TNT Equestrian

My entire life I struggled with the concept of lowering my centre of balance while in the saddle. As a rider with a longer torso and shorter legs I felt like this was an almost impossible task.

Through much research and self experimentation I started to put together pieces of this puzzle such as; horse barrel shape, longer stirrup length, higher hands. But something was still missing.

I was very pleased to meet Julie at who helped find a saddle that worked with me not against me!

During the trial so many little factors made a big difference. Half an inch in the seat size, length of flap, depth of saddle. Julie patiently guided me through all of it. I ended up in a deep seat 2G with straight short flaps to accommodate length of leg (or my lack of it) while lowering the centre of gravity. My only regret was that it did not have the mademoiselle twist.

This year Julie found me a deep seat mademoiselle in Europe that fit every requirement. When I sat in it yesterday it felt like it was made for my body!

Having the right saddle makes a big difference and I’m pleased to have a great company and saddle fitter as part of my team. If you are searching for a new saddle reach out to . She does an excellent job working with all shapes and sizes of horses and riders while providing options for all budgets.

When your determined to ride but you can’t afford an indoor arena 😂 I think many of you will relate this little girls feelings of desperate determination! Swipe ➡️ to see her happy success face. And yes, I offered to pick her up… but she needed to get on “by herself from the mount block”. If you know my daughter you know her do it myself attitude! I hope your enjoying the beautiful winter weather as much as we are ❄️☃️

Taking a moment to share some exciting Canadian warmbloods. Both full siblings were sold to Ontario. has the first stunning Tecumseh x Quidam blue gelding being developed as a sales prospect at her place and the full sister 2024 in the second picture leaves this morning to .17 to develop. I am always excited to see how our horses grow and develop! As most of you know I am no longer breeding and only have 4 young ones left. It’s a great time to get into a top horse for an amazing price.

Who is a parent of a horse crazy kid? ⬇️ Help! This little one has figured out how to halter her own pony, lead it to the mount block, climb on ba****ck without any help, and ride off. Maybe it’s time to buy a lock for the ponies gate? 😂 Shout out to , .eq, and which is where this amazing pony came from. If you’re looking for a pony dm them up to see what they have!

Here are a few 2 year old registered Canadian warmbloods. The chestnut filly is by a Tacorde x Gervantus ii/Tango Selune stallion (shown in the last picture) and the pinto filly is by Hanoverian stallion Rip n Rio Z both out of quarter horse dams selectively chosen to add an amateur friendly brain onto the athleticism of the warmblood. Full siblings have gone on to be great all round horses taking their amateur owners to the dressage and hunter rings. If you dream of a horse to show, trail ride, and share with the kids then these two are what you’re looking for. They will both sell in 2026 (as 3 year olds) with a light start on them.

It’s that time of year when the 2 year olds come in for kindergarten. If you’re looking for something athletic and amateur friendly, one of these warmbloods may be a match for you! Affordable Canada wide shipping 🇨🇦

In today’s society social media makes it easy to chase likes, sponsorship, and attention. But I believe good things come your way without being chased, just the right people at the right time, and that is exactly what happened today.

I have been riding CWD for over a decade. This summer I met Julie and realized having a quality saddle fitter was a missing part of my business. I have long valued the idea of building a team of Equine professional to be part of my sales program. If you’ve met me, you know how much importance I put on connecting and building relationships. Over the last five years my team has expanded to include quality vets, farriers, horse haulers, coaches/trainers (western and English starters all the way to show programs across most of the provinces), and of course commission programs (coast to coast Canada and branching to the USA).

Now I am delighted to say that I have regular visits (even though I’m in the middle of nowhere!) from a saddle fitter who really cares about my horse’s comfort and health.

Thank you for welcoming me to your team as a sponsored rider. I look forward to having you as part of my journey!

In the high-pressure world of hunter/jumper competition, emotions are everywhere. From disappointment after a tough round, relief after a big breakthrough to frustration when things don’t go as planned. But for many riders, those feelings get bottled up instead of processed, especially when tears are involved.

“Crying is healthy,” high-performance coach John Haime said on episode 441 of The Plaidcast. “That’s you expressing emotion, and it’s okay.” Despite the long-held belief that crying equals weakness or failure, Haime believes it’s a natural part of the athletic experience, and sometimes a necessary one.

For riders who care deeply, emotions are not only expected—they’re inevitable. When you pour your time, money, and heart into the sport, the stakes feel personal. But the tendency to suppress emotion can lead to bigger problems.

“If you push it down or avoid it, it doesn’t go away,” Haime explained. “It just comes out in other ways—like anxiety, burnout, or lack of motivation.” Learning to process emotions openly and honestly, rather than pretending they don’t exist, is part of becoming a stronger athlete.

Whether it’s crying after a rail or feeling nervous before a round, many riders are taught to “toughen up” instead of tuning in. Haime challenges that mindset. “You’re a human being first,” he said. “Feeling is part of being human, and it’s part of performing.”

That’s especially important for young riders who are still building emotional resilience. “We expect them to act like professionals when they’re still figuring things out,” he said. “We need to teach them how to handle disappointment, not shame them for showing it.”

🔗 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/09/03/how-to-cry-like-a-champion-reframing-emotional-expression-in-equestrian-sports/
📸 © Kind Media

The bay mare collection 🐴

8 year old KWPN, Madeline Des Jardins (Zirroco Blue x Van Gogh) and my best kept secret, 5 year old Zangersheide, Luxadia Z (Luxor Z x Landgraf/Capitol I)

I am happy to be back home after an exciting two weeks in Calgary. I left all four of my sales horses in Alberta and came home with one very special mare who I’m both scared and excited to say, for the first time in over a decade, will be my personal horse. I made some great friendships that I hope will last over distance and time, and I’m already looking forward to our next Alberta trip in the late fall. Thank you to everyone who has supported my business both this year and previous years. It takes a team to chase your dreams and my team grew exponentially in the last two weeks.