Monday, December 30, 2013

Top 10 Rider Resolutions for 2014!!

Good Morning Bloggers!

Southwind Farm and family had a wonderful Christmas holiday! Jenny, Sheri's daughter, welcomed a new family member to the Southwind crew...meet Walter:
How cute is he?

Also, Spike got to model his Christmas jammies for everyone:

On another note, with 2014 only two days away, we wanted to share with you the Top 10 Rider Resolutions for the new year, as polled by Horse Listening.com. Do you have any resolutions as a rider? What about goals for your horse in 2014? 

10. Use your outside rein more and don't pull on the inside rein (do your best to keep the horse “straight”).

9. Follow the horse’s back with your back and keep supple (aka ride “with” the movement).

8. Keep working to refine your most-used aids – hands, legs, and seat.

7. Video your rides and analyze what you are doing right and what you could improve upon.

6. Set realistic goals and attend at least one competition (small and achievable; schooling show or recognized).

5. Ride regularly and set goals to accomplish each ride (make each ride a mean something).

4. Lesson regularly; Find an instructor you trust and lesson with them.

3. Ride in and/or audit clinics. There are tons of opportunities for clinics with top-level professionals. Even if you can't afford to ride in the clinic, see if you can go audit and take notes!

2. Read, read and read some more. There are tons of materials out there that can help you meet your goals or help you learn new aids and training methods for your horse.

1. LISTEN TO YOUR HORSE! Be sure not to set unrealistic goals for you and your horse's abilities. Your horse will let you know what they are capable of and how far they can take you.





Monday, December 23, 2013

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from Southwind Farm!

Southwind Farm would like to wish all of our clients and friends a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you for being part of the Southwind family. We are looking forward to another great year in 2014 with lots in store for the farm, the horses and of course our clients.  

Monday, December 16, 2013

Addie is home!!!

Good morning everyone!

You know the holidays are here and Christmas is coming when students return home from college for winter break. We are thrilled that Addie, daughter of Southwind's owner Sheri, has returned home from her first semester at West Virginia University! We are happy to see her home and around the barn again.

Can you tell the dogs were happy too?


Monday, December 9, 2013

First real snow of the winter!

Hi everyone!

Hope you all are staying safe out there! Yesterday, we experienced our first real snow storm of the winter. We got around five inches of snow followed by ice. YUCK!! All the horses were tucked in safe and warm. Thankfully, since we have an indoor arena, riding will continue on. However, we remind everyone to stay safe and keep their horse's safety first in this icy mess!

Here is a quick photo from yesterday to show some of the accumulation:


Stay warm! And remember, Southwind is always looking for new boarders to join our family!


Monday, December 2, 2013

The Christmas Season Has Begun for Southwind!

Good morning everyone!

We hope that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday and are as excited about the Christmas season as we (especially Spike) are!

This past weekend, Spike got all dressed up to go Christmas tree shopping and had a great time!



Also, if you are still searching for that perfect Christmas present... don't forget about Stormy who is still for sale! Check out this great video of him on the flat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ2Vj2oZH08

If you want more information on Stormy, click here: http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?horse_id=1903118