Spring Break Has Started!

Many, many Knollwood families are on a break away from Wisconsin’s ‘spring,’ and many more are heading out around Easter.  Please keep us informed of your schedule changes so we can arrange make up lessons.

Headed away from home? Be sure to take a pic of yourself in your Knollwood gear, and we’ll post it on social media. So far, we’ve heard from Lauren in Florida, and Aubrey in South Carolina.

 

 

The Great Pumpkin Is Here!

Please join us in welcoming Pumpkin to the happy group of our best lesson horses in the world.

Pumpkin comes to us from Kentucky, where he was teaching lessons for Nancy Brannon. Handsome Pumpkin is half Morgan, and half Connemara Pony.

He’s successfully joined the herd in the pasture, and doesn’t have a single mark on him, meaning that the current school horses have welcomed him without any initiation rituals. It’s a sign that he’s really a good guy.

He’s already teaching lessons, and can find his own way to his stall, something that Thomas still can’t do after 4 years.

Please stop by and introduce yourself to the grand man.

 

 

The Deadlines are Coming!

April 1 is the last day for Knollwood Spring entries, and for ordering our fun Knollwood jods. Please talk to your instructor if you have any questions.

 

Questions Welcomed

We’re lucky to have some of the smartest and most educated lesson horses around. It turns out that they’d like to answer your questions in future blogs.

Please submit your questions in the box in the lounge, and please address the question to the horse you’d like to answer your query. You might be surprised by their literacy!

 

 

Easter Holiday

We will be closed on Easter Sunday, April 16. All lessons scheduled for Easter will be credited to your account.

 

 

Get Ready For the Car Wash!

Knockouts, please be sure to keep Sunday, July 17 free for the annual car wash and brat bash at the Hartland Piggly Wiggly.

It’s the most entertaining fundraiser of the year, and we hope everyone can make it.

 

 

You Won't Want to Miss:

IASPHA Spring Show

April 8-10

Join us at Beyond Stable Farm in Woodstock, Illinois for a weekend of horse showing. We’ll be there with show horses and an academy crew!

 

 

Parents’ Night Out

Saturday, April 16

Knockouts, join us from 6-8 PM for snacks and fun with your club officers and board members. You can sign up in the school barn, and it’s only $25 which will be billed to your account.

 

 

Academy Palooza

April 29-30

We’re headed back to Beyond Stable for an All-Academy show. Adalyn, Charlotte, and Kali are making their show ring debuts, and some of our ‘up and coming’ academy stars will be there as well. Please come and cheer us on!

 

Food Drive!

May 1-21

Join us in restocking the Food Pantry of Waukesha County at a time when they really need donations. If you donate 5 food kits, you’re eligible to compete in the Knollwood Olympics on Saturday, May 21. Trust us, no Knollwood Kid wants to miss the Olympics, and a chance to help out neighbors in need.

 

FASH Horse Show

May 5-8

Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St Paul, MN

The show horses are off to their first big show of the year. The show is full of deep competition, and the facilities are wonderful, so why not take a trip to Minnesota to cheer them on?

 

Knollwood Spring Show

May 13-15

New this year, we’ll be holding pattern and Knollwood Challenge classes on Friday night starting at 6:30.

On Saturday, we’ll feature all adults, all walk trot and canter riders, and our walk trot riders aged 11 and up.

Sunday will showcase our leadliners, 10 and under walk trot riders, and all of our maiden stars.

 

The extravaganza needs many hands to make it a success, so please save time that weekend to help with concessions, organization, gift baskets, or other fun support positions.

We have so much fun!

 

Photo Sessions with Hanna Agathen Photography

 

May 22, 10 AM-4:45 PM

Hanna will be at the farm doing photo shoots in May. You can sign up here.

 

 

See you soon at the barn!

 

 

 

 

Knollwood Kids are fortunate.

Scott and Carol made the decision long ago that they didn’t just want to create riders, but to create horsepeople.

To meet that lofty goal, they feed lots of lesson horses. At this moment, there are, give or take, 30 lesson horses at Knollwood. Ranging from the bombproof Sparky and unicorn Pony Frank to recovering juvenile delinquent Nacho and the amazing forgetful Alex, they’ve assembled a collection to create true horse people.

Horsepeople aren’t made in the riding arena.

 

True horsemen are made in the time spent in the company of these amazing creatures.

 

You can’t be a good rider if you don’t know all about how horses think, react, move, and see the world. You may be an adequate technician, but you’ll never be a horseperson.

 

Want to earn a horse's respect? Spend some time with him.

Each horse will teach you many things during grooming.

 Does he love to have his face curried? Is he easily startled by movement? Can you find the spot near his withers where he LOVES to be scratched? Does he love or hate having his face washed with a vinegar rag? Does he have any unusual swelling in his legs? Is he standing evenly on all four legs?

Are his shoes secure? Are his feet clear of any rocks or objects?

 

Horses tell you secrets while you’re tacking.

Is he watching everything you’re doing? Do you have to tack him in any special ways because of cinchiness, or because of ear sensitivity? Is your bridle in good repair? See anything that looks like it’s coming undone, or would cause discomfort?

 

Horses first, the rest later.

It's the mantra.

 

Horses tell you many things after the ride.

After you bathe in the summer and vinegar spray in the cooler months, your horse will let you know where he most enjoys the post ride curry, and where he’d like extra attention during his face brushing.

 

Some horses enjoy cats sleeping on them, and some don't.

 

Horses will educate you removing and putting their clothes back on. Some horses need their clothes to be put on without going over the head, and some horses could care less about anything.

 

Some horses even enjoy being invited to a camp lunch.

 

 

All horses love to stand in front of the giant fans in the summer. Some will try to get as close as possible, some will try to watch everyone walking past, and some will want to just spend the day with you.

Each horse you encounter is an individual.

There’s a unique personality, body condition, level of intelligence, and physical gifts and limits in each horse you meet. Knowing these characteristics will make you a better horseperson, and rider.

Horses are dependent on their humans.

True horsepeople respect this, and spend quality time with their horse making sure they’re dry, well groomed, and are comfortable in their stall. Being a horseperson is a huge responsibility that requires time, patience, being uncomfortable in heat and cold, enduring flies, schedule changes, and riding through highs and lows.

 

We do it  to earn the trust and company of these amazing animals. There’s nothing better than the look of gratitude in a horse's eye.

 

 We are grateful for the opportunity to learn from these grand souls.

 

 

What's the News?

 

Big News!

If you run into Knollwood Kid Brooklyn, and her feet aren’t touching the ground, it’s probably because her parents purchased the beautiful mare Gamora for her to show in the equitation division. We’ll provide pics and more info soon, and we’re soooo excited to see Brooklyn and her new horse in the show ring this season!

 

What’s Coming Up?

April 1

It's no April Fools. April 1st is the deadline for entering the Knollwood Spring Show May 13-15, and to place your order for Knollwood jods. You can enter the show and try on size samples in the lounge.

 

 

April 9-10

IASPHA Spring Show

It's our first academy show of the season! Come join us at Beyond Stable Farm in Woodstock, Illinois for a weekend of horse showing. The show barn is bringing a few horses for the show division, as well!

 

April 16

Parent’s Night Out

 

April 29-30

Academy Palooza

Join us for a Friday-Saturday show at Beyond Stable Farm. Three of our newest stars will be making their debuts at the show, and we can hardly wait!

 

May 1

Food Drive Starts

Our annual food drive for the Food Pantry of Waukesha County starts on May 1 and continues through May 21, when we host the Knollwood Olympics. We hope everyone participates by getting donations of a minimum of five food kits, earning the right to participate in ‘games of skill’ on Saturday, May 21 at 5:30 PM.

 

 

May 5-8

FASH Show

Minnesota State Fairgrounds

The show barn is making their first big road trip to the beautiful facility in St Paul. If you’re looking to take a road trip, it’s a wonderful show to watch.

 

 

May 13-15

Knollwood Spring Show

Our three-day affair starts Friday night with pattern classes, and continues through Sunday. It’s going to be a blast, so be sure to get your entries in by April 1.  We have classes for everyone!

 

 

May 21

Knollwood Olympics

Let the games begin! ALL Knollwood Kids are invited to gather a minimum of five food kits to join the fun. Teams organized by days of the week participate in silly events and have tons of fun. The real winner is the Food Pantry of Waukesha County who receives our big donation at a time when their stocks run low.

 

 

 

See you at the barn.

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone who came out last Saturday for our academy kick off. Our demo riders were joined by their parents who added their unique insight and advice to the program, Klem, Baxter, and Thomas were at the top of their games, and Lisa prepared a wonderful spread of appetizers and wine to enjoy during the program.

 

We’re thrilled to be introducing 14 riders to the joys and adventures of academy showing this season.  These Knollwood Kids are going to learn many, many things about horses and themselves, and have stories to share with everyone. We can hardly wait until April when our first three new stars make their debuts.

 

 

Have you met Pumpkin?

Our latest addition to the best school horses in the world just arrived from Kentucky, and his name is Pumpkin. This sturdy chap is half Morgan, and half Connemara pony. He was already working as a lesson horse in a riding program.

Our advanced riders are helping Pumpkin adjust to our way of doing things and he will meet our younger riders when his orientation is complete. Be sure to say ‘Hello’ to our newest arrival!

 

 

2022 Improvements

Have you noticed that the school barn is feeling warmer on chilly days? Well, of course it does, because we have a new furnace. The heat is much more consistent, even in the oldest barn on the farm.  The horses, cats, and dogs are enjoying it almost as much as we are!

 

 

We’re always looking for ways to improve the farm and our growing lesson program. New for 2022, we’ve instituted clothing requirements for all of our riders who have been enrolled for 3 months, excluding our tiny tot riders.

Knollwood riders are required to have their own helmet, riding pants, boots, and gloves.

Why did we make this new policy?

 

Proper attire is necessary for safety.

 Boots allow for proper foot placement in the stirrup, and make it easier to get feet in and out of the stirrups. Having your own helmet ensures proper fit, a must for helmet effectiveness. Riding pants provide comfort in the saddle and minimize saddle sores and slipperiness. Gloves keep a consistent feel on the reins, keep the hands warm, and prevent rein slippage.

Proper attire is necessary for progress.

It’s hard to learn proper form and technique when riders are distracted by leggings  bunching up under knees and reins slipping through fingers. Proper attire will allow instructors to clearly see a rider’s position, will allow students to maintain good foot position in the stirrup, and will make progress easier to attain.

We’ve provided links to some of our favorite products on the home page of our website for easy shopping.  Please talk to your instructor with any questions you may have.

 

 

 

 

Did you know...

that the Knockouts, our award winning youth group, has two big charity events coming up this spring and summer?

The club will start its annual food drive on May 1 for the Food Pantry of Waukesha County. 

Each Knollwood Kid who collects a minimum of five food kits will be eligible to compete in the Knollwood Olympics on Saturday, May 21.

 

A food kit consists of:

  Boxed potatoes

  Gravy

  Canned vegetables

  Canned fruit

  Box of Jello

  Boxed dessert

  Can of soup

  Box of cereal

 

 

What are the Knollwood Olympics?

 Teams of kids, organized by days of the week, compete in fun ‘games of skill,’ such as blanket races,  blind buggy races, helmet tosses, and other interesting events we dream up.

 We’ve been running this food drive for more than 10 years, and we gather more than 1200 pounds of food each year for our neighbors in need. We'd love to have your help!

 

 

 

We’re organizing a memorial walk for a Knollwood Kid who passed away this year. Libby’s family asked that donations in her memory be made to Lifestriders, a therapeutic riding program in Waukesha. Please save the morning of June 11 to walk the bridle paths around the farm in memory of Libby. We’re in the early stages of planning the event and will update soon. If you're interested in volunteering, please talk to Ann.

 

 

 

 What's Coming Up?

March 12

Patchwork Pony Road Show

Hilton Garden Inn, Oconomowoc

8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Knollwood equitation mom extraordinaire Sue will be there to help Knollwood Kids and parents create the perfect outfit.

 

 

April 1

Last day for entries for the Knollwood Spring Show

Last day for Jelly Bean Jod Orders!

 

 

 

April 9-10

IASPHA Spring Show

Our first academy show of the season! Join us at Beyond Stable Farm in Woodstock, Illinois.

 

April 16

Parents Night Out

Knollwood Kids, join the Knockout officers and board members for a few hours of barn fun!

 

May 1

Food drive for the Food Pantry of Waukesha County begins!

It continues through May 21.

 

 

 

 

May 13, 14, 15

Knollwood Spring Show

Judge for all three days is Knollwood Kid, National Champion, and Colorado State student Laney Lonchar!

Here's an overview of the weekend:

Friday Night 6:30 PM

WTC Pattern Classes and both Knollwood Challenge qualifiers

 

Saturday, start time TBD

WTC classes, all adult classes, Walk and trot riders 11 and over, and our premier walk trot division

 

Sunday, 10:00 AM

Leadline, 10 and under walk and trot, and maiden classes

 

 

 

May 21

Knollwood Olympics and Knockout meeting at 5:30 PM

 

 

 

See you at the barn!

Whether at home or in the arena, we hope you had a great time with the Knollwood Knockouts virtual banquet.  We enjoyed celebrating our academy champions, our fabulous lesson horses, the accomplishments of the Knockouts in 2021, and reviewed the year in the slideshow created by Abby.  Scott reviewed the year in the show barn as we snacked from our swag bags and blew bubbles.

One of the best things about the virtual banquet was that Hazel and RIchmond were able to take part in the festivities.  Of course, they made themselves right at home at the party.

 

 

In case you missed it, Baxter won the school horse of the year with Nigel in reserve.

 

Here’s a listing of all the champions we honored on Saturday night. We’re proud of all of our riders, and these Knollwood Kids worked really hard to earn these awards.

 

Sisters Morgan and Thea each won in-barn championships. These two are part of our world famous Saturday helper crew who frequently prep horses for as many as 70 lessons each Saturday.

Cecilia won a reserve championship in-barn. She’s a new Knockout board member, and the new lead helper on Tuesday night.

Lifelong Knollwood Kid and small animal vet Amanda won championships in the adult divisions both for in and out of barn divisions.

Bella won her first championship for in-barn WT pleasure.

Amelia, who is moving up into the ‘A’ circuit on Ava this season, won two championships and a reserve in the tough out of barn WT divisions. Amelia won the final of the walk and trot Knollwood Challenge, and  was also the high point out of barn rider!

Saturday helper Lydia won a reserve in-barn championship in her first season showing in walk trot and canter.

Emilie won her first out of barn championship in the WTC division.

Alexa, who is moving into the ‘A’ pleasure equitation division with Aaron this season won both a championship and reserve   in out-of-barn equitation and pleasure.

Sofia won a reserve equitation award in WTC equitation.

 

Charlie won her first reserve high point, coming in second in the leadline division.

Sophia was reserve in barn for both WT equitation for riders 9-10, and WT pattern.

The Saturday helpers rocked it, with Taylor winning a reserve championship for in-barn WTC pleasure.

Ziva earned a tough reserve championship in 11-17 in-barn walk and trot equitation.

Audrey, who just turned 7 on Monday, won the leadline championship.

Tess was a rock star in the out-of-barn 13 and under WTC division with reserve championships in both pattern and horsemanship.

Jilly, another Saturday helper, won the coveted championship in 9-10 year old walk and trot equitation.

Malea was reserve for in-barn 8 and under walk and trot equitation and horsemanship.

 

Monday and Friday helper Mia was out of barn champion for 13 and under WTC equitation as well as in-barn 13 and under horsemanship and reserve 13 and under equitation. She was also the reserve in-barn high point award winner.

Monday helper Hannah was in-barn champion for WTC pleasure, and reserve for equitation and pattern.

 

Maddie had quite a season. She’s the in-barn champion for 10 and under WTC equitation and horsemanship as well as the out-of-barn champion of WT horsemanship and reserve champion of 9-10 year old walk and trot equitation.  Maddie was also the high point winner for in-barn showing as well as the reserve high point winner for out-of-barn shows.

Dilly was our out of barn champion for 8 and under walk and trot equitation as well as our in-barn reserve champion for 10 and under WTC equitation.

Brooklyn was a rockstar this year. She’s the out-of-barn champion of WT horsemanship, and the reserve champ of WT pattern. In barn, she’s the champion of 10 and under WTC pattern, and reserve champ of equitation and horsemanship. She also won the final of the Knollwood Challenge WTC division!

Stella won the in-barn championship of WT pattern.

Lifelong Knollwood Kid Katie was the in-barn reserve champ of both adult WTC equitation and horsemanship.

Samara won the out-of-barn championship in both WTC pattern and 13 and under WTC horsemanship while winning reserve in 13 and under equitation. She’s also the in-barn champion of 11-13 equitation and reserve in 13 and under pattern.

 

 

In addition to the Knockout high point awards, our riders also received 18 academy awards from the American Saddlebred Horse Association, and we honored 10 show barn stars for their assistance in the academy program.

 

We offer great thanks to everyone who helped pull off the virtual banquet. Our fast thinking tech crew of Abby, Lin, Wendy, and Maria solved multiple tech issues and made it appear seamless. Thanks to Lisa for the gift bags, décor, and overall festive atmosphere. The Knockout officers, board members, and Shelby were wonderful on camera, as were Susan and Scott.

We’re planning to meet IN PERSON next February at Bristlecone!

 

What’s coming up?

Academy Kick Off Meeting

Saturday, February 26 at 7:00 PM

All riders starting their academy showing adventure in 2022 should attend our evening with current academy stars and their parents. It’s a fun follow-up meeting which will include clothing requirements, what to expect at the first show, what associations to join, how we assign horses for shows, and so much more. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to ask lots of questions of instructors, parents, and academy riders.

Please be sure to RSVP in the school barn lounge so we know how much food to provide. Please come hungry!

 

Patchwork Pony Road Show

Saturday, March 12 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Hilton Garden Inn Oconomowoc

The Patchwork Pony is bringing their expansive inventory to the neighborhood to outfit our academy stars.  Knollwood’s super equitation mom Sue Berget will be hand at 8:30 AM to help our riders put together the perfect look for the show ring.

 

IASPHA Spring Show

April 9-10

Beyond Stable Farm

Our first academy show of the year!

Join us as we kick off the 2022 show season.

 

 

Parents Night Out

April 16

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Come enjoy some barn fun with the Knockout officers and board members. Parents can catch some dinner while Knollwood Kids enjoy time in the barn. Best of all, it’s only $25 for Knockout members!

 

Knollwood Spring Show

May 13-15

New for 2022, our in-barn shows will start on Friday night with our pattern classes for walk trot and canter riders as well as our Knollwood Challenge qualifiers. The rest of the schedule remains the same.

We’ll start taking entries for the show on March 1, and the shirt color is a fabulous coral color!

 

 

See you at the barn!

We can hardly wait!

The Knollwood Knockout virtual banquet is coming up this Saturday night.  We’ve gathered all the information you’ll want to know about the fun filled evening, whether you’ve purchased a seat, or are watching from the comfort of your home.

The banquet starts at 7:00 PM this Saturday evening, and is happening in the indoor arena. Home viewers can see the whole affair on Facebook Live. We may be doing sound checks a little early to make sure our sound system is at a good level for everyone at home.

 

 

Since the gala is taking place in the arena, you can leave your party clothes at home. (Unless you REALLY want to dust off that ball gown or tails.)

Attire for the evening is comfy and warm. Of course we’ll be cranking the arena heat, but it IS still an arena.

 

We’re not serving food in the arena outside of the party bags that come complete with snacks, beverages, bubbles, and a school horse of the year magnet. (Please try to contain your enthusiasm and don’t open your envelope until the horse is announced!) Adults are welcome to bring their own beverages.

Preordered party bags for home viewers can be picked up at the barn starting on Friday.  Lisa has been working hard putting these cool bags together, and wants to make sure all the ingredients are fresh for Saturday night.

Everyone who purchased a seat will receive their bag upon their arrival in the arena.

 

 

Home viewers, get comfy in your banquet watching attire, and  tune into the Knollwood Facebook page to see the live broadcast.

Team Knollwood members watching from home are welcome to dress up for the affair. Please send pics of your party attire to us on FB!

 

Your party bag will include a bottle of bubbles.  Please feel free to blow bubbles with us when you see bubbles on the broadcast.

To view the fantastic slide show created by Abby, we’ll provide a link during the broadcast, and you can watch along with us. We’ll come back together on FB live after the slide show!

We’d love to hear from our home audience, so please keep comments and pics coming, especially during the long awaited ‘State of the Farm’ address by Scott.

 

 

 

Schedule of Banquet Events

2021 Knockout President Heather will review the year that was, and introduce her staff that made it a wonderful year for the Knockouts.

Incoming 2022 Co-Presidents Emma and Hanna will introduce themselves and their fellow officers and board members. They’ll also offer a preview of plans for the upcoming year.

 

Treasurer Susan will give the financial report for 2021. Trust us, you won’t want to miss this!

Awards!

We’ll present high point awards for in-barn and out-of-barn shows for the 2021 season, recognize our show riders who have helped in our academy program, and announce all of our academy riders who earned medals from the American Saddlebred Horse Association. We’ll finish the awards presentation with the announcement and awards for our overall high point award winners for both in-barn and out-of-barn academy show season.

 

Horse of the Year Award!

Our Knockout officers and board members will present the reserve and champion school horse of the year for 2021! The winner even has his own video!!

Slideshow

Created by Abby,  our in-house graphic artist and technology expert, we'll watch the show that captures the spirit of the year and of Knollwood. We'll provide a link so our home audience can watch along with us.

 

Scott’s State of the Farm Speech

Always a highlight of the year, Scott will review the year that was.  He will deliver ‘words of wisdom’ about the show barn teams, look forward to new combinations for 2022, and basically riff on all things Knollwood. Comments are greatly appreciated, especially from the junior exhibitors who are at home or sitting in the front rows at the banquet. It’s a thing of beauty.

Outro and Bubbles

The 2022 Knockout officers and staff will end the banquet with bubbles, so be sure to save some for the finale.

 

We sincerely hope that we'll meet again in person next year to celebrate all of the accomplishments of Team Knollwood.

 

 

 

 What's Coming Up?

Academy  Demo Evening

7:00 PM Saturday Night, February 26

All academy riders making their debut this season are required to attend this evening of demos and discussions with current academy stars and their parents. Refreshments will be served, of course.

 

 

Jelly Bean Jods have arrived!

Our size samples have arrived, and we’re just waiting to get the embroidered sample back. We’ll start ordering these custom beauties as soon as we can.

 

Knollwood Entries starting March 1.

Entries for the Spring show are starting on March 1.  The show is Friday-Sunday May 13-15.  New this year, we’ll hold the WTC pattern classes and the Knollwood Challenge qualifiers on Friday night.

The shirt color for May is Hot Coral, and it’s beautifully bright.  Entries will close on April 1.

 

 

Summer Camp Sell Out!

Our summer camps are totally, 100% sold out. We can’t wait for Knollwood Summer 2022!!

 

 

See you at the farm, or at the banquet!