He encourages his students to spend as much time on the ground as they do in the saddle. “The more you do yourself, the more connected you are,” he said. “You start riding differently because you understand who’s under you.”

Case recalled working with Peter Wylde, who won the World Championship and an Olympic gold medal, but still did all his own care. “Peter was the perfect example,” Case said. “He could have had ten grooms if he wanted, but he still groomed, tacked, cooled out—everything. He knew every bump on those horses.”

That level of attention was about pride and partnership. “Peter didn’t separate the care from the riding,” Case said. “He knew they were part of the same thing.”

For Case, that mindset is what defines real horsemanship. “When you spend time doing the basics yourself, you stop thinking of the horse as a piece of equipment,” he said. “You start thinking of them as your teammate.”

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/11/03/why-doing-the-basics-yourself-builds-better-riders/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

11/12/2025

DER HANDSCHLAG

Absolut richtig – der Handschlag ist im Pferdehandel seit Jahrhunderten eine alte und ehrwürdige Tradition. 🫱🏼‍🫲🏼

Gerade in der Pferdewelt gilt er als Zeichen von Vertrauen, Ehre und Handschlagsqualität – man steht zu seinem Wort. Viele erfahrene Pferdehändler und Züchter sagen:

„Ein Wort und ein Handschlag zählen mehr als zehn Seiten Papier.“

11/04/2025

USEF will be enforcing this starting in December 1, 2025 (with verbal reminders before). Enforced for the 2026 competition year!!!!

10/23/2025

Make sure you keep an eye on your horses in this cold weather.
We already have one horse who has to wear a 70g blanket at night.

09/13/2025

We started this journey 4 - 4 1/2 years ago.
With a dream.

A dream to build a training facility for Off The Track Thoroughbreds.

Our way was pretty long and hard at times with lots of ups and downs.

Last week my wonderful husband asked me when I will start. Without hesitation I said “maybe when I have my pastures done. Or have a better arena. Maybe a barn too. Maybe in a few years. I don’t know.”

He looked at me and said the words “go find you a horse. Either you start now or you will never do it and you’ll regret it one day.”

With all this being said.
We’re on the way home now with the first horse that will be offered for grabs once he is ready.

Welcome to Whig Hill Farm Bounty.

06/24/2025

Snow would like to remind everyone to stay cool in this heat 💦💦

05/15/2025

What a rare little visitor. Here’s what I found.

white or albino skunks are considered rare. While skunks can have a variety of color variations, all-white individuals are not common and are often referred to as albino skunks. Albino skunks are not as visible as their black and white counterparts, and they can be more vulnerable to predators due to their increased visibility

01/24/2025

Follow me for more relationship advice 😂