New Website!

Valley View's blog has been changed to our new website, valleyvieweq.com. On the new site, you can find information about Valley View, photos of students and horses, and a lot more. Head on over!

Top Ten Reasons To Be Proud of Valley View

Here are the top ten reasons why I am SO SO PROUD of everyone that participated in the Dressage Schooling Show at Valley View last Saturday: 10. Each member of the Equestrian Team memorized their dressage test and there were no errors! 9. All the riders wore polo shirts or show shirts that were tucked in and had belts with their breeches. 8. The ponies were spotless and either had their mane braided or pulled and tails brushed through. 7. Everyone's tack was clean and especially the bits were shining! 6. Everyone was on time to tack up and warm up. 5. The judge was impressed with how well everyone rode and complimented me on such great riders! 4. The ponies acted great and there was no misbehaving. 3. All the riders kept their cool and remembered their goals for their tests. 2. Everyone cheered for each other and showed great sportsmanship. And the most important- 1. Everyone had fun and had a great attitude! A huge thanks to the riders who came and did such a great job, the parents and family who came to support and watch, the volunteers who helped make everything run smoothly, and our great dressage judge Savannah Rogers.

Dressage Show Saturday

We are so excited to open the show season at Valley View with our Dressage Show this Saturday, April 21 at 10 am! Savannah Rogers will be judging and our Equestrian Team will be competing and showing off their dressage skills. These girls have worked SO hard to learn their tests and polish their skills for this show. We hope everyone will come watch the show and support our Equestrian Team!

Valley View Mission Statement

VALLEY VIEW EQUESTRIAN MISSION STATEMENT

We will be PERSISTENT: We will be willing to try, try again. We know that there will be more rides, more days, and the slow and steady approach always wins the “race”.

We will be OPEN-MINDED: We know there is something to be learned from everyone, even if to see proof of why or how NOT to do something. We will not be discipline racist, and be always aware that good riding is good riding is good riding, regardless of the saddle or style.

We will be PATIENT: We will be willing to wait to reap the rewards. We know that even if something falls apart today, there will be more days to come and small steps even backward are more beneficial than quick fixes or shortcuts.

We will KNOW WHEN TO QUIT: We will quit while we're ahead. We will ride for short periods of time to our highest ability and then call it a day. We will read our horse and ourselves to know when enough is enough.

We will be EFFECTIVE: We will seek maximum effectiveness with minimum harm. We'll make every step count, and resist overriding the horse for the sake of performance.

We will SELF-IMPROVE: We will regularly seek to upgrade our riding skills and general horse education. We will be willing to spend time, money, and humility in the quest for constant self-improvement.

We will SEE THE BIG PICTURE: We will enjoy the “work” and the path as much as we do the goal achievement. We know that each day and each step is as important as the other and is a natural progression in development.

We will HAVE ROLE MODELS: We will try to recognize good riding when we see it and seek to surround ourselves with those who will not only help us improve on a riding level, but also on a more personal and inspirational level as well.

We will PROBLEM-SOLVE: We will try to trouble-shoot through problems to come to gratifying solutions. We will add many tools to our “tool-boxes” and know there is more than one way to approach a situation. We will always be willing to try new things.

We will be HORSE LISTENERS: We will always put our horses first and listen to them through their body language. We will be sensitive to the feedback from our horses and adjust our responses accordingly.




Credit: Horse Listening and Katie Healey
http://frwdnrnd.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/ten-habits-of-competent-riders/

2012 Tentative Schedule

Here are some dates to put in your calendar for 2012. These are tentative and weather-permitting!

March 12-17: Equestrian Team Tryouts (during private lessons)
March 31: First Team Session (Horse Management meeting plus team riding lesson)
April 21: Valley View Show (2-Phase, dressage and stadium jumping). Team fee due.
April 28: Team Session
May 19: Valley View Show (hunter/jumper)
May 26: Team Session
June 1&2: Chicken Event

Christmas Acitivites at Valley View

Can't wait to see you all at the Valley View Christmas Party this Saturday, Dec. 10 at 12 pm at the barn! We are going to have so much fun filling stockings for the horses, having a gift exchange, and giving out end of year awards. Please bring a horsey gift (no more than $5) for our gift exchange and some apples, carrots, horse treats, etc. for the stockings.
We will be having another activity in December on the 30th. We will be going to see the new movie "War Horse" and students, friends, and parents are invited to go with the group. We will be going to the Payson theater for the 7 o'clock showing.

Everyone please plan on attending the Halloween Fest Fundraiser and bring lots of people (family, friends, neighbors, etc.)!! It will be a blast and is a way to raise money for our Equestrian Team. Pony rides, carnival games, raffle, bake sale, etc. It will be held Oct. 29th at 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the barn.

Camp Update

Due to my not being around the barn and not doing lessons lately, we have decided to push the due date for the camp fee back to July 9th. Have a great 4th of July weekend everybody!

Unfortunate News

As some of you know, my dad, who has been so helpful around the barn with remodels, yard work, and training young horses, suffered a fall off the back of his dump truck and onto the concrete in front of the tack-up area. He will be in the hospital and rehabilitation for quite a long time. He has numerous injuries including a broken wrist, tendons severed in his elbow, and an almost shattered pelvis.
As you can imagine, it will be quite touch-and-go as far as lessons and other barn activities for me because we are not positive about his surgery schedule yet. I ask for your patience and understanding at this time with my having to cancel lessons, working student times, and meetings at a moment's notice.
I'd like to thank those who have stepped up to help with the barn chores and keeping everything running without me. You are greatly appreciated!
Please plan on regular lessons and programs unless I contact you. Thanks again.
-Katie

THANK YOU!

I just want to say thank you to all interns, parents, and students for making this year already awesome!
To our interns-thank you for all you do to help with lessons, training the horses, keeping the barn clean, planning for camp, and helping shows run smoothly. Thank you for showing up to endless team meetings, camp meetings,horse management meetings, and other meetings that I sometimes dream up that we need at the last minute. THANK YOU!
To parents-thank you for being supportive of your riders. Riding is such a great sport and your children really enjoy it. Thanks for bringing students out for lessons, horse management clinics, working student days, practice rides and shows. Thanks for showing me so much support with all my new (sometimes crazy) ideas. Thanks for trying to keep up with everything going on at the barn and coming to parent meetings. THANK YOU!
To students-thank you for doing your horse management lessons and reminding me (sometimes over and over) to get you new ones. Thank you for trying hard in lessons to meet your goals and learn. Thank you for getting back on when you fall off. Thank you for having a good attitude around the barn and being friendly with one another and loving to the horses. THANK YOU!

This Year's Pony Camp

We are gearing up for Pony Camp this year and all attending should be SUPER excited! We are going to have so much fun. Katie, CeLin, and Jenny will be the camp advisors and we'll be doing a whole bunch of new, fun things including:
Vaulting (gymnastics on horseback) with the Oak Hills Vaulters
Pony Cart driving with Wendy Liddle
Horse Soccer and other mounted games
Swimming with the ponies in Utah Lake
and more!
All campers make sure to bring sunscreen, a water bottle with your name on it, and comfortable shoes. When you come in the mornings, wear a polo shirt and breeches/jodhpurs or comfy riding pants, boots, and your bandana that you'll be given at orientation. Let's make this the most fun year at camp ever!!

Click on the link to the right for more information about camp

2011 Team Members

We're so excited to have our Equestrian Team this year in full swing! Here are the 2011 Valley View Equestrian Team Members and their positions on the team.
Jenny-Sarah Yates, Vice President
CeLin MacDonald, Vice President
Sydney Gee (and Mom), Team Captain
Lynn Brereton (and Mickey), Secretary of Horses
Maddie DeHart (and Spanky), Horse Management Chairman
Lilly Bradley (and Mom), Camp Chairman
Chiara Gruber (and Spanky), Valley View Show Chairman
Martha Juarez (and Spanky), Historian
Elisa Gruber (and Buttercup), Treasurer

A big welcome to Valley View's new addition who will be accompanying us at horse shows and hanging out in the barn with us. Her name is Alba and she is a boxer puppy.

Welcome to the blog!
Make sure you check out the great links on the right, as well as visit the pages about Shows and Horse Management Clinics.

2010 Valley View Equestrian Team Members

This year is going to be TONS of fun! Here are the rider/horse combinations for this year. If you don't know each other on the list, I encourage you to get to know each other!
Alanna Hess and Spanky
Eliza Lindstrom and Robbie
Kapri Peterson and Spanky
Marissa Obray and Sam
Mary Alice Rogers and Buttercup
Ryann Peterson and Buttercup
Shaylee Obray and Shadow
Sydney Gee and Buttercup