Spellbound Farm

Instead of following a traditional path of always moving up, riders are beginning to step back and ask a different question: what actually allows me to ride well, stay safe, and enjoy the sport long-term?

In many programs, progression has traditionally meant bigger jumps, bigger divisions, and often, bigger horses. But that path doesn’t always align with what riders need to be successful in the ring.

“There are a lot of people that don’t have to have the big, glamorous, sexy horse to go to the horse shows,” trainer Jane Ehrhart, who runs River Hill Farm, a private training facility based in Wellington, Florida, explains. Riders are focusing less on what a horse looks like on paper and more on how it feels to ride day in and day out. Because the right horse isn’t just the most impressive one, but the one that fit its rider.

The horses that dominate the top levels of the sport are often bred for brilliance in movement, scope, and presence. But those same qualities can come with added complexity.

“If you want your horse to be so glamorous, it comes with all these breeding and habits and attitude,” Ehrhart says . For some riders, that trade-off is worth it. For others, it creates unnecessary challenges.

A horse that feels too big or complicated can make the experience more difficult, particularly for adult amateurs who are balancing riding with other responsibilities. Instead of helping riders improve, the wrong match can make consistency harder to achieve.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/03/26/rethinking-what-success-looks-like-in-the-hunter-ring-for-adult-amateurs/
📸 © Heather N. Photography
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Spellbound Farm is proud to offer Colourful for in house care lease. Conner has a record in the hunter and eq rings a mile long. He is now ready to step down and teach a new pilot the ways of the hunter ring. Conner is suitable for the short/long stirrup. Please contact Tracey directly for more information or to set up a trial.