Customer Focus: The All-Rounder

The All-Rounder Andi Bill

As a young lady entering Mount Holyoke College, Andi Bill was one of the first people I met.  At the time, Andi was the assistant coach of the collegiate Hunt Seat Team. Andi had a knack at making all of us newbies feel welcome, patiently answering all of our questions with a kind smile.  As a coach she was firm, but fun, and her love of horses was evident above all else. Andi is an accomplished engineer, but has never let her passion for horses, and teaching riding take a back burner.  

Tell us about your “horse history”

Andi began her horseback riding career at a young age

I have been riding my whole life!  My mom rode when she was pregnant with me.  I started showing competitively when I was seven.  I competed at Pony Finals every year from 1986 through 1995. I continued to ride as a junior, competing in the 3’6” equitation and junior hunters always showing and learning.

Andi loved horses from as far back as she can remember

I attended Mount Holyoke College, competing as an intercollegiate equestrian and serving as captain of Mount Holyoke’s IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Show Association) team my junior and senior years. I rode as an alternate on the United States Intercollegiate Team in Luxembourg and Malmo, Sweden, and was chef d’equipe for the winning American team in 1999. The IHSA provided a welcoming horse community of riders of diverse backgrounds and experience levels. It was at Mount Holyoke that I discovered that I enjoyed teaching just as much as I enjoyed riding.

Tell us about your riding and teaching philosophies

I like to keep it simple.  The four P’s:) Posture, Pace, Path, and Patience! I am a stickler for position; correct equitation allows the rider to effortlessly stay in balance with their horse and communicate as effectively as possible with their equine partner. Developing pace and planning your path are key to a successful ride and I focus on this with all of my riders. Finally, patience: have patience with your horse, patience with others, and patience with yourself. Slow down and recognize that errors provide the best opportunities for learning and improvement. Understand that learning and improving takes time!

Andi is just as passionate about teaching as she is about riding

I also think that a well-rounded equestrian education is essential.  It is important for riders to understand and experience different disciplines.  There is so much to learn, and the more we know, the better horse people we can be. Every experience with horses is unique, and being able to draw from a variety of approaches allows us to better engage with each experience. 

Tell us about what you are currently doing

I have found a job that allows me to balance horses and work. I work for the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a Traffic Operations and Safety Program Manager.  

In addition to that, I get to teach and ride.  I own and operate Sugar Creek Stables with my partner, Brenda Seggerman.  SCS is a multidisciplinary facility with a unique community of diverse horses and riders.  We have an awesome barn family formed around the love of horses. 

Andi and some of her barn family

SCS offers lessons and leases year-round. Over the spring and summer, some of our riders attend 4H, dressage, and hunter/jumper shows throughout southern Wisconsin and the Chicago area. Throughout the year, SCS regularly hosts dressage and hunter seat clinics.

What advice do you have for other riders?

Enjoy the bond between horse and rider! There is nothing more valuable in riding than developing relationships with the horses that you ride. Take the time to get to know your horses and enjoy the relationships that you build.

Riding builds so many valuable skills that apply to nearly every aspect of your life. One of the neatest things about riding is that there is always something to improve upon and always something new to learn. Enjoy the process and never stop learning! 

What is your favorite Simple Equine product and why?  

TWO favorites!

Illuminating Dead Sea Salt Polish: While we have just one gray horse--a mare named Channing--she keeps us busy in our attempts to keep her clean! Especially at horse shows, the Illuminating Dead Sea Salt Polish works wonders on manure stains and keeps her looking sleek and shiny.

Nourishing Avocado Tail Treatment: We use this product on many of our horses. We like to massage the tail treatment into the dock and tail while grooming, let it work its magic while the horse is ridden, and then wash the tail every so often to keep it nice and clean. This product has been keeping our horses’ tails moisturized and full all summer long. Not only does the tail treatment smell divine, but a little bit goes a long way and the bottle lasts quite a while.

Finding a Stable and Riding Instructor for your Child

Finding a Stable and Riding Instructor for your Child

By Sally Batton

You've determined that your child is serious in her wish to learn to ride but you don't know what steps to take.  How do you find a safe, reliable riding instructor and stable for her to learn? You want her to progress in her skills and have a good time, but more importantly you want to find the safest, most professional program in your area.

The best way to find the right riding program is through word-of-mouth.  Talk to your friends at work or the parents of your child's friends and see where they ride in the area.  Then ask if they are pleased with the program, ask if safety rules are followed, and are their children progressing in their skills. 

HELMETS:  When discussing safety procedures, either with parents or riding students or even the barn itself, you need to ask the following questions.  First and foremost, ask the policy regarding riding helmets. The barn should require all riders to wear ASTM-SEI certified riding helmets at all times when mounted.  Many barns also require their younger riders to wear helmets at all times, even when just walking around the barn! If there is only one barn in your area, and that one barn doesn't require helmets, make sure you purchase one for your child. 

NUMBER OF RIDERS/LESSON:  Your next question should be the rider to instructor ratio.  For beginner riders, five to six riders per instructor is good.  Some barns only offer group lessons in eight, ten or even twelve riders but if your child is a beginner, she'd be best off in a smaller group.  If your local barn only has the large groups, you might want to ask about private or semi-private lessons. They cost more, but she will be safer and progress faster in the long run. 

INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS: You next need to ask about the qualifications of the riding instructors employed by the stable. Do the instructors have some sort of certification? Many different certification programs exist and some states, such as Massachusetts, require their riding instructors to be registered with that state.   One certification to look for is the ARICP certification. This is the American Riding Instructors Certification Program and instructors from all over the country obtain certification in a variety of disciplines.  If your instructor is ARICP certified, you know that they uphold the highest standards of safety and excellence. Often any advertising for the stable will list the certification of the various instructors. Another certification program is the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), which certifies instructors, accredits equine facilities, produces educational conferences and publishes educational resources such as horsemanship manuals, DVDs, safety video shorts, webinars, and much more. 

SCHOOL HORSE STRING: In your search for a riding center, it is a good idea to ask about the school horse string used in the riding lessons.  Although no one can guarantee that you'll never fall off, your chances are better with a calm, well-trained, older horse than a young Thoroughbred straight off the racetrack!  Ask the barn how many school horses they have and if they offer different horses for the beginner and advanced programs. At most barns, the beginner string can "pinch-hit" in the intermediate lessons, but usually the advanced horse string doesn't fill in for the beginner string.

VISIT AND OBSERVE:  Call ahead to the riding center you are interested in and ask when there is a beginner riding lesson with young children.  Are the horses moving around the arena in an organized fashion? Or does it look like a three-ring circus? Even the most novice observer should be able to tell if that lesson program is right for them.

Sally Batton is a cross-discipline riding instructor and trainer. She has been the Director and Coach of the prestigious Dartmouth Equestrian Team for over 25 years. Her riders have many regional and national accolades. Sally has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and was named Instructor of the Year by the American Riding Instructor's Association. Sally is the founder of the Athletic Equestrian League, which emphasizes the development of correct fundamental horsemanship skills, thus allowing for progressive improvement in technique and performance.  Sally is also a clinician and teaches jumping, horsemanship, western and polocrosse worldwide.  Contact Sally: athleticequestrian@gmail.com, www.athleticequestrian@gmail.com, www.athleticequestrian.com. 

Horse and Rider Goals For The Upcoming Year

Horse and Rider Goals For The Upcoming Year

By Tara Korde and Ben Franklin

The older one gets the more the years fly by.  As time seems to be going so quickly, it is important to set goals and aspirations, and be reflective in the process.  Life is not only about reaching Grand Prix or coming first in a Hunter Derby or a 1* Event.

Work hard and be dedicated

Nothing feels better than putting in your best effort.  If you do your best, and forget the rest, there is really nothing to regret.  When you think about improving your riding or your horses training, don’t just think about more lessons, training rides or just getting into the saddle more often.  Think outside the box - are you crooked in the saddle? Maybe Pilates or yoga can help you. Do you get out of breath easily? Maybe do some extra cardio. Similarly, think about how you can cross-train your horse.  Maybe a hack or trail ride more often would help them, or maybe some hill work. Or perhaps polework would help your horse's core. The more you and your horse do (of course, unless there is an injury or some other constraint to consider) the better you’ll feel, and the quicker your progress is bound to be.  

Play hard

Is your usual routine to ride around an arena on nice footing time after time again?  Consider varying yours and your horses routine more. Spend more time hacking and trail riding.  Consider doing something you’ve never done - perhaps a fox hunt if your horse is suitable, or a hunter pace.  Ride out on a Christmas caroling ride. Jump the occasional jump with your dressage horse, or try a dressage lesson with your hunter horse.  Ride your horse bareback. Take your horse to a friends barn for a lesson with their trainer, or try out a clinic with someone new and different.  Learn how to do some basic massage with your horse, it’ll not only help them feel better but also help your relationship. Try out some natural horsemanship or liberty training.  There are really so many possibilities!

Be ambitious but realistic

It’s always a great idea to have a BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal).  There is NOTHING wrong with dreaming BIG. Hopefully you will reach that BHAG one day.  However, it’s not worth stressing over something that may seem far away. Think about smaller steps that will help you get to the next level.  What are yours and your horses weaknesses? How might you improve that weakness? Last year you showed at a certain level. What will you have to do to step up to the next level successfully?  Use the help of friends and trainers and get their honest opinions and help to give you that edge to help you keep on moving up and improving.

Educate yourself

There is an endless amount of information in the form of books, blogs, medical journals, videos, etc. out there and available.  Pick a topic you are interested in, and try to become an expert at it. There is so much out there than can enhance your knowledge.  Learn about breeding. Learn about highly contagious horse illnesses. Learn about plants that are poisonous to horses. Pick a weakness your horse has, and try to read anything and everything that might have a suggestion on how to help them overcome that weakness.  The only caveat here is to try and make sure that whatever material or medium you are using to learn is from a reputable source. If you are ever unsure, consult trusted sources, like your trainer or a vet.

Love your horse a little more

Consider what you can do to show your love for your horse more in this upcoming year.  Bring your horse extra carrots to be added to their feed. Groom them extra well if they enjoy it.  Get them a massage by a professional. Spend more time grazing them if they don’t get a lot of grass.  Do an extra saddle fitting if they seem to be changing shape quickly and might need an adjustment. Be in tune with your horses needs, and go that extra step for them.  

Above all, be EXTRA kind

The world is a crazy place.  Being at the barn or stables with our horses is often our refuge and even our therapy from the outside.  That being said, you never know what someone is facing, horse, human (trainer, groom, friend or even arch rival) or otherwise.  Go out of your way to be kind. Never forget the Golden Rule. You will make others’ lives a little brighter, and you’ll be a better person for it.