The Bleu Barn

08/31/2026

Dolly Parton showed us what it looks like to lead with warmth, humility, humor, and an ability to see the good in people. Through the way she has lived and treated others, she reminds us that kindness and strength are not opposites, and that generosity can be a form of leadership.

May we continue to be inspired by the example she has set—to notice the little things, make others feel seen, use what we have to help where we can, and leave the world a little softer because we were in it.

May we carry a little of her light forward.

08/31/2026

THE EWE NECK…

With a postural ewe neck, the solution is not to simply lower the horse’s head and neck to camouflage the problem.

Because the head and neck lifting is not the problem.

The problem is, when the lift doesn’t originate in the sternum and the base of their neck.

When the sternum is dropped and the first few vertebrae at the base of their neck (C6–C7) are falling forward into a more horizontal alignment, the horse cannot lift their neck from the base.

Instead, when their head comes up, there’s an abrupt angle change in their cervical spine.

That’s what creates the classic ewe neck appearance… bulging underneath, hollow on top.

The answer isn’t to have them drop their head until the rest of their neck ‘matches’ that horizontalization.

Yes, some horses are conformationally lower in the base of their neck.

Yes, a horse dropping their sternum and the base of their neck during grazing is healthy and natural.

Yes, allowing the horse to stretch forward, down, and out is a vital part of interval training.

But horses are designed to have access to dynamic balance… which means being able to lift their sternum and verticalize the base of their neck when needed.

If a horse can’t access that, it will affect them both physically, and emotionally, both under saddle, and in their daily life.

We can’t access this by tractioning the spine into a false lift from front to back...

Every verticalization of the dorsal processes brought on by traction will be matched by a horizontalization of C6 and C7.

Further, this traction can block the horse’s attempt to seek balance from back to front.

We can’t address this by focusing on the front end or only working in certain gaits.

This requires the participation of the WHOLE horse, mind, body, and spirit, with their full range of motion, and their full range of gaits.

Inspired by Ada Draghici Relationship-Based Horsemanship’s recent fabulous discussions exploring this.

Photo credit Horses Inside Out and Sustainable Dressage

08/31/2026

Help us sell this last few rolls of fundraiser trash bags!

Available as of August 30

White-12
Yellow-5
Blue-4
Pink-6

08/30/2026

08/30/2026

Love to design exercises which combine gymnastic elements and course jumping skills like related distances. Here’s an example of our designs. Building skills for reliable performances.

08/28/2026

If they can’t walk and steer, they can’t trot and steer.
If they can’t balance at the trot, they aren’t ready to canter.
If they can’t go catch their own horse, groom it, tack it up and take responsibility for it, how are they supposed to lead that horse from the saddle?

Going faster does not equal getting better. Strapping your kid to a horse and sending them into the arena isn’t making them better, it’s setting them up to get hurt.

You might think watching your kid walk circles isn’t exciting. You might think they should be cantering, jumping “doing more.”

But sometimes they’re simply not ready.

And respectfully — that’s why you hired an instructor. Because knowing how and when to progress a rider is our job.

We aren’t holding your kid back. We’re building the foundation that keeps them safe and makes them GOOD.

- Author Unknown

08/27/2026

Today Max Ferris and Savannah Noe escorted Donut, the miniature horse, to “see his public.” We are so proud to be supporting the Northwest Horsemen’s Association at Northwest Missouri State University

Savannah qualified for Western Dressage World Show this September on both HPH Frost and HOH Vested Assets (Dot)! Today, she and Max brought Donut to let incoming freshmen and transfers know they have a riding club on campus. Donut is a total pro having made this trip for years - first round with alumni Lola Morales!

We are so glad to lend him and he is LOVING the attention and pats! Make sure to see the club at Org Fair in a few weeks and keep an eye out for this campus celebrity’s next appearance!