​We made it through our first official big-girl horse show! Glendon Stables had an awesome day! Congrats to everyone who took part, and huge thanks to all who came along to help and support Glendon's riders!
 
I am by no means a morning person, and the 4am start to the day was a bit rough to say the least. It was a beautiful sunrise at the farm and we arrived at the fairgrounds nice and early. Between Clare, Nancy, Lauren and Sam, everything was looked after, from the registration at the office, to unloading, tacking up and schooling the horses before our classes. They looked after everything and made the day stress-free and easy to enjoy. I was surprised at how not-nervous I was.
 
In the morning was the Hack Division. Marilyn and I finished 2nd in the Road Hack, 4th in the Pleasure Hack, and 5th in the Equitation. In the afternoon, in the Novice Hunter Division, We placed 1st in the Hunter Over Fences, 1st in the Equitation Over Fences, 1st in the Hunter Under Saddle, and 2nd in the Equitation Under Saddle. That was good enough to win Division Champion! Marilyn was a rock star! I was so proud of us!!
 
It was a long, wonderful, very educational day and I am grateful for the experience. I am now looking forward to our next adventure in puddle jumping! - Kerry (Client at Glendon Stables)

Once upon a pony, a young girl's parents sent her to summer horse camp, and an addict was born. Camp soon turned into weekly lessons, and as the young girl grew up, time and opportunities to ride became less frequent, but she never stopped obsessing about horses and jumped at every chance to get back in the saddle. She read every horse book she could, watched every show jumping event on TV, and tried to learn about all things equine. Over the years, she rode on and off, when and wherever she could. She took lessons at many different barns, but never really found where she felt she belonged.
 
Fast forward to about 4 years ago, I found myself once again longing to ride. Having had some bad experiences at the last place I rode, my confidence was shaken, which had been tenuous to begin with. Determined to get back in the saddle, I started riding at Glendon Stables. After a few months in the riding school, I joined Nancy's program. Boy, did she have her work cut out for her! But after many, many hours of riding under Nancy's coaching, I think I have turned a corner at last. I have a new confidence in my riding, and I know my skills have improved immensely.  I am now grasping concepts I had never been taught before, and understanding how correct riding is the foundation, and what that really feels like. My noodle legs are beginning to cooperate more, and I even have the occasional moment of excellence. I've had to unlearn a lifetime of bad habits and overcome some pretty intense anxiety and self-doubt, and I still work on it every single ride. Nancy has been ever-patient and consistent with me. She has pushed me when I felt I couldn't do better, or was too afraid. I've learned to trust her, and in turn, myself. Now, when that little voice of doubt and fear speaks, it's more of a whisper, and I can shush it much more easily. I now look forward to my lessons, where I used to dread them. I have found the barn where I belong.
 
I now feel that the time is right for me to challenge myself a little bit more, and go to my first "real" horse show. I've done some very small in-house schooling shows in past at other barns, but to me, those don't count. This will be my first official off-property, big-girl puddle-jumper horse show. Yes, the jumps will be tiny speed bumps but that's not important. I will never be Beezie Madden and that's ok. I'm ready to try something new, scary and exciting. Marilyn (my four legged partner) is an old pro and is ready to show me the ropes. Stay tuned for our show debut: coming next weekend!  - Kerry (client at Glendon Stables)