Prophet Hill Farm

08/23/2026

Horses have a way of revealing the things we'd rather not see. They notice when we're rushing or holding tension. They definitely notice when our body says one thing while our aids ask for another. And because they notice, they give us an opportunity to improve.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how much growth in riding actually starts with honesty and the willingness to look at yourself and ask, "What is this horse trying to teach me today?"

Sometimes the answer is about breathing or core strength. Sometimes it's about patience or small victories. Often enough it has very little to do with riding at all.

08/14/2026

One of the best traits of a good horse trainer is to have a low “POQ.”

And what, pray tell, is a POQ?

It stands for “Pissed Off-ed-ness Quotient,” the ability of a human to get pi**ed off by the reactions and responses of a horse.

You see them everywhere in the horse world, the people with high POQs.

SLAP—WHOA—CRANK—STOP—DON’T DO THAT—KICK—YANK—JERK—GRIND—

High intensity, easily frustrated, annoyed in a heart beat, these people are the ones with nervous, tense horses who are just waiting for the next punishment.

Some humans have high POQs out of fear, some out of anger issues, some out of general life frustration, some because they’ve been taught to do so, but whatever the reason, a high POQ will need to be transformed into a low POQ if the human truly wants to become an effective horse trainer.

And this may be a hard thing to accomplish if the underlying reasons are based on deeply held character traits.

But WATCH the best trainers. They do NOT get angry at horses.

08/10/2026

Remember why you first fell in love with them 💕

08/08/2026

A long, busy and tiring week.
Some changes put in motion.
Coming home to my babies brings me so much peace and contentment. 🌷

07/27/2026

Quinn's ritual every evening at night check. Beating up his toy to get to the yummy peppermints inside. 🦄

07/26/2026

"When you constantly drive your horse forward and fiddle with his flexion and roundness, you're micromanaging him. This actually prevents him from thinking and acting like a partner. It is obedience without desire, which has its limitations and can create behavioral issues due to mental and emotional disconnection and duress."
~ Lauren Barwick

Four-time Paralympian Lauren Barwick shares arena patterns you can practice at home to improve the relationship you share with your dressage horse both in and out of the ring.

Click on the link in the Comments below to develop a better partnership with your dressage horse!

07/26/2026

28 years old and blind. . . .
And Quinn still manages to take my breath away.
My beautiful boy. 💜

07/26/2026

All my horses appear to be part cat, and only use the small section of sand to go 💩 in their turnout.
Makes cleanup a breeze.
My ponies love me. 💕

07/19/2026

It's taken me almost a week to finally feel up to sharing this. Last Monday I had to say goodbye to my beloved Ethan. I am shattered and miss him beyond words. 💔

Ethan loved his life as a farm dog. He loved all his ponies and took his job as guardian for all seriously. He loved visitors to the farm, and was a friend to all.

I was blessed to share my life with this beautiful soul. He was my constant and often only friend to lean on thru some very tough times over the last couple years. I could not have gotten thru it without him.

He will be so missed. 😢

07/17/2026