About Us Overview

Our Mission

Below Holly Parks Robinson jumping Missy in Hunting Valley. This horse was an American Saddlebred and took Holly's daughter Donielle to many saddleseat wins. She was leased by Cynthia Collander, owner Nancy Collander.

Our mission with our horses and riders is to instill a foundation of core understanding and skills, that enable each rider to achieve their desired success.

We do this by:

Emphasizing the proper mental and physical preparation before beginning each lesson. Reviewing the previous lesson’s basics to set the stage for learning that day. In addition we formulate future goals for the lessons that will follow.

Before and after student involvement with their mount, other horses, and students in the barn. This process increases enrichment and understanding of the bond needed between horse and rider. This helps to initiate a positive result through trust and relationship building. This involvement is also a major component in building blocks of ground skills needed for proper equine management and safety.

• Keeping a lesson journal to track progress, plateaus, and insights into the system being taught. This facilitates learning in the right direction and documents success as well as new skills to be accomplished. This continuing record logically aids the student by the ability to look back and conceptualize the step by step progress. Periodic group journal readings are informally held to help students learn from one another.
   
• Periodic video taping of lessons, training sessions and show ring performances to review and learn through the beauty of visualization. Currently we are taping each IEA show for our Equestrian Team riders and using this to asses riders for improvement from one show to the next.

 

• Our riders participate in Interscholastic Equestrian Team and USEF A and B rated horse shows. For the student that would like to participate in a horse show to see what it is all about we offer the Academy Classes, which are at many B shows and are designed strictly for the rider that is in a lesson program. At Ashwood Farms we offer shows for just our riders so that they can experience the show ring in a comfortable setting that they are used to.

  Pictured right, Alexandra James demonstrates control and poise astride Annie. February 23, 2008 At Stonegate Farms Interscholastic Equestrian Team J/V Equitation.

   Below Samantha Jo Parks aboard  Shotzee at the Interscholastic Equestrian Varsity Intermediate Equitation Competition, February 23, 2008

Participating in our annual student recital gives the students a venue in which to perform and demonstrate their skill level for family and friends. To also encourage students that do not have their own horse that they can show in a division that is designed just for them.

Many goals of HPR/ Ashwood Farms are accomplished in our summer camps. Our camps encompass and fulfill the dreams, desires, and goals of each student. The building of equestrian skills, camaraderie, team work, positive self esteem, and a deeper awareness into equine behavior is all a major part of the strategy at summer camp.