aboutus

We live in Sarver, PA and you can reach us by email at redshowpony@yahoo.com or by phone at (724) 316-5830.

Dan, Brenda, Corinne, Tim & Dave

We have been lucky enough to have and show horses for more than 20+ years. We have tried everything from eventing to rodeos, sidesaddle, driving - you name it. We could never afford expensive horses so the bulk of ours came from Kevin Hines (Red Carpet Horse Sales) or by people giving them away. We have been lucky enough to have had great instruction and worked with such wonderful associations as US Pony Clubs, AHSA rated shows, several local clubs and several breed associations.

Things We Love:
Animals: horses, cats, snakes & lizards especially (pics to come)
Fun
Good Food
Trail rides
Challenges
Sitting under the trailer awning after your classes at a show, with the ribbons blowing on the frame, grill full of food, and carrying on with friends
Donald Trump (he is TOO cool)
Being Clean & Green
Learning New Things
Spring
Good clean jokes
Looking back at the end of the year to all the things we can do that we couldn't do the year before
Jesus
The feeling of accomplishment when you finally reach a goal you've worked for - and immediately setting a higher one

Things We Hate:

Abusers - animals, planet or otherwise

People who want to be friends only when they need something. Or who let you take them places and do things only to use you.

Liars

People who "hide" their horses real names because they don't want anyone to look them up & see they've been lying. Or they give vague info or make up things about where/when/success while showing. You know the kind of people - where they go on about how they got a first place ribbon - meanwhile, they were the only one in the class! All of our horses names - registered and names shown under - are listed - and I'll even give you registration numbers, dates, places & pictures if you ask. Why? Because we've actually DONE what we said we have!! We don't need to make things up.

Racism

People who don't need to learn anything (especially those who will tell you over & over that they already know even though you've never seen them actually 'do' anything they said they can......)

Mud

Flies

Calories

Swearing

Excuses
(Including People who tell you and everyone else how they COULD do something so much better than you ever dreamed - if they WANTED to, but they just don't have the time....but boy if they did, their horses would be SO much more trained. And they are also much better riders than you will ever be - and they'd show you, but you know, today's not a good day for them. They then have a classic excuse: My (body part here) is sore or I have to deal with a (husband, kids, family, work) issue or I don't believe in this or that or my horse is tired, I already rode today or I'd really show you what you're doing wrong and how advanced of a rider I am......or they tell you how they've been working so exhaustingly hard on this or that, but they never show you. And if you do show up unexpectantly while they have their horse out - they immediately put the horse away with a loud "Boy, we've been working for hours! Sorry you missed the great ride!" If you can't do something I can, who cares! But why do you have to lie and criticize me because I work so that I can????? Not all horses in the world have to have flying changes or win ribbons. Some are fine just being horses. But why do some people have to lie and gossip in their little group because mine can do something theirs can't? I know why - because its easier to gossip and criticize mine than admit you can't or aren't willing to put the effort in. That's a shame. Maybe we could have learned little things from each other and had some fun along the way. But the only thing you taught me was how well you lie and criticize! And you know what? We are still out here moving forward with new skills with supportive people around. And where are you?--- same place you were last year. And the year before. And the year before that. But as long as you are happy in your little group of losers then good for you.

Gas prices

Know It Alls - they know better than the top trainers on how to get a particular result (even though they can't show you one of their horses doing it); they know better than the vet who prescribed a certain diet or treatment for your horse; they know all about this event or that because they've "read" everything about it; they push other people to do things (make that horse pay attention - if he bucks, you punish him!) but they won't dare get on; they have some BS answer for anything someone asks they don't know and they'll keep twisting that BS until you give up and walk away...also .see excuses for more info (my (body part here)....these folks usually are one in the same.

People who take advantage of others

Vet Bills

We've never had a horse we paid more than $3000 for, and most of the horses were less than $600. But we do practice every single day. We try to get instruction from people who are currently winning at what we want to do, not those who say they did it "ten years ago" or someone who thinks they can teach it when they've never done it themselves. We don't always win, but we do win frequently - and against professionally trained very expensive horses. More importantly, every horse teaches us something. We really enjoy those small milestones that you only know while you are riding - the first time the horse gives when you are just "thinking" about it, the first time they ride or lope, the first ribbon.

We earned every ribbon and every award by nothing other than sheer determination and practice.   One of the things I hate most in the world (besides liars) are the people who run their mouths about how they can/did this or that (though no one has ever seen it) and yet they don't (can't) do anything but there is always an excuse why they can't....I don't think every horse needs to be able to show, but I don't see any reason how someone who calls themselves a trainer has the same horses for years that the average rider can't get on - and then likes nothing better than to put down the people who are actually out there working and trying to get better. Or when the horses they "trained" can't do this or that, there's always an excuse and then they try to make themselves feel better by saying we must be doing something abusive or wrong - it can't be possibly be that its because we practice!!!      I must be from Missouri - I need someone to SHOW ME before I believe them.   NO LIP SERVICE PLEASE. PUT UP OR SHUT UP!!! And keep your millions of excuses to yourself. They only hurt themselves anyway. People like that will be at the same level with the same group of losers same time next year. And the year after. And the year after that....

We don't want some people to trivialize the effort we put in with lame excuses of how they could do so much better if they only had the time. -- they are SO BUSY!!!   Well, guess what - we work 50+ hours each week and have a one hour commute each way and still make time every day to practice even though sometimes it may only be for 30 minutes. And yes, we also have homes, family, and other obligations. We also make time to help raise money by organizing events for the Children's Miracle Network. Or that we must have all kinds of money or be in debt to "afford" horses like we have - you would be wrong on both counts and may ask anyone around where our horses came from and for how much (always under $3,000). Usually not even broke. And yes, we have family and homes and other obligations as well. We make time because it is important to us.

We make goals for the year, figure out what it takes to get there and then work till we do. And our goals are reached. If some people don't like us because of it, that's their problem, not ours. We are happy to share things we have been taught and try to save people time & effort if we see them going down a path we've been down and finally found the answer to. Friends should be willing to share in each other's successes instead of being so jealous (especially if they aren't willing to do the work themselves). If I see someone doing something I want to do but don't know how, I say "show me" so I can learn. Unfortunately there are some in our area who won't ask 'how did you do that?" but instead loudly tell everyone else in earshot that you are obviously abusive and doing it wrong. Which is really funny considering they can't do any of those things yet they are able to get a little following of empty-heads who think they invented some new training method or something and spend tons of money and months and months of time and STILL don't have anything to show for their efforts. And that's fine, if all you want to do with your horses is walk on an occassional trail ride and just love them up at the barn,that's fine. But to cut down people who ask more of their horses and themselves, and especially all the time professing that your horse COULD do all of the things mine can if you WANTED it to but then you just never WANT it to, that's a load of BS. I thought we had a little group of friends. We took them places and tried to show them things we'd learned - without asking anything in return. But they weren't real friends at all because once the free gifts dried up, that was the end of them. And that's OK. Don't need people like that around. Our horses are healthy and happy, can be ridden anywhere by anyone. They are as well behaved on a trail (you can gallop all you want - when you want to stop,they will) as they are in the show ring. They can ride -and gallop- on a trail in a HALTER and not the rope hackamores that have recently been marketed as "special training halters" - I mean ride in a real halter.

There is a famous saying that you can't build a reputation on what you're GOING to do.   We are very proud of how far we've come. We progress every single year. We have worked through fear and pain and sacrifices. We ride in the rain, the cold, and the heat. We were the ones at the barn every day while others stayed home because it was too hot, too cold, too this or too that. Then when they see your work paying off, they sit around and complain to each other about how we must be doing something abusive or pushing our horses too fast or something just because they are too lazy to put the work in.   Give me a break. If they could do it even for a second, they would. But they can't so they have to lie and try to put everyone else who is out there trying down. We have never beat a horse to do anything. Our horses are not afraid of us. I can swing a lunge whip under ALL of our horses' legs or ears without them even blinking because they have no reason to fear me or the whip. They come to us in the pasture. They eagerly come to us when we open the stall door. I can gallop on a trail anywhere knowing my horse trusts me enough to try whatever I ask. I do not jump horses - over anything - rails, cones, barrels - NOTHING - until they are at least five years of age - and only after they are properly taught to jump and the correct ground rules are established so as the jumps get higher and tighter in their coming years, the horses are easily ready to move forward. Don't get me wrong, there is a consequence to bad manners as there is no compromise to safety for us, our horses, or others who may be around them. Our horses are a great investment of time, money, effort and dreams. It would not make sense that we would take any chance to harm them. I guess its easier for the lazy excuse-makers we know to sit around and complain and gossip to try and make themselves feel better rather than to actually do any work. So they can run their mouths all they want to - because guess what - everyone else around knows they do nothing but lie anyway. Ain't hurting us one bit.

Our Favorite Quotes:

Do all things to the Glory of God and Through Him all things are possible.

Winning isn't everything. But wanting to win is - Vince Lombardi

You just can't beat the person who won't give up - Babe Ruth

Its not the will to win, but the willingness to do the work in preparation to win that matters - Bear Bryant

Practice does not make perfect - perfect practice makes perfect - Vince Lombardi

You play the way you practice - Anon.

Those good at making excuses are seldom good for anything else - Benjamin Franklin (We know a couple of these kind of folks)

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me - Phillipians

Things We Love & Hate Below

We mean what we say. If we say we are going to do "XYZ", you can bet money on it. And if people don't like it, that's tough beans.

Corinne said she planned to show Jake over fences as soon as he was old enough. Jake turned 5 in 2005 and she began laying the groundwork for jumping the winter of 2005. As of June 2006, Jake has WON two of three hunter hacks he has entered and got a second his very first try at working hunter. We were always considered "english" riders and it was said we couldn't do western pleasure- but Jake is consistently placing in western pleasure and horsemanship classes at AQHA and has many points!!!!!

Thank you to Brian Himes (Brian Himes Performance Horses) for the style lessons, coaching, and helping us get the finer points of some of the new events we are adding. With only three intensive lessons to date, we can really see the difference.