Amen Corner Farm LLC

05/12/2026

Your instructor/coach isn’t there to ride your horse for you, fix everything in one session, or magically transform your partnership overnight.

They’re not there to shout louder than your doubts, or carry the responsibility that ultimately sits with you every time you get in the saddle.

But what they can bring is often far more powerful.

They bring a trained eye that sees the small details you can’t feel yet.
They bring experience, the kind that helps you avoid going in circles for months (or years).
They bring honesty, even when it’s not what you want to hear.
They bring structure, clarity, and a plan when things feel messy or stuck.
And most importantly, they help you become a better rider for your horse.

Because real progress isn’t about someone else doing the work, it’s about being guided so you can do it better.

The magic isn’t in the coach.
It’s in the combination of guidance, consistency, and your willingness to show up and put it into practice.

That’s where the real change happens.

What does your instructor bring you?

05/10/2026

Thank you all for supporting our shows. First Dance, Blue Angel and Le bon Temps appreciate you.
And the winners of the Southern Circuit Award are……..

05/07/2026

Your TD is a wealth of knowledge. They are willing to share what they know. If you have a question don’t be afraid to ask - make your show experience the best it can be.

Six Tips from a Dressage Technical Delegate 📝6️⃣

"[Technical Delegates] want to be a resource for you before a problem arises... If you see something that could cause a problem, let a TD know immediately! Have a question about your equipment or a specific rule? Please ask your TD! We love to look things up and help assist you with all of your questions and concerns."

Christina Harmon shares a few of the things she has learned along her journey to becoming a USEF 'r' Technical Delegate to help you have a better show experience. Check out her six tips at the link below!

🔗 https://wp.me/padgUY-q3C

📸 Katie Lewis/USDF

05/07/2026

Your TD is a valuable and knowledgeable resource. They love sharing that knowledge to make your show experience the best it can be.

Christina Harmon shares a few of the things she's learned along her journey to becoming a USEF 'r' Technical Delegate to help you have a better show experience.

04/04/2026

The roots definitely must be nurtured.

I’m writing this anonymously because, frankly, this isn’t about me. For those who feel they need a wall of credentials before they’ll listen, I’ll save you some time: I’m not a social media influencer, and I’m not a big-name trainer.

I’m a professional dressage rider—and a perfectly average one at that. Over my thirty years as a dressage rider, I’ve produced some great amateur horses, won some things, and coached a satisfying number of riders to victory laps at Regional Championships, US Finals, and the AECs. In the grand ecosystem of our sport, that makes me pretty underwhelming. But it’s exactly this averageness that gives me a front-row seat to the fracturing of our community.

Dressage participation is in decline. While we can blame the economy and “ride it out” (pun intended), there is a deeper, more painful issue: the widening chasm between the “Elite” and the rest of us.

When I started at twelve years old, that gap existed, but it was aspirational. We used to host barn parties to watch months-old VHS tapes of European championships. We dreamed of riding like them. Today, that inspiration has curdled into disdain. The “haves” and the “have-nots” are now so far apart that the top tier of the sport, the Wellington and Southern California circuits, feels like a different planet. What used to be a dream now feels entirely unobtainable, even in our imagination.

We need to talk about the term “grassroots.” I kind of hate it. The USDF, our GMOs, and the USEF use it constantly, but consider the imagery. Roots are underground. They are in the dirt, unseen.

This framing suggests that the majority of our riders exist only to be the “underground factor” that supports the flowers at the top. But we aren’t just the dirt beneath the elite; we are the lifeblood of the sport itself. In a world that increasingly values visibility, we need to stop acting like the heart of the industry should be content to stay buried and uncelebrated.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/04/02/the-dressage-chasm-reclaiming-the-middle-class/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

03/17/2026

Another beautiful photo by Marie Cobb.

03/15/2026

First Dance dressage show is in full swing.

03/04/2026

We need volunteers for the First Dance licensed dressage show. We have all positions available. No experience, no problem. We’ll train you. It’s a great way to meet people while helping your fellow competitors.