SADDLE UP! MAGAZINE DIRECTORY
4 Season Equine Association
Animal Eye Solutions
Animal Health Solutions, Equerry
Arnold Lumber
Barefoot Construction LLC
Black River Farm & Ranch
CANTER Michigan
Cashmans Horse Equipment
Copper Mare Ranch
Coventry Realty LLC
D-Bar-A Ranch
Digger’s Tile Service
Equine Affaire
Family Farm & Home
Farm Bureau Family Credit Union
FQHR
Gettin’ Branded
Good As New Blankets
Greenstone Farm Credit Services
Hosanna Horse Haven
Hubbard Feeds
Humane Society of HV
Justin Curry Equine Dentist
Keller Williams, M Gregor
Keller Williams, S Baumgartner
Lynnman Construction
Michigan
Horse Expo
Michigan Quarter Horse Assoc
MSU Farrier School
Quarter Moon Farm, Bemer Dist
Quietude by Qulture
Re/Max Platinum, Kathie Crowley
Sandy Ridge Stables
Sara Kolenda, CPA
Shelby Agnew- Equine Agent
Shoo-Fly
Sparta Chevy & Trailers
Steven Jagusch AIF
T Wellness Tea Tree Oil Products
Traci Martin Realtor/Consultant
Tuscola County Fairgrounds
YMCA Camp Copneconic
March 6-8, 2026
MQHA Easter Eggstravaganza
April 1 - April 5
Farm Bureau Pavilion at MSU
MQHA Summer Series
May 22 - May 25
Midland County Fairgrounds
Lisa Terry Memorial
June 11 - June 14
Ingham Co Fairgrounds, Mason
MQHA Spartan Spectacular
June 26 - June 28
Ludington, Michigan
MQHA Harbor Classic
June 30 - July 5
Ludington, Michigan
MQHA Futurity/GL Classic
September 17 – 20
Farm Bureau Pavilion at MSU Lansing, Michigan
MQHA Harvest Classic
November 13 - 15
Farm Bureau Pavilion at MSU Lansing, Michigan
MQHAQueenContest
Michigan has had more Queens win the Congress Queen Competition than any other state! Interested in becoming our next MQHA Queen? We’re looking for young ladies between the ages of 18–25 years old to represent MQHA.
HORSE ASSOCIATION & TRAIL RIDERS NEWS
FARM FOR LEASE
KATHIE CROWLEY
By Kim Cardeccia | ConfidenceThroughConnection.com
In horsemanship, awareness is often treated as a mental exercise. We’re encouraged to analyze more, monitor more, and think our way into better timing, better feel, and better decisions. When something isn’t working, the assumption is usually that we haven’t noticed enough or thought it through clearly enough.
But horses don’t experience awareness as a cognitive process.
For them, awareness is a nervous system skill — a state of being rather than a way of thinking. And when humans try to think their way into awareness, the result is often the opposite of what they’re hoping for.
Trying harder to be aware can actually narrow perception. When a human becomes internally busy — evaluating, correcting, anticipating, or second-guessing — the nervous system shifts into a state of effort. Breathing becomes shallow. Muscles tighten. Attention turns inward. From the horse’s perspective, this change is immediate and unmistakable. The human may look focused, but their body is no longer neutral or available.
Horses notice this long before they notice our technique. They are exquisitely attuned to subtle shifts in tension, rhythm, and intention. A slight change in posture, a held breath, or a moment of internal urgency can register as unpredictability or pressure. When this happens, the horse’s nervous system responds accordingly — bracing, speeding up, hesitating, or disconnecting.
This is why “trying to be aware” so often backfires. The effort itself alters the state of the body, and the horse responds not to the idea of awareness, but to the underlying nervous system signal.
True awareness doesn’t come from adding more mental activity. It comes from settling enough to notice what is already happening.
When a person is regulated — breathing freely, grounded in their body, and not mentally rushing ahead — perception naturally widens. Small details become available without effort: the softening of an eye, a shift in weight, a pause
before movement, or a moment of hesitation that signals uncertainty rather than resistance.
Horses live in this kind of awareness all the time.
They are constantly scanning their environment, not for meaning, but for safety. They notice what changes, what stabilizes, and what remains consistent. When humans slow down enough to match this rhythm, communication becomes clearer without the need for more cues, pressure, or correction.
This doesn’t mean that thinking has no place in horsemanship. Reflection and learning matter. But awareness itself is not a thinking task — it is a physiological state.
When awareness is present, timing improves naturally. Decisions feel less forced. Responses become quieter and more precise. The horse doesn’t feel managed; they feel met.
Perhaps the most important shift is this: awareness isn’t something we do to the moment. It’s something that emerges when we stop interfering with it.
When we allow our own nervous system to settle, we begin to notice differently. And in that space, horses often show us far more than we were trying to find.
SHOWBILL EDITIONS SHOWBILL EDITIONS
SaddleUp!Magazine’sAnnualShowbillIssuesare April,MayandJuneofeachyear. Don’tmissourspecialshowbillrates,onlyofferedin thesethreeprinted/onlineeditions.Reachthousands ofequestriansinMichigan,OhioandIndianawith yourhorseshowinformationandshowbill. Plus:Yourassociationwillreceiveafreeoneyear bannerad(a$120value)onourwebsite.
CLASSIFIED ADS
ANIMAL SUPPLEMENTS
LIQUID BIO CELL for the equine Nutraceuticals support needs of the equine Athletic performance & healthy joint support for all breeds
Shop MODERE products: us.shaklee.com/site/neovitality Laura Gabella neovitality laura@gmail com 330-554-3469
AUTOMATIC WATERERS
Nelson Automatic Waterers - Nelson preferred provider for repair and maintenance of your Nelson Automatic Waterers. Excellent response time. Most parts in stock Honest, ethical and reliable Will travel. Serving Michigan and Northern Ohio. WATERFIX COMPANY – John Guthrie Dexter,MI(Washtenaw) 313.418.5676or734.475.8898
ART
BOARDING
EQUINE THERAPY
TUTHILL FARMS, SOUTH LYON
offers
stalls and pasture board on over 20 acres Miles of trail riding on the farm Good location for trailering to nearby parks. Quality hay, outdoor arena, round pen, dry lot, heated tack room and restroom Call Sandra Tuthill.
TUTHILLFARMS-248.207.6201 SouthLyon,MI(Livingston)
Email:sandratuthill@gmail.com Online:https://www.tuthillfarms.com/
Boarding, Training Available
Small dressage farm featuring: indoor & outdoor arenas dragged regularly; board includes 12x14 stalls, daily cleaning, turn out, two grain feedings, grass/hay continuously; individual lockers; heated bathroom; owners on site Horsescape Farm, LLC Williamston, MI text/call 517-655-2584
https://www.horsescapefarm.com/
OPEN24/7–QualityBoarding:Tacklocker, heatedrooms,12%pelletgrain,hay,largepastures,dailyturnout.Wehavetrails,twoindoor arenas,andoneoutdoorarenawithlights HARDYFARMS–313.363.2243 7215N LatsonRd,Howell,MI Email:info@hardysfarmcom http://www.hardysfarm.com/ FindusonFacebook
EQUESTRIAN HEALTH/WELLNESS
Experience the Fastrak Difference!
Top quality equine supplements that promote better health, which leads to better haircoats, healthier hooves, less colic issues, less breeding problems, healthier foals Try it and see the difference for yourself!
Call (989) 872-5216 or (888)266-0014
FINESTQUALITYSUPPLEMENTSproviding energy&enduranceforriders,trainers,athletes,etc Productssoldwith30-daymoney-backguarantee. Orderfrommywebsite usshakleecom/site/neovitality LauraGabella neovitalitylaura@gmailcom 330-554-3469
FARRIER SERVICE
Over30yearsof experienceintrimming,shoeingandcorrective shoeing Askaboutteethfloatingtoo!Serving OaklandCountyandsurroundingcounties.
JOHN PETERSON FARRIER – 248 303 6498 Milford, MI (Oakland) (S-09/26) HoofCareMatters!
FLY & INSECT CONTROL
Shoo-Fly Insect Control
Automatically get rid of flies, mosquitoes, and spiders. Safe and inexpensive to use. Used throughout Michigan for over 30 years We Install or Do-It-Yourself
SHOO-FLY INSECT CONTROL
BillTressler–517 927 8089 Webberville,MI(Ingham) Email:bill@radiant-energy.com
GOOD AS NEW BLANKETS – Horse blanket washandrepairservice.10yearsexperience. GOOD AS NEW BLANKETS –517 404 6336 HORSE BLANKET WASH
CLASSIFIED ADS
HORSES FOR SALE
YR Andalusians
Specialized in quality Pura Raza Espanola, Pure Spanish Andalusians bred for disposition and movement. Sales Horses and Stallions at Stud!
Near East Lansing, MI
YRAndalusians.com
Gabriele (517) 285-2834
HORSE TRAILERS
SPARTA CHEVROLET & TRAILER SALES
We specialize in horse trailers: full living quarters with slideout, to smaller two horse bumper pulls. Cimarron, Lakota, Sundowner and Trails West. Great selection and even better prices! SPARTA CHEVROLET & TRAILER SALES
INSURANCE
CHARTIER AGENCY
Specializing in tailored equine, liability, and farm and ranch insurance, we are here to protect your livelihood and cover your unique agribusiness needs. Contact local agent Shelby Agnew
Shelby Agnew (248) 765-4374 shelby@chartieragency.com www.chartieragency.com (S-07/26)
PET & FARM SITTING
K & J HORSE AND FARM SITTING: Need to get away, call K & J – 248 667 2185! Also HORSE ART, Books and Journals (links below): www.zazzle.com/store/thistlebrook/products https://www amazon com/stores/kimberlykingstad/author/B0BZSMTH7P?
K & J HORSE AND FARM SITTING KimKingstad–248 667 2185callortext Milford,MI(Oakland)
SADDLE/LEATHER REPAIR
SADDLE, LEATHER & TACK REPAIR: Used saddles and tack bought and sold Certified with 40 plus years of experience BIG BUCK SADDLERY
RogerBurkowski–830 285 2080
Flint,MI(Genesee)
SADDLE REPAIR & LEATHER WORK: New and used saddles and tack bought and sold. Complete Leather Repair available Many years of experience M-F 9am-6pm, Sat. 9:30-5pm.
JIM'S QUALITY SADDLE CO.
JimMoule–248 887 4829
Milford,MI(Oakland)
TAX ACCOUNTANT
Sandalwood CPA, PLLC
Mid Michigan's QuickBooks expert here to assist you with your business accounting needs Sandalwood CPA specializes in equine and agricultural business taxation
Sara Kolenda, CPA 269-275-4769
TRAINING & LESSONS
CLASSIFIED AD RATES
Heading of your choice, up to 30 words of text, plus 4 lines ofcontactinformation. Classifiedsadsareprepayonly. Allcreditcardsaccepted. Emailormailclassifiedad.
saddleupmag@gmail.com
Ann-MarieLavallee–810 796 3510
Dryden,MI(Lapeer)Email: thetravelingtrainer3@gmail com (S-10/25)
Tonya Grant Dressage Grand Prix Rider
30+ years of experience
USDF Gold Medalist
I love teaching kids and older adults from beginner to advanced. Specializing in classical training emphasizing the basics using exercises to train the horse's mind and body.
Tonya Grant 248-219-0410
Evekko10@gmail com Fenton, Michigan and surrounding areas
Deadline is the 16th of the month prior to the Issue!
That’s true whether you’re working with a horse, a mule, or yourself The rules stay the same
Stay with what’s happening right now Horses never leave the present We do it constantly We replay yesterday’s mistake We borrow trouble from tomorrow Then we wonder why our timing is off Presence isn’t spiritual It’s practical You can’t release pressure at the right moment if your mind isn’t there
You’re Always Teaching Something
By Robert Eversole trailmeister.com
Reduce unnecessary stress Stress narrows vision in horses and in people When pressure comes too fast or without clear purpose, learning stops Resistance is often confusion Defiance is often self-protection
Good trainers know when to ask, and when it’s time to tell Change things slowly and on purpose Horses don’t learn from explanations. They learn from repetition. People are no different. You don’t fix a bad habit in one session. You don’t build good habits by accident. You build them the same way every time, until they hold.
SHOW & EVENT DATES
Michigan EVENTS
April 18, 2026 - 9am start
Waterloo Hunt Club Annual Hunter Trials
Flyers available mid-March online at: waterloohunt.com
Contact Arlene Taylor 517 960 9417 Email: actaylor@umich edu
March 6-8, 2026 Michigan Horse ExpoFarm Bureau Pavilion at MSU Lansing, MI
Shopping Galore, Equine Clinics, Educational Seminars, High School Rodeo, Extreme Cowboy Challenge, Great Lakes CBR Finals, Mounted Police demos, Equine Showcases and SO much more! Tickets: www mihorseexpo com
March 14, 2026: Silver Spurs 4-H Tack Swap - Open 10 am to 2 pm. Cass County Fairgrounds 590 N O Keefe St, Cassopolis, MI 49031 $1 admission Concessions Available Vendor Spaces Available Email wellsvargo@aol com for more information and to reserve a space
March 29, 2026 TNT Arena Sunday Buckle Speed Series 5251 Lyons Rd, Lyons, MI 48851 1st show in the series! Barrel Racing, Pole Bending plus more For more info: tnt-arena.com
15th of the month from April-September: Thistle Run Online Horse Show Series Film & Submit your rides to our USEF & WDAA carded judges for critique! Ribbons mailed home for every class! Dressage, Western, Hunter Jumper and more! Website: https://thistleruneq weebly com
April 25, 2026, Barry County 4H Tack Sale 10am to 3pm BARRY COUNTY fairgrounds 1350 M-37, Hastings Michigan 49058. Sponsored by 4-H Horse Development Committee Contact Patty Snyder, call or txt, (269) 924-9886, email: snydrpa@yahoo com or Mary Slocum mrs328@yahoo com
Pine Lake May Dressage Show
May 16th- Entries close May 7th
September 5th-Entries close August 27th
English & Western Dressage thru 2nd level 12300 Pine Lake Rd, Plainwell, Mi 49080
Online & mail in entry forms at pinelakestables com
Contact Mary 269 664 4223, or equineline@mei net
June 27, 2026 GLASS-ED Annual Dressage Show at Pine Lake Stables Entries close May 18
English & Western Dressage thru 2nd level 12300 Pine Lake Rd, Plainwell, Mi 49080
Online & mail in entry forms at pinelakestables.com
Contact Mary 269 664 4223, or equineline@mei net
MICHIGAN AUCTIONS
HORSE & TACK AUCTION: 2nd Saturday of each month. 5:00pm start. Lake Odessa Livestock Auction, 3675 Tupper Lake Rd., Lake Odessa, MI. Call Roger Leech 231.730.0353. Facebook or lakeodessalivestock.com
HORSE/TACK AUCTION: First Saturday of each month (except July) Tack 2pm, Horses after 6pm. Consignments welcome. Northern Michigan Livestock, 1848 N. Townline Rd. Gaylord, MI. Office 231.439.5679. Find us on Facebook. northernmichiganlivestock.com
MONDAYS: HAY & STRAW: 3:30pm, Livestock 5pm (cattle, goats, sheep, hogs, etc.) Ravenna Auction, LLC. 3265 S. Slocum Road, Ravenna, MI. Call 231.853-.5738. Facebook or visit us at ravennaauction.com
TACK AUCTION: 3rd Saturday of each month, 5pm start Longhorn Auction Service, 3265 S. Slocum Rd., Ravenna, MI Call 231 730-0353 Facebook: Longhom Auction Service
TACK AUCTION: Select Tuesday Evenings ALL ONLINE! Facebook: Tri-Pine Tack & Western Boutique. (517) 937-9439
tripinetack04@gmail com Items bought can be shipped or you can pick up in Hastings, Michigan
YODER BROS. AUCTION SERVICE: Spring and Fall Horse and Carriage Auctions in Mt. Pleasant, MI. Auctioneers: LeRoy Yoder or Willis Yoder, 989-386-9082, Clair, MI
Ohio EVENTS
March 14, April 4, April 25: Foster Equine Fun Shows Payback Classes!
Registration Starts at 8:00am 26326 Smith Rd, Coolville, OH 45723
April 9-12, 2026- Equine Affaire Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, OH Enjoy hundreds of clinics, an expansive trade show, fun competitions, interactive exhibits with live horses, and of course, Equine Affaire's own musical celebration of the horse, Fantasia! www.equineaffaire.com
OHIO AUCTIONS
ATHENS LIVESTOCK SALES: Sale every Saturday at 12:30pm Consignment welcome Athens Livestock Sales, 3738 Enlow Road, Albany, OH Call 740 592 2322 Email: jdbrowning01@gmail com or find us on Facebook
MT. HOPE AUCTION: Horse, rack, livestock auctions monthly. Mt. Hope Auction, 8076 SR 241 Millersburg, OH Call us at 330 674 6188, email: info@mthopeauction com Find us on Facebook or mthopeauction.com
LARUE HORSE SALE, LLC: Hay, straw, tack, and horse auction on the first Saturday of every month. 1059 Richwood-Larue Rd , Larue, OH Call 419 889 9150, email laruehorsesales@hotmail.com. laruehorsesales com
Indiana EVENTS
INDIANA AUCTIONS
HAMILTON COUNTY HORSE SALES: 1st & 3rd Saturday each month. New and used tack, hay, strawy, trailers, & horses Consignors welcome 22217 St. Road 37 N., Noblesville, IN. Call 317 946 4450 or 317 773 5590 or find us on Facebook for more information
IILLIANA LIVESTOCK, LLC: Tack, ponies, donkeys, and horse sales held at the Vermillion County Fairgrounds, 325 W Maple St Cayuga, IN Call Clay Norris 574.780.8378 or Cobie Norris 217 260 5696 Facebook “Illiana Livestock LLC“
SHIPSHEANA TRADING PLACE: Horse Auction Fridays. 10:30am tack, 12:30pm horses 345 S Van Buren Shipshewana, IN 260 768 4129, email: info@shipshewanatradingplace.com, or visit shipshewanatradingplace com
TOPEKA LIVESTOCK AUCTION: Hay and livestock auction every Tuesday. 601 E Lake St , Topeka, IN Call 260 593 2522 or email us at info@topekalivestock.com. Find us on Facebook or topekalivestock com
TUESDAY, JULY 28TH- KID’S DAY Ages 2-14 are only $12 until 6pm
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29TH 3PM-10PM
TUSCOLA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS
DEADLINE: THE 16TH OF THE MONTH FOR THE FOLLOWING ISSUE PLEASE RESERVE YOUR DISPLAY AD IN ADVANCE.
See website for a full list of benefits in all levels.
Implicitly "Mick" is a handsome and friendly 2015 KY-bred bay gelding who will
make a great prospect for an intermediate to advanced rider looking for a low impact flat work/pleasure/trail partner
CANTER Michigan - Implicitly 2015 Bay Gelding Available for Adoption
Potential adopters must complete an adoption application and be approved by CANTER Michigan prior to viewing and/or adopting a horse Please visit our website to review our adoption process and complete an application https://canterusa.org/michigan/#resources
