Sunlands Stables

To maintain correct balance, we need to ride with our head up and our eyes forward. When your eyes are down, your horse can feel that your balance is more forward over their horse's forehand.

This might seem like a minor issue, but it will put your horse onto their forehand. When a rider's eyes go down, their head, that weighs an average of 15 pounds (7 kg), goes down and forward. When this happens the rider's shoulders typically begin to close. All of this together can cause a horse to fall onto their forehand.

The fact that the rider's head is at the top of the rider's body creates an effective where the upper body acts as a lever that multiplies the forward weight of the rider's head and shoulders, which can significantly affect the horse's balance onto the forehand.

When a horse becomes heavy on the forehand, upward and downward transitions become more difficult for the horse because this imbalance interferes with your horse's ability to engage their hind to reach under themselves for a correct transition. The same is true in lead changes. A rider's weight more over the forehand from eyes being down, even a little bit, makes all movements that depend on hind engagement more difficult for the horse.

Looking down also makes it more difficult to develop rider "feel". To develop "feel" a rider must be centered in unity with their horse's balance. Weight forward, ahead of the horse's center of balance, creates an obstacle to feeling the horse's balance.

If you have to look down for a reason, move your eyeballs, not your head. If you consistently keep your head up and your shoulders open, many improvements will follow. You will sit the canter better because your head and neck position will no longer interfere with your hips swinging to the beats of the canter. Keeping eyes up is simple and fixes a lot of common issues.

Learning how to do it correctly early on is so important.
Learn to ride with the basics and horsemanship done right ✅️

Make Them Carry Their Saddle

A father of a sweet young rider said to me recently that he wished his daughter could just ride more — without having to do the catching, grooming, and saddling. I smiled as I explained something important.

Riding horses isn’t just sitting in a saddle. It’s strength, timing, balance, and awareness. And the truth is, many kids today simply aren’t developing real physical strength unless they are consistently training several times a week.

When a child walks out into the field to catch their horse, they’re doing more than a chore. They’re leaving behind fluorescent lights and screens. They’re breathing fresh air. They’re letting the sun warm their skin. Walking across uneven ground strengthens their legs and core in ways a gym never could.

When they groom their horse — especially when currying — they’re toning their arms and learning to stabilize through their center.

When they carry their saddle, they’re strengthening their arms, chest, and back. It’s functional, meaningful strength.

And beyond the physical benefits, something even deeper happens.

Horses quiet the mind. They reflect our emotions. They feel our heartbeat. They teach presence, empathy, and self-control. After a lesson, riders are physically tired — but mentally calm and centered.

Posting the trot burns calories similar to a slow jog. Riding large, powerful, sometimes unpredictable animals builds resilience and courage. It stretches comfort zones and raises expectations.

Working with horses is so much more than learning how to ride.

So parents — let them carry their saddles. Let them do the hard parts. Don’t take those moments away from them. In the long run, doing it for them weakens them. To grow as riders, they must grow stronger — physically and mentally.

You can support them by lifting them higher, not by removing the weight that builds them.

I love having you all at the farm and am deeply grateful to share these remarkable animals with you.

— Hannah Campbell Zapletal

Heidi's smile says it all

The sky is the limit