Successful Community Events
Suncoast Stables was involved with many great community events over the past few weeks. Our first ever Open House and Fundraising Event in February was quite successful! Over 200 people showed up to meet our horses, browser the vendors, enter raffles, enjoy some snacks, and watch a movie under the stars. Proceeds went to Saving Grace for Equines, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization focused on the rescue of American Saddlebred horses, and the Suncoast Stables Youth Club.
In early March, Suncoast Stables also setup a booth at the Land O'Lakes EGGstavaganza event, as we're always looking to expose the public to more information on horses. Then, we had a lot of fun holding an Easter Egg hunt last Saturday. Thanks to everyone that came out to support these events! We look forward to planning more community events soon. The photo below shows both events.
Tampa Charity Horse Show
We're very proud of our show riders, who all turned in great performances at the recent Tampa Charity Horse Show held at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Results were as follows:
Sara Morris, on Titleist Par-Tee Time, and Haley Krupnick, on Akeelah, had excellent rides in the very competitive (11 entries) Academy Showmanship 14 & Over W-T-C and Academy Equitation 14 & Over W-T-C classes.
Madeline McNamara, riding Travel in Style
1st - Academy W-T Showmanship 11-13
2nd - Academy W-T Equitation 11-13
Sarah Logan, riding Titleist Par-Tee Time
1st - Academy W-T Showmanship Novice Rider 11-13
2nd - Academy W-T Equitation Novice Rider 11-13
Hayley O'Ryan, riding Hopefully
2nd - Academy W-T Showmanship Novice Rider 10 & under
2nd - Academy W-T Equitation Novice Rider 10 & under
Mari Pawlowski, riding I'm Good
2nd - Academy W-T Equitation 8 & under
3rd - Academy W-T Showmanship 8 & under
Caitlin Buckley, riding I'm Good
2nd - Academy W-T Showmanship 11-13
5th - Academy W-T Equitation 11-13
Katie O'Ryan, riding Hopefully
4th - Academy W-T Equitation 9-10
5th - Academy W-T Showmanship 9-10
Thank you to everyone that came to support our team at the show. Check the Upcoming Events section of our website for upcoming shows.
Suncoast Stables Trained Horse Wins Regional Award
Congratulations to Simbara's Bess Buy, who is trained by Suncoast Stables. His owner Karsyn Licciardello, also trained by Suncoast Stables, rode him to win the 2015 Region 10 American Saddlebred Association Open English Pleasure High Point Award. This horse and rider combination has a great season and we look forward to more special times ahead.
Summer Camp Will Be Here Soon
Four weeks of summer camp are offered this year. For details, including dates and pricing, visit our website. The registration forms are also available here.
Win Your Ribbons at Home First
The reason you compete in horse shows is to see if you can perform at your best and meet or exceed your personal goals. Blue ribbons are great, but getting caught up in your placings at a show should not be your main focus. You are really competing against yourself - against your prior personal best.
A great way to improve is to first set realistic goals. Find something you could do better at shows and focus your patience and practice time on mastering it. It could be a little thing, but as long as it is reasonable and achievable, it will be a good goal.
Every time you practice, think about how that practice would've done in a competitive environment. If you have an "award-winning" practice, mentally award yourself a blue ribbon. A good ride is a good ride, regardless of where it happens. Work on your goals until you find yourself winning these "blue ribbons" consistently.
Remember, a horse show always brings unexpected variables. Some days will be good and some days will be unlucky. But, if you can master your goals, improve your skills, and have those award-winning rides in practice, the horse show wins will come.
Horseback Riding Lessons Versus Trail Riding
We, and our customers, are often asked about trail riding. Some people seem confused as to why this isn't offered at our facility, or don't understand what the differences are versus riding lessons. Below, we explain these differences.
Although there are some good trail riding facilities in the country, many facilities are not held to certain standards because there is no governing body overseeing the training or operation of trail riding facilities. Equine facilities that are involved in competition, like Suncoast Stables, report to a governing body and must meet specific standards to ensure the health and well-being of the horse and rider. Even when seeking out lessons, customers should be sure that the facility is operated by people with higher education in equine studies and membership in equestrian regulatory organizations such as the United States Equestrian Federation.
Lessons provide a more controlled environment than trail riding. Good facilities should know their lesson horses inside and out because they work with them on a regular basis. Instruction is provided to ensure riding is being done correctly and no unnecessary risks are being taken. Even though we do our best to make riding as safe as possible, horseback riding is an inherently dangerous activity so having riding knowledge provides a definite advantage. At Suncoast Stables, we structure lessons to meet the individual goals of the rider, whether a novice looking for basic skills or a rider wanting to compete at a high level.
Also, many insurance providers do not allow trail riding due to its unsafe nature, making it difficult to find legitimate trail riding facilities. Horses are prey animals and look for threats all the time, especially in a wilderness area. Certain threats - even the wind rustling a nearby bush - could trigger a horse's survival instinct, making it act unpredictably. And a horse's first instinct is to flee, taking you along for the ride.
If trail riding is of interest to you or your friends, be sure to do your research on the facilities and ask us any questions you may have on the subject.
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