Body Control-For Better or For Worse

Is your body position positively or negatively affecting your horse?

Kate HealeyJanuary 12, 2022Comment

On Arrogance

There is no room for ego in horse training.

Kate HealeyJanuary 3, 2022Comment

3,2,1...FIGHT!

Do you fight with your horse? Is it always a good idea to have a battle mentality?

Kate HealeyJuly 3, 2021horse training, horses, horse riding, dressage, horse love, training horsesComment

Foal Watch Day Six

Foal watch, AKA Groundhog Day

Kate HealeyMarch 22, 2021Comment

Pandemic Rewind

Don’t worry, no one wants to re-live 2020!

Kate HealeyMarch 14, 2021equestrian, equestrian utah, Utah horseback riding, horses, horse, eventing, pandemic, barn, horse barn, horse barn utahComment

Freedom Fest 2020 Play-by-Play

Read more about our riders at the Skyline Freedom Fest 2020

Kate HealeyJuly 4, 2020Comment

A Letter to My Showing Students

As the first schooling shows start opening up, I like to remind my students who they are-and aren’t-competing against when they show, and how I expect them to conduct themselves. Here’s a letter to all of my students going to shows this year.

Photo Critique 2

Hades and Brooklyn are next up for a photo critique! Hades is jumping this square oxer really well, using his back for a nice round shape up over the fence. Brooklyn has a great eye and her back is totally flat, which will help her recover well on landing.

Kate HealeyMay 18, 2020eventing, eventer, equestrian, horse, horess, horses, horseback riding, horseback riding utah, utah riding, horse jumping, horse jumping utah, show jumpingComment

The Lasting Effects of Horse Abuse

Today I taught a lesson with a skilled rider and her seasoned horse that she’s owned for about five years. When we decided to buy him for her, we were aware that he came from an abusive situation.

Kate HealeyMay 2, 2020horse, horses, horse care, horse love, horse owning, horseback riding, riding, horse riding, equestrian, horse abuseComment

Considerations for Horse Buyers-Part 3

Considerations for Horse Buyers Part 3: What To Look For (and avoid!) in Horse Sale Ads

Kate HealeyApril 2, 2020equestrian, horse, horses, buying a horse, horse buying, horse care, horse sales, horse sale ads, poy, pony, ponies, eventing, riding, horse riding, riding students, learning ridingComment

Coronavirus Tips for Equestrians

4 things to do about the coronavirus-just for equestrians!

Kate HealeyMarch 6, 2020coronavirus, corona virus, equestrian, equestrian satireComment

Guest Post: Christian Eagles on Eventing Deaths

After hearing about the death of another rider and her horse on cross-country, I wanted to get a professional’s feedback on changes that could be made and what we can individually do.

Kate HealeyMarch 3, 2020eventing, eventer, equestrian, cross-country, eventing death, eventing deaths, USEAComment

Check Your Goal Before You Wreck Your Goal

I believe that goal-setting is important, but that a flexible mindset is even more essential with a sport like ours. After all, the saying does go, “make a goal and watch your horse laugh!”

Kate HealeyFebruary 24, 2020horses, horse, equestrian, eventing, riding, horse riding, horse riding lessons, riding lesson, riding utah, horseback ridingComment

Photo Critique-Episode 1 of 1!

I decided to start a series where once a week on this blog I will evaluate a photo of a horse and rider combination and give a short, hopefully helpful, critique. I’m starting with myself!

Kate HealeyFebruary 17, 2020dressage, equestrian, eventing, eventing utah, event horse, thoroughbred, rider, rider critique, riding, horse ridingComment

The Ugliest Pony I've Ever Seen

Once upon a time I was 14 and was looking for a project pony. When I say “project pony,” a few requirements were obvious (at least to me).

How to Get Rich Enough to Pay For Your Horses

Every time my dad or someone else would complain about my horse bills when I was young my mom would say, “It’s cheaper than rehab!” but yeah, I don’t think that’s entirely true.

Valentine's Day Gift Picks

Valentine’s Day gift ideas and guides keep popping up on my news feed. They’re filed with pink saddle pads, red bell boots, scarves with horseshoes on them and other useless (to me) items. So I decided I’d put together my own list.

Kate HealeyFebruary 2, 2020horse, horses, pony, ponies, equestrian, equestrians, rider, horse rider, horse riding, horseback riding, eventer, eventing, eventing lessons, Eventing, barn, Charles Owen, riding, riding helmet, valentine, valentines, Valentine, Valentine's, Valentine's Day, valentine's day, valentines day, equestrian life, equestrian lifestyle, roeckl, charles owen, Roeckl, roeckl gloves, riding gloves, riding gifts, gift ideas, Valentine's Day gift ideas, valentines day gift ideas, valentines ideas, valentine's day idea, equestrian gifts, equestrian gift ideas, rider gifts, rider gift ideas, eventer gifts, horze, Horze, Smartpak, Smartpak Equine, smartpak, smartpak equine, mr stockings, mr stockings boots, Mr Stockings boots, Mr Stockings, Mr Stockings USA, mr stockings USA, dublin river boots, tuffrider boots, romfh, ROMFH, romfh breeches, riding breechesComment

Thoroughbreds Are Like Toddlers

I only have one toddler but I have been around a fair amount of tiny humans in my life. Words that come to mind when describing toddlers are stubborn, emotional, reactive, flighty, and insecure. Sound familiar??

Kate HealeyJanuary 28, 2020horses, horse, horse training, thoroughbred, thoroughbreds, eventing, riding, equestrian, Eventing, toddler, toddlers, parentingComment

What to Do-And Why You Should Do It-When You Can't Ride

If you, like me, rely on an outdoor surface to ride, bad footing can ruin your day, week, month, even season. So rather than going slowly insane as day after day goes by without riding, let’s consider how we can combat the negative emotional, mental, and physical setbacks when riding isn’t possible.

Kate HealeyJanuary 27, 2020horse, horses, pony, ponies, horse riding, horseback, horseback riding, horseback riding utah, utah, equestrian, equestrian utah, eventing, barn, horse barn, horse owner, horse owning, horse care, horse lessons, riding, riding lessons, horse riding lessons, horseback riding lessons, horseback riding lessons utah, horseback riding instructor, riding instructor, instructor, horse riding instructor, winter riding, horse books, horse magazines, dressage, dressage riding, horse dressage, eventing barn, USPC, pony club, pony clubs, grooming, horse grooming, training, horse training, jumping, horse jumping, show jumping, Charlotte Dujardin, Valegro, Ingrid Klimke, eventer, Eventing, eventing lessons, groundwork, horse groundwork, horse tack, cleaning tack, tack cleaning, tack, fitness, equestrian fitness, rider fitness, yoga for riding, equestrian yogaComment

No "Equestrian" in Team

I wanted my girls to have that sense of belonging and community that came from being an official member of something. I wanted them to be able to come together to support each other and not feel competitive against each other. That’s how the Valley View Equestrian Team all started.

Posting the Trot

a Valley View Equestrian Blog

Valley View Equestrian