Hunters Ridge Farm

Hunters Ridge lost the most beloved member of our family today. “Bay” had been in our family for over 30 years! I started him as a c**t, when I was a Sophomore in college and helped him find his forever home with Katie. He was Katie’s first horse and he served as a devoted partner, teacher and companion to Katie, in and out of the show ring for many years. In 2010 “Bay” became the foundation of the lesson program that would become Hunters Ridge Farm and in the years to follow, he continued to teach many beginners, from their very first ride through the crossrails. We are grateful to have had so many years with this amazing horse and we are saddened by his passing. He will be deeply missed.
Thank you to everyone that loved this horse over the past 3 decades!! 💔

Premier Hunter Jumper Show Barn!
We have a full board opening at Hunters Ridge Farm beginning July 1st! Just minutes from the university! Full USEF show Schedule, as well as a local show team!
Contact J Knight for more info 334-728-7738

Need a qualified pony for PF? We've got them.
Need a seasoned hunter to show you the ropes? Got it.
Need a well bred young horse to start in the baby greens? Take your pick!

Let us know what you need!
334-728-7738

Hunters Ridge Farm had a successful Winter Circuit with Ever After, Matinee and Foxmor Blue Me A Kiss!

2026 HUNTERS RIDGE FARM Show Season

JANUARY
13-18 WEEK I HITS OCALA
20-25 WEEK II HITS OCALA
27-1st WEEK III HITS OCALA

FEBRUARY
3-8 WEEK IV HITS OCALA
10-15 WEEK V HITS OCALA
17-22 WEEK VI HITS OCALA
24-1st WEEK VII HITS OCALA

MARCH
3-8 WEEK VIII HITS OCALA
10-15 WEEK IX HITS OCALA
17-22 WEEK X HITS OCALA

APRIL
10-12 CHERYL @ CHATT (Local)

MAY
1-3 ELITE @ CHATT (Local)
20-24 DEVON - DEVON, PA
29-31 ELITE @ CHATT (Local)

JUNE
2-7 UPPERVILLE HORSE SHOW - VA
10-15 PONY HUNTER DERBY CHAMPIONSHIPS - UPPERVILLE, VA

JULY
22-26 NEW DIRECTIONS @ CHATT
28-2nd KENTUCKY CLASSIC - Lexington, KY

AUGUST
3-9 PONY FINALS - LEXINGTON, KY

SEPTEMBER
AIKEN FALL FESTIVAL I - BRUCES FIELD SC
AIKEN FALL FESTIVAL II - BRUCES FIELD SC
25-27 CHERYL @ CHATT (Local)

*More shows will be added as the season progresses. If you are interested in joining us at any of the following shows please contact J Knight @ 334-728-7738

For your Consideration:
NATAL HH - 16h 2021 WESTFALEN Mare bred by Hillside H Ranch
by CARINJO and out of ANDOCTRA HH (by INDOCTRO ~ legendary Dutch Warmblood stallion and one of the world's most influential sires of show jumpers)
NATAL is bred to be a Star 🌟
Started over fences in early fall, she is consistenly showing at the .90 with an auto change. Brave, quick and ready to move up! Videos available.
Upper mid ✋🏼s
Located in Auburn, Alabama

"It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret."

For your consideration:
2022 QUE RICA MK by the Exceptional Holsteiner Stallion, CARRICO. Phenomenal Derby prospect!! Going beautifully under saddle! Excellent ground manners. Flatwork videos available.
Mare, 16h, Mid ✋🏼s, Auburn, Alabama

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DfMtDa5TT/?mibextid=wwXIfr

When trainer Geoff Case watches riders flatting their horses, he sees a lot of the same thing: people lapping the ring, zoning out, and missing a huge opportunity. “It’s one of my biggest pet peeves,” Case said. “People just go around the outside, staring off into space. That’s not riding. That’s exercise.”

In Case’s eyes, flatwork isn’t just something to do when you’re not jumping—it’s where you actually become a better rider.

To Case, a good flat session should feel like a jumping round. “You should be riding lines, bending, adjusting your rhythm,” he said. “Every step is a chance to make something better.”

He encourages riders to ride patterns and turns with purpose. “Don’t just stay on the rail,” he said. “Use the whole ring. Make a circle, ride across the diagonal, do transitions in different places. Ride like you’re setting up for a jump.”

That kind of thinking builds skills that directly transfer to the show ring. “When you ride with that much attention, the horse gets sharper, you get straighter, and suddenly your distances show up easier,” he said.

The flat, he added, is where you learn timing, balance, and control without the distraction of fences. “If you can’t organize yourself between the jumps, you won’t do it over them either.”

For Case, good riding starts with details: straightness, rhythm, transitions, and connection. The riders who stand out to him in the warm-up ring are the ones who treat flatwork like an art form, not an afterthought.

“You can tell the difference between someone who’s just getting around and someone who’s actually training,” he said. “It’s in the way they ride their corners, how they prepare for a transition, how the horse looks in the bridle.”

That difference shows up in competition. “When you’re in the ring, it’s too late to be figuring those things out,” he said. “If you’ve already practiced being precise on the flat, it’s automatic when you’re showing.”

Case also pointed out that judges can spot the riders who do their homework. “Even in a jumping round, you can tell who spends time on the flat,” he said. “Their horses are balanced and adjustable. It’s obvious.”

Many riders, especially less experienced ones, rely on the rail for security or spacing. Case urges them to break that habit. “The rail becomes a crutch,” he said. “You stop steering, you stop thinking. You let the wall do the work for you.”

Instead, he suggests riding off the track, staying a few feet inside the rail to keep both you and your horse accountable. “When you come off the wall, suddenly you have to ride,” he said. “You’ve got to keep your line straight, keep the horse between your leg and hand, and make the turns yourself.”

At first, this can feel uncomfortable, but that’s exactly the point. “It’s supposed to feel different,” Case explained. “That’s how you know you’re actually doing something.”

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/11/15/get-off-the-rail-creativity-and-focus-in-flatwork/
📸 © The Plaid Horse