CornerStone Equestrian

One of the hardest things to learn in horse training is that not every problem is a today problem.

Sometimes the horse needs another ride.

Sometimes they need another month.

Sometimes they need another year.

I think we get ourselves into trouble when we become convinced that every weakness, every hole, and every imperfect moment needs to be addressed today.

It is not possible to human whack-a-mole every issue all at once.

Things improve a little here and a little there, one issue at a time, as the horse gets stronger, more educated, and more confident.

Good training requires action, but it also requires restraint.

The work of parenthood isn’t easy, especially alongside the physical and mental demands of eventing. But riders are finding ways to stay devoted to both horses and parenting. Rider Cornelia Dorr Fletcher says she found her capacity growing to meet the demands of her sport and her family.

“It’s been surprising for me to feel my bandwidth expand,” she said. “I’ve always been like, the more I do—if I get frazzled—I don’t perform well. So I have enjoyed watching myself struggle but also figure out how to manage more while I compete.”

We talked to eventing mothers about the specific challenges of raising small children while pursuing the sport, from rankings and qualification points to napping ringside at horse shows—and the things people warned them about that turned out not to be true.

Read the story at the link in our comments, available with a COTH subscription.

📸 Mady Hsue/TidBits Media

What a weekend at WindRidge Farm Spring H.T. ✨ Both of our riders secured their placings for AEC qualifications and we could not be more proud!

Chloe & Designer Fernhill laid down an incredible 19.4 dressage score, adding just a little XC time to finish on a 21 🦄

Carrigan & Fernhill Chili Martini scored a fabulous 29.1 in dressage with a little added time, finishing on a 30 🌟

Huge congratulations to both of you — y’all rode so well all weekend and represented the barn beautifully. We can’t wait to watch y’all crush it at AECs! ❤️