BY MOLLY CLUTTER

Like many of us, I have always loved horses. When I was around six my grandpa took me to a riding lesson to try something new, and I instantly fell in love with the sport. Over the years, I’ve been to multiple barns with several different trainers before I came to Stoney Ridge Stables in 2019. 

Within a week of being here, my mother and I started to see what an amazing place it is. I started seeing progress in my riding in my first couple months, and we decided it would be a good idea to try camp so I could learn more and make new friends. On my first day at camp, I was put on a horse named Logan. It was my first time on him, and I was really nervous. Logan is a stunning Belgian Thoroughbred Cross, and after that one ride I just fell in love with him. He was just so different—and I loved it. I ended up riding him for the rest of that camp and started doing lessons on him for the following weeks. 

When I first started riding him, Logan was still very green. He had no prior training about jumping when Stoney Ridge Stables’ owner, Jennifer Powell, bought him. Jennifer purchased him after seeing a video of his previous owner riding him down the driveway to get the mail. She saw something in him that most people wouldn’t have seen. 

Not long after that camp, we had our very first show together in the 18” Crossrail Division. Not knowing anything about jumping to having a show months later was such a big leap forward for the two of us. We ended up placing very well. I can remember thinking back to that moment and being so proud because it was only our first show together and we had done such an excellent job. I could not wait for our future together to come any sooner. 

I walked back to Logan’s stall that day after our classes, so proud of both myself and Logan for our very first show. I was in the middle of taking off Logan’s bridle when my parents told me that Logan was mine. At first, I was in complete shock. I could not believe what they had just told me! It was one of the happiest moments of my life. 

After that show was when all of our training was really starting to pay off. My trainers, Alyssa Huffman and Laura Hearty, really started focusing on my equitation. It was really hard for Logan and myself at first. I even struggled with picking up the correct lead in the beginning. It was still so hard for me to keep Logan cantering. I wasn’t that strong of a rider back then so, it would always cause him to break. But we worked long and hard on it, and it all started to improve. 

Logan had known so very little before he came to Stoney Ridge Stables. We worked countless hours on picking up the correct lead, working on flying lead changes and so much more. But after long hours and great dedication and determination, things started to slowly improve. Logan is such a quick learner. We were all surprised at how fast he picked up the flying lead changes. In less than three months he was already doing them on his own. 

After months of hard work, we made such huge improvements. He was so willing and responsive to all the training we had been working on. Logan still continues to amaze me to this day at how fast he learns. I still can’t believe that he went from knowing nothing to doing flying lead changes and jumping 2’. I can’t wait to see how much Logan and myself will learn over the following years. 

We recently had our first show of the season together, and he was absolutely amazing. He went from not knowing how to pick up his own four feet to showing. It’s so amazing watching him gracefully go around the arena. I can not thank Alyssa Huffman, Laura Hearty, and Jennifer Powell enough for all they have done for Logan and me. Never did I imagine that one horse who didn’t know how to jump would ever take me this far. I absolutely can not wait for what the future has in hold for us and to see how far we will go. 

Little did I know that one simple ride has forever changed my life for the better.