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Thursday, June 18 2015 / Published in Sidelines Spotlight

Pipe Stalls Offer Great Views in California

Many California horses' stalls are actually large pipe corrals, like Knight's new home. (Photo courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith)

Many California horses’ stalls are actually large pipe corrals, like Knight’s new home.
(Photo courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith)

By Susan Friedland-Smith

Question: When is a barn not a barn? In the United Kingdom when you go to ride horses at the “yard”? Or perhaps when you’re a home renovator who turns a legitimate horse barn into a house for humans? (I shudder at the thought!)

Answer: Definitely when you live in Southern California like I do and you board your horse at a barn that’s actually a series of pipe corrals.

Recently I was asked by a friend from the Southeast, “What is up with those stalls?” She had seen pictures on my blog of my new Thoroughbred hanging out in his 24-by-24-foot pipe corral with a partial roof. She wondered if there were in fact “real” barns in California. I believe what she meant by that was whether there are big buildings with an aisle or two that have box stalls lining the interior.

It’s been years since I’d thought much about how unusual a pipe corral stall would seem to someone not from the Southwest. When I first moved to California in the late 1990s and brought my previous horse with me from the Midwest, I too wondered What’s up with those stalls?! when I saw the funny-looking pens at the equestrian center that we first called home. The “stalls” looked so open and I worried about how my horse would fare in the rain and cold. Then it dawned on me — there’s not much rain and it doesn’t get that cold.

Knight's new stall is a room with a view. (Photo courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith)

Knight’s new stall is a room with a view. (Photo courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith)

I also remembered that my first two horses I owned in Illinois when I was a teenager were on pasture board 24/7 and they survived. There was a shed they could go into if it got too wet or too cold. In all the years I had them, I only saw them seeking shelter once. Once. So if they could handle being outside in a Chicago winter, I was sure my Midwestern transplant gelding could endure a California “winter.”

Full disclosure: the barn where I keep my OTTB gelding, Knight, has several stall options. There’s a big brown barn with 12-by-12-foot box stalls and there are rows and rows of pipe corrals. I opted for the outdoor stall because it seems most natural and the view is incredible. And I’ve been told that he and his buddy next door hang out with their heads resting over each others’ necks. He couldn’t do that in a real stall.

I obviously haven’t visited every horse facility in California, although it felt like it when I was horse shopping last summer. However, it seems as though many of the barns I’ve been to have one or two barn buildings in the traditional sense with a number of pipe corral options.

A California barn at Monty Roberts' Flag Is Up Farms in Solvang. (Photo courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith)

A California barn at Monty Roberts’ Flag Is Up Farms in Solvang.
(Photo courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith)

Over spring break, I had a chance to visit friends in the Santa Ynez Valley, which is almost 200 miles north of Orange County. It gets a bit colder there and I asked my host’s view on the pipe corral situation in California. He joked something to the effect that once a person had bought property in Southern California, the only type of barn they could probably afford would be rows of pipe corrals.

In the back of my mind I was still mulling over the “What’s up with pipe corrals?” question and set off to visit Monty Roberts’ ranch, Flag Is Up Farms, in the Santa Ynez Valley. In addition to hoping to see some training in action, I thought I could nose around and look at stalls. Surely the legendary cowboy trainer would have a barn or barns that epitomized a California horse farm.

Shyboy, the Mustang celebrity from the self-titled book and PBS show, lives in a box stall. (Photo courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith)

Shyboy, the Mustang celebrity from the self-titled book and PBS show, lives in a box stall.
(Photo courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith)

I discovered both “old school” barns with box stalls, and pipe corrals. And one famous tenant of a box stall, who was actually soaking up the spring sunshine outside in a paddock: Shy Boy, the Mustang celebrity from the self-titled book and PBS show. I made a beeline to his turnout and when he saw me from the other end of his paddock, he walked purposefully on over to me as if to say hello. He even posed, in true celebrity style, for several pictures.

Susan was flattered when Shy Boy walked over to greet her when she visited his paddock. (Photo courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith)

Susan was flattered when Shy Boy walked over to greet her when she visited his paddock.
(Photo courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith)

And although I was enchanted with the dreamy ranch in the middle of beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, and delighted to get up close and personal for a brief moment with a famous horse, I was eager to head back home to see my not-famous ex-racehorse at the barn that’s not really a barn.

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Tagged under: California Hoofbeats, Flag Is Up Farms, Knight, monty roberts, Mustang, Pipe Corrals, Pipe Stalls, Santa Ynez Valley, Shy Boy, sidelines-magazine, Susan Friedland-Smith

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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
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