On-The-Bit Farms has a nice open feel to it that my horse loves. How is it that horses can tell when they are at a place that is run by expert horsemen, where horses are the priority? The property is tree-lined and peaceful. There is a large open space for warming up and the full dressage arena that has the amazing Lightfoot footing.
Five BACH members participated in a Ride-A-Test there with Donna Meyer on April 2, 2022. One thing that we did not have to worry about was the weather, which was perfect. Each rider performed two tests with 30 minutes in-between rides for comments and help by Donna.
After each ride, Donna picked out the fundamentals of the tests that needed the most attention and spent the next 30 minutes with the horse and rider giving them the profit of her years of experience as a judge and a trainer and an instructor. She gave them the perspective of the judge, helped them to understand the whys of the movements, got down to some of the underlying problems and also suggested exercises to help with each of these. It was a very productive day. Donna has so much experience riding and judging (she holds an “r” for dressage and an “R” for Western dressage). She is always engaged and nothing escapes her eye.
- Karin Loftin brought her leased mare, Faith, who was completely unfazed about hauling in to a new property to perform two Training Level tests.
- They were followed by Kelli Johnson and her very tall horse, Banker, who is breaking into First Level.
- Then Rita Nedrow, an Aggie eventer who is going to Nationals this spring, brought her 5-year-old, self-started, TB mare, Rory.
- And finally, Amy Raines rode her 20-year-old horse, Max.
Jinny Johnson scribed in the morning and one of the Aggie Eventers, Katy Vasquez, scribed in the afternoon. Katy will also be going to Nationals. We wish Rita and Katy the best in their endeavors!
Brazos Association for Classical Horsemanship 