TCB Training

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TCB Training Training, Lessons, Consignment Sales, Horse shopping assistant, problem horses, c**t starting We will custom mold a program for you & your horse.

Don't have a horse but would like to? I am available to accompany you to see horses to ensure a good fit! Training * consignment sale stalls available, Lessons, Clinics, Travel training/instruction! Lisa 781-771-3641
I also sell tack and show clothing on consignment!

09/14/2026

BE CAREFUL WHO YOU LET TEACH YOU.

Being good at something and being good at teaching something are two completely different things.

Just because someone can win doesn’t mean they can teach you how to win.
Just because someone is popular doesn’t mean they’re right.
🚫And just because “that’s the way we’ve always done it” doesn’t mean it’s the best way.

Find someone who can explain WHY.✅
Someone who can tell you what they’re asking for, what they’re looking for, and what they’ll change when it isn’t working.
Someone who cares about the horse underneath the rider, not just the result on the scoreboard.
Someone who doesn’t get defensive when you ask questions.
Someone who doesn’t make you feel stupid for wanting to understand.

🙌And honestly?
Find someone who is comfortable saying:
“I don’t know.”

A good teacher doesn’t need to pretend they have every answer.
They’ll tell you they don’t know, and then they’ll go find the answer.

Because a real coach isn’t trying to build dependence.

They’re trying to build understanding.
I want the people I teach to eventually know enough that they don't need me for every question.

I want them to understand their horse.

I want them to understand why something works.

I want them to be able to troubleshoot when things go wrong.

I want them to develop an eye.

I want them to become confident enough to make decisions without waiting for someone else to tell them what to do.

And eventually? 💯
I want them to be better than me.
Because if I’m doing my job correctly, I’m not creating students who need me forever.
I’m creating horsemen and women who could eventually stand where I stand, help the next person, and pass that knowledge forward.

That’s the goal.
Not to keep you dependent.
Not to keep information locked behind a gate.
Not to make you feel like you’ll never know enough without me.
Teach people so well that they eventually outgrow you.

And when they do?
Be proud.
Because your legacy isn’t how many people needed you.
It’s how many people became better because you taught them.

So quit gatekeeping.

Share the knowledge.

Explain the why.

Ask questions.

Stay curious.

And be very, very careful about who you allow to shape the way you think about your horse.
The best teachers don’t build followers.
They build more teachers.

💭 What’s the biggest lesson a trainer ever taught you that had nothing to do with winning?

Ariel Hahn

One of the hardest parts of being a riding instructor is taking your riders’ progress personally.There are days when I l...
08/27/2026

One of the hardest parts of being a riding instructor is taking your riders’ progress personally.

There are days when I leave the arena feeling like I made a difference. Something clicked. A rider found a piece they’ve been struggling with, their confidence grew, or I watched them do something they couldn’t do a month ago.

And then there are the days I leave wondering if I’m making an impact at all.

When a rider plateaus, I immediately start questioning myself. Am I explaining it wrong? Am I pushing too hard? Not pushing enough? Is there another exercise I should be using? What am I missing?

But I think one of the most frustrating parts of teaching is when the thing holding a rider back isn’t their ability.

It’s their own mind.

As a trainer, you can see what they’re capable of. You can see the rider underneath the nerves, the overthinking, the frustration, and the fear of getting it wrong. You know that if they could just breathe, trust themselves, and allow it to happen, they could go so much further than they realize.

And sometimes that progression is painfully slow.

Not because they aren’t talented. Not because they aren’t trying. But because you can’t physically reach inside someone else’s head and remove the mental block for them.

You can explain it 15 different ways. Change the exercise. Change the horse. Break it into smaller pieces. Encourage them. Push them. Back off. Give them time.

But eventually, they have to believe they can do it.

And as an instructor, that can be incredibly frustrating—not because you’re frustrated with the rider, but because you can see what’s waiting for them on the other side of that wall.

You can see the rider they’re capable of becoming long before they can see it themselves.

But progress with horses is rarely linear.

Sometimes the lesson that feels completely unproductive is actually laying the groundwork for something that clicks three weeks later. Sometimes the rider who feels “stuck” is quietly building balance, timing, feel, confidence, and muscle memory that isn’t obvious yet.

And sometimes, as instructors, we need the same reminder we constantly give our students:

You don’t have to make huge progress every ride for the work to be working.

I think good instructors take plateaus personally because we care. We don’t just want to fill an hour and collect a lesson fee. We want to teach. We want our riders to understand why. We want to watch them become independent, capable horsemen—not riders who need us standing in the middle of the arena forever.

So yes, sometimes I go home frustrated.

Sometimes I replay lessons in my head and wonder what I could have done differently.

Sometimes I wish I could make a rider see themselves through my eyes for five minutes—because maybe then they’d understand just how capable they really are.

Sometimes I worry that I’m not making enough of an impact.

And then a rider finally takes that breath.

They stop thinking about every little thing that could go wrong.

They trust their horse. They trust their body. They trust everything we’ve spent months building.

And suddenly, something we’ve been fighting for weeks just… happens.

That’s when I remember:

Maybe progress isn’t always something we get to see happening.

Sometimes we just get to plant it, water it, and wait. ❤️

09/16/2025

🤎 One loyal friend…
And suddenly, the world feels quieter, softer, and a little less lonely.

Sometimes life doesn’t give us a person —
but someone with four legs, warm breath, and silent wisdom.
Someone who won’t betray.
Who won’t pretend, won’t judge, and won’t walk away.
Someone who simply stays — through your brightest days and your darkest nights.

Horses don’t speak, but they hear your heart.
They see the real you — with all your cracks and struggles — and still choose to stay.
Because their loyalty doesn’t need a reason.

And the truth is beautifully simple:
One loyal friend is worth a thousand fake ones.


09/09/2025

I DID NOT KNOW...

I did not know a horse could bring people into your life that end up meaning the most to you.
I did not know a horse could make the hardest days of your life bearable.
I did not know a horse could teach you to put others first.
I did not know a horse could remind you time and time again that your gut is always right.
I did not know a horse could break your heart.
I did not know a horse could pick you up when you have fallen apart.
I did not know a horse could teach you to dream again, after you thought it was not possible.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in yourself.
I did not know a horse could teach responsibility, work ethic, and dedication.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in something when no one else does.
I did not know a horse could make you learn to forgive and forget.
I did not know a horse could humble you faster than you can say humble.
I did not know a horse could make you a winner.
I did not know a horse could also teach you how to lose gracefully.
I did not know a horse could instill patience in you.
I did not know a horse could make you listen better.
I did not know a horse could give you their heart.
I did not know a horse could change your life.
I did not know a horse could do all these things...
but now I know.

by Alissa Kelly

https://www.facebook.com/alissa.burson?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Image - Charlie Mackesy

09/08/2025

Teenage Barn Drama: Zero Tolerance Policy in Effect 🚫

Let me be crystal clear about something: My barn is not a social experiment.

The drama I've witnessed:
- "She got to ride MY horse!" (it was a lesson horse!!)
- Cliques excluding other riders
- Gossip sessions in the tack room
- Mean girl behavior toward newer students
- Social media drama spilling into the barn

Here's my policy: One warning. Then you're out.

Why zero tolerance?
🐴 Horses feel tension - your drama stresses them out
🔒 Other students suffer - quiet kids quit because of your behavior
⏰ My time is valuable - I'm not a middle school counselor

After kicking a problem student out of my program, the mother said to me "But they're just teenagers!" Exactly. Which means this is the PERFECT time to learn that actions have consequences.

What I tell the teens: "You can have drama OR you can have horses. Pick one."
The result? My barn stays focused on horses and riding. Students actually learn. The good kids thrive without toxic energy around them.

Life's too short to manage teenage attitudes when there are horses to ride and skills to build.

Fellow instructors: Am I too harsh? How do you handle barn drama?

Horses deserve better than our human drama. So do the students who actually want to learn.

Friesian Firsts for Haley today! What a way to get back in the saddle again!
09/08/2025

Friesian Firsts for Haley today! What a way to get back in the saddle again!

And not to be outdone, Sue O'Meara Lachance hopped on to cool Harry out for her
08/20/2025

And not to be outdone, Sue O'Meara Lachance hopped on to cool Harry out for her

08/20/2025

Harry has been on a roll with his "Friesian Firsts" for all ages and riding abilities! Here's Jo's friesian first from last week.

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114 Center Street
Plympton, MA

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+17817713641

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