January 2012 We have moved! We are now located at 123 Old Equest Drive in Canton, Georgia. July 17, 2011 We had lots of fun with our Beginner Camp again this year!! We can't wait for summer time to come again next year so that we can have fun again! This year we had tons of fun, as usual.
July is a busy month around here! We started off the month with our wash rack project, which included pressure washing the wash rack. . . and the stalls. . . and the drive way. . . well you get the point! Halliea can't hardly stand to have a pressure washer for the week - she just goes nutty pressure washing stuff!! After lots of pressure washing and cleaning around the barn, it was time for Advanced Camp. We love advanced camp because it really brings our riders and horses closer together, and we are sisters by the end of the week. This year was our first year offering this wonderful camp, and no doubt we will be having it regularly! We're thinking maybe even for the school break in the fall. . . let us know if you're interested! During advanced camp the girls had two lessons a day. It was super hot, so we had to make sure to be careful to not over work the horses. Every morning each rider had a private dressage lesson where they learned how to develop a better connection with their horse. Most of our girls had never had a bona-fide dressage lesson before! What is very rewarding is that after their week at camp, they are asking for dressage lessons because it is so interesting and stimulating! That's how we do it at Go With It Farm - we take a new spin on things that are deemed "boring" or "grunt work" and we make it fun, interesting, and intriguing.
After the girls took turns watching each other ride in the morning, we took an off farm break. Each day we did something different: swimming at Halliea's pool, taking an "educational" trip to Dover and Hamp's, watching a movie, ummmm, I mean, cleaning tack! We tried our best to have plenty of fun, even sneeking off to Waffle House one slow starting morning! When we headed back to the barn, it was sweltering, but we all headed out to set up jumps. Every day we presented new questions and strategies to riding. Gymnastics are a big deal here at our farm, and we incorporated them every day, starting small and low, and adding to until by Wednesday the girls were jumping full courses of skinny walls, one stride-bounce-bounce-one stride lines, bending lines, and even Halliea's hogs back. Don't know what that is? Come take a lesson and we'll show you!
Confidence was high and on Thursday we headed to the cross country field. It was most girls first time out, and they handled it with aplomb! Every one rode their horses well and faced some scary obstacles. Big girl panties were on, and everybody had a successful day!
Friday we hauled over to Wills Park to play at the horse show grounds, and all the girls had a blast schooling the horses somewhere new and over new obstacles.
Overall, it was GRRRREAT week!!! We learned tons and laughed a lot. And everyone obeyed Halliea's number one rule. Don't fall off and die!
Go With It Farm is proud of all of its riders! So proud of them, that we are going to start sharing a "Featured Rider" which is a rider that we think is coming along super well! This person may have purchased or leased a new horse, jumped their first crossrail, won their first blue, or just because we like them! ALL PHOTO's of Amber J. are Copyright © Richard Sparks Photography Visit Richard Sparks Photography on the web HERE EMAIL Richard Sparks Photography HERE
ALL PHOTO's of Amber J. are Copyright © Richard Sparks Photography Visit Richard Sparks Photography on the web HERE EMAIL Richard Sparks Photography HERE " Before I came to Go With It Farm I felt like I was going nowhere with my riding. I was constantly losing confidence and I felt like my lessons were a waste of time. I was tired of people telling me I was just an average rider, and I could never go anywhere with riding. I even considered giving up riding. Luckily I found Halliea Milner at Go With It Farm. From the first lesson I knew this was where I could learn and have a great time while I was riding. Halliea gave me my confidence back and I'm already doing things that before I would have never even tried. I just want to thank everyone at Go With It Farm for their dedication, hardwork, and the love they put behind everything they do!" - Amber J. We are so glad to have Amber as part of our team! She is dedicated, bold, and TALENTED! Thanks for choosing us, we can't wait to see the NEXT time you are a "Featured Rider!"
June 27, 2011 WE HAVE VIDEO!!! See Play-Doh (aka "Player") in action below. "Player will go nice, round and pretty OR you can flap the reins and flop on him - he doesn't care! His first time jumping planks or an oxer!"
For Sale Play-Doh (aka "Player") CLICK HERE for Player's Sale Page
FANTASTIC EVENT PROSPECT!!! Get him now, before he has a chance to compete; his price will increase rapidly with further training and exposure. In professional training until sold.
Player is the type of horse that you only have to teach once. A great quality to have in a youngster! Smart and eager to learn; he takes his time to process a situation the first time, and the next time he is a pro. No nonsense or silliness; he has a bright and willing mind.
Player is currently in training over fences, where he is a natural. He jumps with tight, even knees, and a pleasant expression. Does not rush or get silly. Very straight to the fences and very honest. Player is currently working on smaller courses, and has jumped 2'6"-3' singles without so much as batting an eye. So balanced that the lead change will be natural and easy once taught.
CLICK HERE
for Player's Sale Page
XC Schooling at Poplar Place Farm !!
Is there anything more fun than going galloping cross country, hurtling over jumps, the wind rushing past your face, to the sound of steady hoof beats? Not in our opinion!! SO! We packed up and headed down to Poplar Place Farm with 3 of our best horses, and 3 of our best riders: Halliea & Tater, Niki & Classy, and Leandria & Mini Me. Halliea couldn’t be more proud of each of the horses, and both riders schooled wonderfully! It was fantastic to see how their training in the ring has paid off out in the XC field.
Niki, who was on her inaugural XC ride, took Classy to optimize her first time experience. They enjoyed practicing in the dressage arena, then warmed up over a few stadium jumps, and finished over some beginner novice obstacles. Of course, there were no refusals. We are talking about Classy here ; )
Leandria and Mini Me ASOLUTELY.ROCKED.THE.COURSE!! They jumped everything, and never batted an eye! They schooled the entire beginner novice course, and many of the novice questions. Their best accomplishment? The Novice ditch!
Don’t forget that Mini Me is available for a half lease on the farm. She is a complete packer over fences and on the cross country course.
GAHA Greatness! Go With It Farm Student Madison & her horse, St. Bragn Rights had a FANTASTIC weekend down in Conyers last weekend! Madison & Braggs have been in training with Halliea for just 3 short months, and Madison and her family are a testament to what it means to really care for your horse properly. They are also a testament to how that hard work pays off! Braggs had the winter off, due to a stifle injury. Madison has true dedication and love for her horse; she was out at the barn every day grooming him and performing his rehab exercises and rides as prescribed by her vet. Once he was cleared for full time riding, Madison approached Halliea for lessons and training. The goal: GAHA Greatness! What is this GAHA you speak of? GAHA stands for Georgia Arabian Horse Association – Braggs is an Arab! GAHA puts on an “A” rated horse show every summer, and it is a qualifying show for the National competition. With 3 months to go, we didn’t have much time. Madison chose a wise path: she put her horse in training, and took lessons as well. Braggs had lost much of his pretty topline due to the stall rest, but with the correct work, and a few Halliea tricks and treatments, it started to slowly come back. Braggs has the best heart a horse could have, but he hadn’t had much professional training. He took the challenge well! Halliea schooled him 4 times a week, and Madison took the other days to ride, give him rest, and take a lesson. Madison (and her mom, Janice & dad, Skip) put in what it takes to get their horse performing at his best: saddle fitting, chiropractic, appropriate feed changes, vet appointments, training. It is tough to bring an injured horse back in such a short time! Their diligence paid off, and in a BIG way!
CONGRATULATIONS MADISON & BRAGGS!! Thanks for all of your hard work! Go With It Farm is proud to have you as part of our team! Next stop: Nationals!
June 2, 2011 Huge thanks to UCF Stables for allowing us to come and school their XC course! We had a blast. Contact us here at the farm to schedule a XC lesson!
Memorial Day Weekend
Here at Go With It farm, we are always looking for ways to have fun! Our rides and lessons are focused towards a well-balanced horse and rider, and we like to achieve that by training in a fun & safe way! This Memorial Day, we took our time to set up a nice, new and exciting course. We had some tough questions in there – a roll top going home, a bending line, an in and out, and one of our fantastic grid lines! Halliea is a firm believer in grids and balanced training. We always try to ask the same question off of both leads, so we tend to make our grids very symmetrical, so they are approachable from either direction. Saturday afternoon, we gathered in the hot sun and shuffled the arena around so we were ready for our Sunday lessons! Madison & Braggs did an excellent job over the roll top!
On Sunday, Halliea had an early start to take Madison & Braggs schooling in a regulation dressage arena. Brad at Applewood Farm was gracious enough to allow us over to use their top-notch facility. Part of developing a balanced horse and rider is not just the typical “stay centered on the horse” balanced, but also having balance in your schooling and training. Taking the time to load your horse up, take them to a new environment, practice, and go home. And since Madison & Braggs have a big show coming up next weekend, and their main focus was on dressage, we knew that this trip would be perfect for them. Madison delivered a fantastic schooling ride on Braggs – it looks like they should do well in the weekend coming up!
On Memorial Day Monday, we decided to go on a nice trail ride around the surrounding property. Yet another way to develop a well-balanced horse and rider! Riding over varied terrain helps engage stabilizing muscles that are not always used in the ring. It develops confidence and trust in the partnership. It allows for the horse & rider to relax and recharge. And, it is just plain fun!
We hope that you had a balanced & fun Memorial Day too!
May 16, 2011 Happy Horse Show Weekend!! In case anyone wasn’t aware, the Go With It Farm team headed out to a local horse show this past weekend. There is a local horse show at Wills Park Equestrian Center in Alpharetta called Rolling Hills Saddle Club. If you haven’t ever heard of them, they are a great place to go for good, cheap schooling in a show atmosphere. They offer EVERYTHING; beginner, hunter, western pleasure, barrels, jumpers; you name it, they probably have a class for you. And for the low low price of $8/class, you can’t go wrong! For our farm, it is a quick 20 minute trailer ride, so that means we can take multiple loads! SOOO. . . we took bunches of horses! Leandria, my esteemed apprentice, got bailed out of jail, ahem, I mean school, early to help me out! Ken, my wonderful spouse who puts up with all this non sense, has totally redone our trailer, complete with a new paint job (he is AMAZING, and mine), so Leandria and I had to go get it together and haul it out to the barn for its maiden voyage. Leandria and I are pretty much pros at loading everything we need in good time, and this time was no different; in under 30 minutes we had all the tack and supplies for the first 3 horses. After a SUPER great schooling on Tater, Classy & Mini Me, we returned to the barn for Player and Scarlett. These two are newer to the barn, but they loaded right on the trailer with no problems. Bonus! Back to the park… Player was a SUPER good boy! For a horse that had never been off the farm, he got off the trailer in a calm, confident manner, simply gazing around and checking out his surroundings. The REAL surprise of the evening was Scarlett!!! She had a little extra energy, so Leandria hopped on her to try her over some fences (she was slated to show crossrails only), and they ended up in the hunter ring. . . JUMPING everything!! Coop: Check! Aquaduct: Check! Gate, one stride, to a ROLL TOP: Check! The pony doesn’t know how to say no. . . And I don’t think she is done at 2’!! This pony needs a show partner. . . she will be FANTASTIC to take through Beginner Novice! Check her out here for leasing info. The next morning was SHOWTIME!!! First up at bat: Erika & Classy – Adult beginner division. This show was double judged, so each class was an opportunity to earn two ribbons, one from each judge. Erika did very well in her division; she was the only one that cantered the entire course, and she and Classy were steady and true for their entire performance, and they were rewarded by a ribbon in each class!
Next up: Tater and I. We had a great warm up, and headed in for the 2’6” jumper Take Your Own Line class, to use it as a warm up. Tater was calm and willing, and went nicely and clean. Then for the main event: 3’ Jumpers. Tater was attentive and listening to the aids. All of the classes act on a fastest, clean time wins scenario, so she placed respectably in the middle of the placings in all 3 classes. No refusals, and only one rail down. Of course, Tater isn’t exactly known for refusing. . . ;) I am always amazed at her handiness! I can’t wait to take her out eventing this summer. . . keep an eye out for the entire Go With It Farm team out and about. We’ll let you know where we are headed and when!
Third up was Niki. Niki decided to take Classy for a spin in the Green Horse/Rider Division – a division specifically designed for horses that are green, or riders that haven’t been active in competition recently. Although Niki is an A-MAZing rider, she came to us off of a 3 year break; three months later she is at a horse show taking CHAMPION in her division!! I didn’t even see it coming. They had a large division – 11 entries. All three classes are on the flat, and under both judges she only received one ribbon out of the top three!! And, for all of you that say eventers aren’t equitation riders. . . SHE TOOK FIRST IN EQUITATION!! I was so proud of Niki and Classy!
Leandria had the most rides of the day – she competed in 10 classes between 2 horses!! Legs of steel, that girl has. Her first ride was Scarlett, and we decided, based on the previous evening’s newly discovered jumping talent, to enter them in the 2’ hunter division. . . just to see. The 2’ hunter division is HUGE, but Scarlett was sooooo good that her on her second day of jumping courses ever, she ribboned in every class AND GOT A SECOND OVER FENCES in one of her classes!! They were smokin’!
And if Leandria and Scarlett were smokin’, Leandria and Mini Me were ON FIRE!! They competed in the Long Stirrup 2’3” Hunter & Equitation division. Remember when I said there were two judges, so double the opportunity to get ribbons? How ‘bout double the opportunity to get CHAMPION?!?!? They rocked, getting Champion and Reserve Champion in the Hunter division! And eventer equitation was APPARENTLY in style, since she got 1st and 2nd in equitation on the flat!! Not too shabby for a horse that had surgery at Auburn in December, and spent January in a stall! A testament to their partnership, for sure!
Whew! We were tuckered out, so we packed up and started out of the horse park, when we saw a group of people trying desperately to load a horse. Actually, we saw them trying to load that horse about an hour earlier when we went to check out at the show office. Leandria, always the kind soul, wanted to volunteer to help. Sigh. I was already wearing flip flops for the drive home. But I caved, and we volunteered our services, and they gladly, if skeptically accepted. I really think the 3 rather large men and the handful of women and children witnessing the scene were really curious at exactly how Leandria (who is all of 5’2” and 100lbs soaking wet) and I (not quite as short and thin as Leandria, but not as big as a man ;) were going to get this horse on. Before I go any farther, I would like to say I have a gift from God, Allah, or whoever. . . I can get any horse on a trailer. I have never failed. And, generally, I can get it done in under 5 minutes. Seriously. You can schedule a loading lesson if you don’t believe me – I’ll help you out! Either way, all of those bad loaders in my life didn’t disappoint me. I put on my boots and gloves, used a few Halliea tricks, and had that pony on in under 5 minutes. They asked if I made farm visits. Niki handed them a card. That’s why she’s our barn manager. I wouldn’t even have business cards, if it weren’t for her, much less be able to produce one on demand! It was a great day! Everyone went home happy and tired, but we were all back at the barn bright and early the next day to teach lessons. Since Leandria is apprenticing with me, she is taking the time to watch and learn how to teach people and is a constant auditor of lessons. I love having her here all the time! And we wouldn’t SURVIVE the weekend without Niki and her endless energy and enthusiasm! So, I taught all day long and enjoyed the cool weather with my students. Here are a few pics from our Sunday lessons. Call or email us to schedule a lesson for yourself!! Amber learning the finer points of fluid riding on Classy. I can’t wait to see this kid grow into an awesome eventer. . . she has all the ingredients!
Denise riding Classy, perfecting their canter.
Niki on her big horse, Tater, JUMPING for the first time!
Tater is such a HAM for the camera!
May 9, 2011 HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO HALLIEA!!!
April 12, 2011
Hey Everyone!
We had a GRRRREAT weekend with lots of new faces, and some returning faces, and of course our “hard core” group was present, as always. The weather has been great, so we are really taking advantage of the awesome weather by spending tons of time at the farm!
New things around the barn include one LESS horse – Jango!! Jango was sold on Saturday to THE Terry Brown of Showcase Ltd. He is off to become the top-notch hunter we knew he could be. Terry bought him as a project for her niece to work with and bring along. We are thrilled that he found such an awesome and appropriate home!
We also have two new working students, so if you come around and see Madison (Godwin) or Elsie floating around, you will know they are the newest addition to the GWIF behind-the-scenes team! Each of our working students are bringing an open mind and heart, a passion for horses and learning, and two strong arms! Make sure to welcome them, thank them, and, for the love of God, give them a water! LOL
Let me know if you are up for a lesson this week or weekend. I will be teaching on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Saturday is up in the air – I have been invited to sit in the director’s tent at the steeplechase, I’m just not sure if we are going yet or not! I already have Erika scheduled for Thursday at 1:30.
If you have pictures of you and your lesson that you would like to share with us, PLEASE DO! We need tons of pictures to add to our website, and we would love to have YOUR pictures to add! Send them all, even if you think they are bad. It is amazing what a creative eye & photoshop can do with some of these things!
HUGE SHOUT OUTS GO TO:
Leandria & Niki for helping me out so much this week. I couldn’t do it without ya’ll! Thanks, ladies!
Madison B. for having the most watched YouTube video of the weekend! Just kidding, but for living through an AWESOMELY BIG buck!
I had tons of fun this last week! Thanks for making it a blast, everyone!
Halliea
April 4, 2011 Good Morning Everyone!
We had a great weekend with LOTS of lessons, and LOTS of fun!! As most of you know, we attended a hunter pace on Saturday. All of the horses were amazing; no spooks, no refusals, and no bad behavior. We also went horse shopping on Saturday, and we picked up the sweetest little gelding!! Next time you come to the farm, you can see “Play Dough” aka Player. He is our project horse for our advanced riders, and will be available for lease or for sale soon!
Go With It Farm has been invited to the George Morris clinic hosted by Black Jack Farms!!! This year, the plan is for Halliea and Tater to ride in the clinic, and we would love for all of you to come with us and audit! It is an invaluable learning experience, and there is tons of fun to be had. Mark your calendars, and let me know who is going! Go With It Farm will also be sponsoring lunch one day! : ) Also, let me know if you would be interested in jump crewing or volunteering for any other position – this is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with the great George Morris! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD the Auditor Information Form Also, please let me know if you would like a lesson this week or weekend. I will be available to teach Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday afternoon/evenings. I will also be available all day on Saturday. This Sunday is my hubby’s birthday, so I won’t be at the farm that day : ) PLEASE RESPOND with your preferred date and time for a lesson!
Thanks! Halliea March 9, 2011 Ready, set, CAMP!!!!! Do you know someone that is horse crazy? Are YOU horse crazy? Have a child that calls you, begging for a horse? Send them to Go With It Farm for Summer Camp! Our Summer Camp is specifically geared toward the beginning rider. We have super horses ready to teach you the basics of horsemanship. We will ride, ride, ride, and groom, groom, groom, and swim, swim, swim!! There are TONS of dates for summer camp, and they are filling up quickly! Contact us to get the forms & to submit your registration fee. We will try to group riders by general age group for MAXIMUM fun. Have your own horse, but want to join in on the fun? Check out our Advanced Eventing Camp!! This is for the rider that is in a regular lesson program, either here at the farm, or another. Bring your horse for a week long adventure! At our advanced camp, we will help the established rider fine tune their performances, gain confidence, and prepare to show. Lessons are given twice per day - a short flat work session in the morning, followed by group jumping in the afternoon. And it wouldn't be eventing without getting out of the ring! We will go on a trail ride one day, and haul to a local schooling facility to go CROSS COUNTRY!! The week ends with the option of attending the Spotlight Horse Show with the Go With It Farm team! Please also notice our updated Sale Horses! We have operable pages for each. More pictures and video coming this weekend of HS Jango - if you have been watching this horse, you should schedule a viewing - he won't last long!! Classy aka See Spot Jump is also on the market for half lease! If you are looking for a saint to pack you or your child around, look no further.
March 4, 2011 Spring is here!! And it is a cold day. . . BOOO!! Still, the GWIF team is looking forward to a great show season this year, with lots of different venues and lots of fun! As you can tell, there have been a lot of changes at the farm! First, we want to extend a warm welcome to our new farm manager, Niki Rawls. Yep, that's right - you read it! We have so much growth and activity that we have hired a FARM MANAGER! Niki has an extensive back ground in the horse industry, and has been riding for over 20 years. She has spent time in the Hunters, done dressage, and LOVES eventing. Niki also attended the prestigious Meredith Manor, majoring in Barn Management. Niki is teaming up with Halliea to help with the day to day operations, marketing, and to keep everyone smiling! With her positive attitude and easy-to-laugh demeanor, we knew right away that she was the perfect fit for us! Also, we have our very own horse show series that we started this year, Spotlight Horse Shows. This is a great place to get your green horses and riders out, or a place for more seasoned riders to get some quality schooling in at an affordable price. We have a little something for everyone: Leadline, Walk/Trot classes, Dressage Only, Combined Tests, and Jumper Divisions. Our next show is on April 17th at Chateau Elan. Come on out and join us! Our training and lesson program is growing, and we would love for YOU to come by and ride with us! |
| 123 Equest Drive, Canton, GA 30115 |