The Barracks

✨ Congratulations to Tillie Hall & Kaboom 18 on a fantastic first Devon together! ✨
Additionally, a huge congratulations as well on qualifying for the Amateur Finals in Kentucky! We can't wait to cheer you on as you head to Kentucky and continue an already fantastic season.

Next stop for the rest of The Barracks crew: Upperville, Loudoun Benefit and Deep Run Horse Show!

🐴💙💚

Cadillac - Proudly offered for sale
USEF 6017130
2020 Welsh Pony Cross
Flashy, talented, and already proven, Cadillac is a top-of-the-line small pony.

With eye-catching color, a huge step, an exceptional jump, and a solid lead change, Cadillac is brave, kind, forgiving, and always willing to take a joke. He is the complete package for a competitive kid looking for their next star.

Already qualified for the 2026 Small Green Pony Hunters at Pony Finals, Cadillac has been Champion or Reserve every time out this season and has already won the Pony Medal twice.

New video available on the website!
https://www.thebarracksfarm.com/forsaleandlease

Cadillac will be available for trials at Loudoun Benefit Horse Show and Deep Run Horse Show.

For more information, contact Maria Shannon at 434-242-6569. High fives.

Congratulations to Tillie Hall and her own Kaboom 18 for qualifying for the 3'3'' Amateur Owner Hunter 18-35 division at the Devon Horse Show! We are so proud of them and can't wait to cheer them on! 🌟

Feeling grateful today after a great week at the always wonderful Keswick Horse Show. ❤️

The horses were fantastic, there was so much learning, and we were reminded once again how lucky we are to have such a special group of horses and clients to work with every day.

Last week also marked the inaugural awarding of the Claiborne S. Bishop Memorial Trophy. Congratulations to this year’s winner, Kristin Silon. Thank you to everyone who came out to support this first awarding — it meant so much, and we are so thankful for everyone who helped make it special. We will be sharing a separate post for that as well.

Horse shows take a true team effort, and we are incredibly thankful for the people who helped make the week happen — the early mornings, long days, endless walking, braiding, coaching, organizing, cheering, problem solving, and everything in between.

Huge thank you to Kim Graves, Lawler Watkins, Emily Easton, Grace McMahon-Gioeli, and Maddie Bonner for all of your hard work and support throughout the week. Thank you to our wonderful braiders, Brooke Cole and Linda Foster, for making the horses look beautiful all week long; to Andrea Stuehr for helping keep the horses feeling their best with massages throughout the week; to Emilia from CWD for making sure all of our saddles were perfect for our horses; and to Aly Black for all of her social media help.

We are also so appreciative of everyone holding things together at home while we were away — Hannah Phillips, Bug Gray, Salvador, Ramone, Jose, and Dore.

And of course, thank you to our farriers, Ben Rulman and Al Johnson, and the amazing veterinary team at Keswick Equine — Tim Ober, Izzy Wayner, and crew — for always helping keep our horses feeling and performing their best.

And to the countless others who jumped in, helped out, cheered us on, held a horse, carried a bag, offered a hand, or supported the week in ways big and small — you know who you are, and we are so grateful.

✨ Keswick Highlights ✨

🌟 Starstruck, owned by Anne Hormel & ridden by Macey Kinley - Champion Green Pony Hunter, WIHS Pony Eq Winner, and VHSA/MHSA Pony Eq Winner

🌟 Glenridge Delancy, owned by Timbercreek Farm & ridden by Sanders Miller - Champion Local Pony Hunter, multiple top 3 ribbons in the Green Pony Hunters, and VHSA Pony Eq Flat Winner

🌟 Cadillac, owned by Dotty Gray & ridden by Brinkleigh Rhodes - Reserve Champion Green Pony Hunter and Local Pony Hunter, and USEF Pony Medal Winner

🌟 Levi, owned/ridden by Karen Kogon - Reserve Champion 3' USHJA

🌟 Noor HM, owned by Timbercreek Farm & ridden by Sanders Miller - Reserve Champion Keswick Children’s Hunter, all top 3 ribbons in the Younger Children’s Hunters, just missing Reserve Champion, and 6th in the Children’s Classic

🌟 Pepita, owned/ridden by Karen Kogon - Great ribbons in the 2'6" & 2'9" USHJA, including a class win

🌟 Wistful, owned by Stacey McFadden LLC & ridden by Adele Chulis - Multiple top 3 ribbons in the Low Children’s Hunters, winner of the Low Child Eq Flat and Fences, and 11th in the Low Adult/Child Classic

🌟 Kaboom 18, owned/ridden by Tillie Hall - Great ribbons in the 3'3" AO Hunters and 3'3" Performance Hunters

🌟 Girl Crush, owned/ridden by Tillie Hall - Multiple top 3 ribbons in the Younger Adults and Small Hunters

🌟 Shalom, owned by Thinkslikeahorse & ridden by Stacey McFadden - Multiple top 3 ribbons in the Low Adult Olympics and Local Amateur Hunter, Low Adult Eq Flat Winner, and 5th in the Low Adult/Child Classic

🌟 Grand Amour, owned by Dale Dealtrey & ridden by Grace McMahon-Gioeli - Ribbons in the Low Adult Olympics and Hopeful Hunters

We truly could not do this without this incredible team of people behind us. ❤️

Congratulations to The Barracks Farm team on a fantastic James River Horse Show! 🏆🐴

✨ Wistful, owned by Stacey McFadden LLC & ridden by Adele Chulis - Champion Low Children’s Hunter & Low Child/Adult Classic Winner

✨ Cadillac, owned by Dotty Gray & ridden by Brinkleigh Rhodes - Champion Green Pony Hunter & VHSA Pony Medal Winner

✨ Glenridge Delancy, owned by Timbercreek Farm & ridden by Sanders Miller - Champion School Pony Hunter & great ribbons in the Green Pony Hunters

✨ Starstruck, owned by Anne Hormel & ridden by Macey Kinley - Reserve Champion Green Pony Hunter, VHSA Eq Pony Flat Winner & WIHS Pony Medal Winner

✨ Kaboom 18, owned/ridden by Tillie Hall - Great ribbons in the 3'3" AO Hunters, including 4th in the Classic, and a class win in the 3'3" Performance Hunters with Maria

✨ Noor HM, owned by Timbercreek Farm & ridden by Sanders Miller - Great ribbons in the Younger Children’s Hunters

✨ Shalom, owned by Thinkslikeahorse & ridden by Stacey McFadden - Great ribbons in the Local Jr/Am & Low Adult, including multiple class wins

Way to go to all of our riders, owners, horses, ponies, and everyone behind the scenes who made it such a successful show! 👏✨

Looking forward to wrapping up the rest of the week at The Keswick Horse Show — stay tuned for those highlights! 🎉🐎

Our 2026 Raffle is now live!!! Tickets will be for sale via the link below until April 31st. A huge huge thank you to all of our amazing donors, to whom without this would not be possible! We may have a couple of surprise prizes coming as well, so keep your eyes tuned.... https://forms.gle/VVon4w1sPptJH5bm6

Congratulations Adele!! ☃️❄️

Congratulations to our Childrens Pony Champion! 🎁⛄🐴

Congratulations Tillie & Meg!!! 🥰

Congratulations to our Younger Amateur Owner 3'3''/3'6'' Champion! 🕎✨

Congratulations Macy! We are so proud of you! 😄

Congratulations to our Large Green Pony Hunter Champion! 🐴🎁

In a perfect world, riders would have unlimited access to lessons, schooling days, and polished horses. But as trainer and “R” judge Geoff Case points out, that’s not most people’s reality, and it doesn’t have to be.

For Case, who’s spent his career producing successful juniors, amateurs, and professionals, progress doesn’t come from how often you ride. It comes from how intentionally you ride. “Not everybody gets to jump every day,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t get better every time you’re on a horse.”

Case believes that every minute in the saddle is an opportunity. “You can make progress just walking if you’re paying attention,” he said. “The key is showing up like it matters.”

That means replacing autopilot with awareness. Whether you’re hacking, flatting, or even just walking a horse out, Case says riders should treat those moments like practice rounds.

“When you walk, check in on your posture. Feel if your leg is underneath you. Are you breathing? Are you listening to your horse?” he explained. “Those are the same skills you need in the ring.”

This mindset, he added, separates riders who plateau from riders who progress. “You can’t always control how much you ride,” Case said, “but you can control how much you learn when you do.”

One of the strongest themes in Case’s teaching is effort. He’s seen too many riders treat opportunities casually, whether it’s hacking a horse for a trainer or flatting their own mount on an off day.

“When I was a kid, if someone handed me a horse to ride, I treated it like the most important ride in the world,” he said. “That attitude is what gets you more chances.”

He encourages students to ride every horse like it’s an audition for another one. “If you work hard, people notice,” Case said. “Barn managers, trainers, owners, everyone wants to give more rides to the person who shows they care.”

Even simple details, like cleaning tack properly or cooling out carefully, demonstrate effort and professionalism. “When someone sees you doing things the right way without being asked, that’s how you stand out,” he added.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/12/06/how-to-turn-any-time-in-the-saddle-into-progress/