Welcome back to another Saturday circuit though somehow on Easter Sunday.  While we would normally be spending this day celebrating with our families, and eating lots of Easter candies, we should add a circuit in between rounds of Cadbury Cream Egg eating contests.

This circuit is a little different in that it is best served to do in one whole circuit, rather than doing each exercise 3 times in a row, do the reps for each exercise once and start back at the top for 3 circuits.  As always, be sure to warm up with some light movement or stretching and cool down when you're done! 

Exercise 1 - Forward Sprint with Backpedal - 60 seconds on, 20 seconds rest

While it is rainy today, if you have a long hallway in your house, with as much speed as you can muster, sprint to the end, touch the ground and backpedal back to starting, then explode forward again.  This is a fast twitch muscle exercise that helps with things like reaction times and muscular control.

 

Exercise 2 - 1 Legged Chair pose, alternating legs, 10 reps

Essentially a one legged squat, you will need to ground into your standing foot and move slowly to ensure you keep your balance.  Keep your chest high and think about sitting your seat bones down onto a chair behind you, rather than bending over your knee.  Ideally your knee is never passing the point where you can't see your toes if you look down.  This is a movement that should be done with good form rather than speed or going really deep into the pose, so only go as deep as you feel you have control over!

Exercise 3 - Cross Jacks - 60 Seconds on, 20 seconds rest

Cross jacks are an alternate version of jumping jacks where you alternate crossing your arms and feet in front of you.  Just like a jumping jack you want to keep your eyes up and feet light and continually be moving off of the balls of your feet into the air.

 

Exercise 4 - Inner Thigh Leg Lifts 10 reps, each side

Inner thigh leg lifts are a small, but focused, isometric movement that allows you to really isolate that upper inner thigh that you use to much to keep your balance when riding without stirrups!  Laying on your side, move your upper leg just behind you while keeping your hips stacked on top of one another.  Begin to lift your lower leg as if you were trying to touch your ankle to the ceiling. Focus on a good contraction of the upper inner thigh at the top of the movement before lowering your leg to start over.

 

Exercise 5 - High Skips - 60 seconds on, 20 seconds rest

High Skips can be done in place or in motion like the forward sprint back pedal.  Either way your focus should be keeping your chest up and getting your knee as high as possible, each time.  This helps you contract your core.  Be sure to land softly on the balls of your feet when you jump!

 

Exercise 6 - Side Plank 30 seconds on each side, 10 second rest

Side planks are great for lateral stability and can be difficult to maintain good form so be focused on keeping your hips stacked and trying to create a straight line from your feet to your head rather than letting your hips curve down toward the ground.  If you start to feel like your hips are struggling to float up, you can bend your lower leg and drop that to the ground for a modification.  Good form is essential!

Remember to do a cool down of light stretching and feel free to add this to the last few Saturday Circuits for a doozy of a workout!

Hi Everyone, Sundance here!

First of all, we really miss our Knollwood Kids of all ages. We’re being well taken care of, and enjoying plenty of extra recess when we’re not keeping up on our studies, but it gets pretty lonely around here without our students.  Plus, some of my co-workers are running out of creative ways to spend their time, and are eating far too much.  Fred has taken to sleeping in the round bale with his pony friend.  They even refuse to come in on some days so they can enjoy the outside buffet alone!

Ann, Brenda, and Nancy are in the barn every day taking care of us.  We’re getting spa treatments from the grownups, and shedding season is going pretty well. I bet the helpers aren’t missing THAT part of spring so much! Brinkley would like to say that he really misses his conversations and spa treatments from his good friend Addison.

Oh, and thanks to customers who have been leaving treat bags hanging on the front door.  We're currently enjoying horse cookies from our good friend Bubbles.  She even wrote us a letter!!

Klem misses his Tuesday Amigos, and is afraid his acting skills may be suffering without his weekly photo shoots.

Mark has yet to realize that anything is different.

 

 

The show horses are working every day, and have even been enjoying the great outdoors on nice days.  The arena screen door has been open a couple of days, a thought that gives me pause. Those sunlight spots on the arena footing can be downright terrifying.

 

I’ve been hearing all about projects going on around the barn.

Parker is washing a lot of winter coats over in the show barn, and trunks are being cleaned and prepared for the 2020 show season.

In the school barn, all the academy show bridles are clean and ready to go, rental saddles have been deep cleaned and conditioned,  the stirrup wall has been reorganized and is now arranged alphabetically by first name, and the box stall cubbies are being reshuffled next.

 

Celebrations

Did you know my birthday is coming up on the 24^th of this month?

 

And did you know that Hugo turns 13 the next day?

 

 

I reviewed the Knockout membership list, and found out that a lot of Knollwood Kids have birthdays this month, too!

Happy Birthday to:

Helen on April 4

Madelyn R on April 9

Jilly on April 11

Richie and Emme on April 17

Cecilia on April 22

Elaine on April 28

 

 

 

We’re always happy to help you celebrate even if you can’t be at the barn. Just contact my agent, Ann, and she can arrange to have a birthday video sent to you!

 

 

 

 

Great thanks to everyone who has donated to our feed bill during this difficult time.  Our staff here have let us know how much you've been donating, and we're humbled by your generosity. The most impressive thing to us is that no one asked you to donate, you started the program up yourselves. We can't possibly thank you enough, but we'll sure try!

You all know how much we love to work, and it’s been really hard on us not seeing all of you. The most important thing is that you all stay safe at home so we can get back together as soon as possible. We can’t wait for lessons and shows to begin again!

If you'd like to donate to our unemployment fund by check, you can send it directly to our friends at Merton Feed. Please note that it's for the Knollwood lesson horses.

 

 

Merton Feed

N71 W28312 Mill Street

Merton, WI 53056

If you prefer to donate with a credit card, please call the mill at 262-538-1250.  Please mention that you're donating to the best lesson horses in the world.

Side note, they have the best chickens in the world, and they sponsored our show concession stand last year!

 

 

 

 

We’re going to start doing some Facebook Live broadcasts, and some Zoom meetings.  Again, please let Ann, my agent know if you have any specific topics you’d like to discuss. Otherwise, I’ll run the show!

 

 

 

 

Finally, don’t forget to order your #Knollwoodstrong shirts here.  All proceeds from these snazzy Team Knollwood shirts benefit the school horse unemployment program.

We want to have a huge orange cheering section at every show we go to, so please show your support of the best lesson horses in the world by outfitting every Knollwood fan.

 

 

 

Sundance signing off.

We miss you more than you know, and can't wait to see you all soon.

Till then, stay safe and #Knollwoodstrong

We know staying at home can get a little tedious, so we've come up with a way to brighten those 'safer at home' days.  To remind you of bright days at Knollwood, we've worked with our friends at Wild Impact Marketing and designed these sunny, bright orange Knollwood shirts. They're made out of athletic fabric, so they're perfect for at-home workouts or riding your favorite horses when this has all passed. 

The youth shirts have a BIG Knollwood logo on the front, and say #Knollwoodstrong down the back.

 

The misses fitted version features a small farm logo on the front, and #Knollwoodstrong running down the back.

 

Imagine Team Knollwood decked out in these beauties when horse show season 2020 starts!! 

 

Best of all? You can order the latest Woodwear from home through our website here for only $25.

 

 

We miss you, and the horses miss you. 

Please stay home so we can all get together sooner, and get back to doing what we all love.

 

 

Tradition.

Honor.

Passion.

#Knollwoodstrong

 

Hey guys!

 

Saturday circuit number two coming at you.  Now this circuit can be added to the first Saturday Circuit which can be found here, or can be utilized as a stand alone workout.  If doing as a stand alone, be sure to run through to circuit 3-5 times.  If adding to circuit one, we recommend doing each circuit 2-3 times.  As always, make sure you take some time to warm up before you begin and cool down once you're done to ensure your muscles are well protected and ready to rock and roll!

 

Exercise 1 - Split Jumps - 30 seconds on, 10 seconds rest, 4 reps

 

Split jumps are perhaps more evil than squat jumps, though equally as amazing of a cardio kick.  From a lunge position, in one fluid motion, jump directly up and swap legs coming down into another lunge and repeat!  Don't forget to breathe on this one guys!

 

Exercise 2 - High Plank to Low Plank - 30 seconds, 3 reps

 

Planks are amazing for your entire core.  Finding yourself in a high plank position, really drawing your navel in, come down onto your right elbow then left elbow, then push back up onto your right hand, then up onto your left hand.  Continue like this for the entire 30 seconds.  Make sure you change directions so for the next cycle you would go down onto your left elbow, then right, come up onto your left hand, then right; and so on!

 

Exercise 3 - High Knees - 60 Seconds on, 20 second rest for 3 reps

 

A classic cardio move, working your knees up toward your waist without letting your chest come forward will really make this a much more challenging workout.  Make sure you stand tall, chest lifted (just like when you're sitting on a horse) and begin to run in place bringing your knees as high as you can, as fast as you can, keep your core engaged.

 

 Exercise 4 - T Push Ups - 10 reps

 

A literal twist on an oldy but goody, the T Push Up involves doing a regular push up, but once you get back to the top of your push up, raise one arm toward the ceiling for a gentle twist, really focusing here on letting your back muscles contract you into the twist, rather than just swinging your arm around. Follow your hand with your eyes and it rotates, come back down to do another push up and twist to the other side!

 

 Exercise 5 - Lateral bounds - 60 Seconds on, 20 seconds rest for 3 reps

 

In a ready position, bound to the left or right, cradling the jump with a soft landing onto one foot, find your balance without lowering your other foot and bound back to the other side.  Continue this bounding back and forth from one foot to the other as fast as you can while maintaining good form of a high chest and bent knees as if you're in a partial squat.

 

Exercise 6 - High boat to low boat - 10 reps

 

Balancing on your tail bone, bend your knees and stretch your arms out straight at your shoulders.  Holding this position for a moment, stretch your legs out and lower them, along with lowering your back, as low as you can without falling or touching the ground.  Holding this position for a moment, using exclusively your core, come back up to your starting position and repeat.

 

Don't forget to cool down with some light stretching.

 

Happy Social Distancing Saddlebred Saturday

 

 

Greetings from a very quiet Knollwood.  While we certainly never want to get used to the silence, we are pivoting and learning how to survive it in the short term.  Knowing that the more everyone complies with social distancing the sooner we can get back to doing what we all love with our favorite people. That makes this temporary normal a little easier to take. This will end.

The quietness has given us more time to think, and we’re working on some terrific things for our grand reopening.  While people at home are cleaning closets and watching Tiger King (which we HIGHLY recommend), we’re working on some projects that we have always wanted to tackle but never had the chunks of time needed.  So, we’re actually grateful for the gift of time we’ve been given.

Here are our lessons learned for this week:

The World Goes On.

Spring is coming, and the trees are budding. With the warmish weather, the trees of Knollwood are starting to look really beautiful..

Oh, and the lesson horses are shedding like crazy! Never fear, they’re enjoying spa treatments, and they’re looking fat and shiny.

Horses really miss their peeps.

If you can believe it, Klem is even more talkative in the stall, Dudley keeps giving all of us his slow blink, and even Joey is asking to be petted. They don’t understand why their world has shifted, they just want their humans back!

The show horses are missing their peeps, too. They're all looking fantastic, with their training routines ramping up for show season, whenever it may start.  These horses are  ready to get on the trailer!

Walking down the show barn aisle, we’re greeted with eager noses poking out looking for their riders. Heck, Tink even sent a selfie to Richie!

 

The pets of Knollwood are keeping us entertained. 

Hazel is doing great on some new thyroid medication, and has her old energy back. She’s enjoying walking the trails again with Carol, but misses all the kids at the barn.

Richmond and Holly have full run of the school barn during the day, and the results have been hilarious. Richmond has started riding lessons, and is looking forward to his first bareback ride soon. He’s also learning parts of the horse, and is identifying the parts by launching himself at the horse chart.

 

Most of all, we miss our customers.

We miss giving lessons, but we also miss the daily fun we have with everyone. Knollwood is about so much more than horses.  We miss hearing about kids’ sports schedules, achievements outside of the horse world, and horse show chat.  We miss the Tuesday parents enjoying wine while their kids ride, and we miss the kids' laughter in the barn.  We miss exchanging good books, hearing about vacations, and well, just joking around in the middle of the arena.

Some of our recent highlights have been customers driving by and stopping in the middle of Horseshoe Bend to have a conversation from a safe distance. It’s amazing who you meet in the road when you’re taking the recycling out to the curb!

 

 

This will end.

We’ll get through this.

And yes, we'll have quite a celebration when this is all over!

We’ve got this.

 

 

Tradition.

Honor.

Passion.

We Are Knollwood.