Let me introduce you to Bill Hachmeister! Bill is a serious competitor in equine obstacle competitions, a former serious softball competitor, but he is also a beloved son, father, husband, and grandfather. Bill was selected to be on the national board for the Country Tough Trail...
In December 2013, David and Brandy Von Holten would have never guessed what Von Holten Ranch would become after they decided to purchase the family farm and transforming it into a trail riding facility.
Try to envision a farm that had not been lived on since 1979, that had been in the same family...
Most trainers will tell you that your horse can only go up, down, left, right, forward, or backwards. Horses are spunky creatures and with them being two wheel drive, I am here to tell you the new and improved ways in which your horse can react.
Yabba Dabba Doo
In the Yabba Dabba Doo, there...
First, if you are having trouble with your horse, do not be afraid to seek help from a trainer or clinician. Do not feel like a lesser rider by wearing a helmet, and ride with others until you have overcome any issues. Your safety always needs to be a priority!
In my world, I must...
As a host, you are not going to be perfect. As soon as you can come to terms with this inevitable truth, you will regain hours of sleep and find a peace of mind that is priceless. Follow me through a journey of a few of my face first fumbles I have encountered as a host.
#1 ...
Prizes for an equine competition allow you to connect with your competitors, acknowledge their accomplishments, have fun, and promote your event! Prizes can range in price, size, and usefulness. With my husband and I hosting for several different organizations at our equine facility...
Finding courage and motivation is a difficult task and gets harder and harder to find as we add candles to our birthday cake each year. I, too, find myself doubting and fearing being made fun of or just utterly failing and looking like I have never been on a horse in my life. I found...
As a facility owner and event host, I have seen the same situations time after time. Here are some tips to assure you have an even more enjoyable time while venturing out to trail riding and event facilities.
Negative Coggins Test and Health Certificates
When you pull into a facility for...
Ribbons can motivate people and become a joyous reminder of achieving a sought after goal. Ribbons do not get enough credit for what they do for a person’s sense of pride. Through owning a trail riding facility that hosts numerous events throughout the year in everything ranging...
If you are a host of any obstacle competition, after a few events you start drawing a blank on how to change things up and keep people raving about your events and coming back! Here’s the deal, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The key to having new obstacles is to...
There are ways to design your course for your competition to run smoothly and time efficiently. Understanding the two major types of obstacles will help you begin designing a course that people will rave about and look forward to returning to in the future. There are typically two...
My husband and I own and operate Von Holten Ranch, a trail riding facility in Mora, MO. We have hosted over 70 events a year. When people view our life looking from the outside in, they think this is a cake walk and think there is not any stress related to owning a trail riding...
