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Laurel Burns

@groundtosaddleequine

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Where people and horses learn together ❤️

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These cuties will be looking for new homes in about 6 weeks! #kittiesofinstagram #iowacommunity #cutnessoverload taken in Marion, Iowa by @groundtosaddleequine

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2 days ago

Sometimes a little change makes all the difference. ❤️

Last night, Liza was getting a little tired during her riding lesson, so I asked if she'd like to try riding bareback.

Her whole face lit up!

Off came the saddle, back on she went, and just like that, she was having the best time. Her very first bareback ride! 🐴

Moments like these are such a good reminder of why flexibility matters so much in learning.

Sometimes we start a lesson with one plan and discover something entirely different along the way. Being willing to make those changes gives students a voice in their own learning and allows us to follow their curiosity and enthusiasm rather than simply finishing what we started.

And sometimes, that little change is all it takes to turn a tired moment into a wonderful new experience.

Because at the end of the day, I want the kids leaving the barn looking forward to coming back. ❤️

❤️Where people and horses learn together

#GroundtoSaddleEquine #iowahorse #iowacommunity #fun #horselove taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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9 days ago

There have been a lot more footsteps through the barn lately. ❤️

Little boots. Riding boots. Parents following behind. Kids who arrive already knowing exactly which horse they hope to see, and kids who are still figuring out how close they're brave enough to stand.

And somewhere along the way, Ground to Saddle Equine has grown into something much bigger than I expected it to, much faster than I expected it to.

I think what has meant the most to me is seeing why families keep finding their way here.

There is value in letting a child take their time.
In answering the hundredth question just as seriously as the first.

In letting them struggle with the buckle for another minute before offering a hand.
In trusting them with real responsibility, while staying close enough that they know they aren't figuring it all out alone.

Horses have a wonderful way of making those little moments matter. They don't care how old someone is or how quickly they learn. They simply respond to the person standing in front of them—and give us another opportunity to listen, adjust, and try again.

Maybe that's why so much learning here happens almost without anyone noticing it.
A little more patience. A little more independence. A little more confidence in I think I can do this.

And then one day, something that once required a grown-up standing right beside them... doesn't anymore.

Watching more and more families recognize the value in those moments has been one of the sweetest parts of seeing Ground to Saddle Equinr grow.

Because the horses may be what bring us here.

But there is so much more growing alongside them. ❤️

❤️Where people and horses learn together

#GroundtoSaddleEquine #iowahorse #iowacommunity #iowabusiness #horselove taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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10 days ago

There are so many lessons learned during our time with horses that have very little to do with riding. ❤️

At the end of Liza’s lesson, she helped me gather everything we had used in the arena and put it away. Nothing complicated, just part of finishing what we had started together.

These little moments give kids opportunities to practice responsibility, independence and problem solving—with support nearby when they need it. They learn to notice what needs to be done, try things for themselves, ask for help when they need it, and become more confident in what they’re capable of.

And little by little, those experiences help build skills and confidence that reach far beyond their time with the horses. ❤️

While Liza worked, Fancy quietly followed along and kept her company. 🥰🐴

Sometimes the really meaningful learning happens in the most ordinary moments.

❤️Where people and horses learn together

#GroundtoSaddleEquine #iowahorse #iowacommunity #lifeskills taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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16 days ago

We have two new faces joining the Ground to Saddle Equine family! ❤️🐴

Meet Fancy and Buddy!

Fancy has actually already made her lesson debut this week, and I don't think I could have asked for a better first few days with her. She stepped into lessons like she'd been doing this with me for years—quiet, patient, completely unfazed, and very happy to soak up all the attention from the kids. 🥰

She has already helped several of our younger students have some pretty special moments in the saddle, and I have a feeling she is going to be very loved around here.

And then there's Buddy!

Buddy also lives right here at the farm, and his owner has generously given me permission to let him join us for some of our younger and beginner students. We'll be taking our time getting to know each other and figuring out what he enjoys, just like I do with every horse who becomes part of the program.

One thing that's incredibly important to me is making sure the horses here have jobs that suit them, too. They aren't equipment. Their comfort, workload, personalities, and what they enjoy matter just as much as finding the right horse for each student.

Having Fancy and Buddy available means I can spread that work among more horses and continue being thoughtful about what I ask of each one.

So, officially—welcome to Ground to Saddle Equine, Fancy and Buddy. ❤️🐴

I think they're going to fit in just fine.
#GroundtoSaddleEquine #iowahorse #iowacommunity #seniorhorse taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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22 days ago

Someone at the barn saw me set up between Meet & Greets today and offered to take a few pictures for me. ❤️

Laptop open, folding chair in the barn aisle, horses quietly checking in every once in a while.

I could probably find a more comfortable office. 😂 But I wouldn’t want it anywhere else.

There’s something about this space that I’ve worked really intentionally to protect. It doesn’t always need to be busy. We don’t always need to be riding, training, teaching, or accomplishing something.

Sometimes we can just be here.
Horses resting in their stalls. People sitting nearby. Conversations happening. Kids wandering through to say hello. Someone working on a laptop while a horse hangs their head over the door to keep them company.

This is what I want Ground to Saddle to feel like.
Peaceful.
Comfortable.
Like you don’t have to arrive ready to perform or accomplish something in order to belong here.
Some days we learn. Some days we ride. Some days we work through something hard.

And sometimes we just share the space.

I think there’s value in all of it. ❤️🐴

❤️Where horses and people learn together
#GroundtoSaddleEquine #iowahorse #iowacommunity #dreamsintoreality taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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a month ago

Sometimes learning looks a little silly. 😂❤️🐴

There were stuffed animals scattered around the arena this week, buckets on barrels, obstacles to navigate, things to remember, decisions to make... and horses patiently wondering why their workplace had suddenly been invaded by toys. 😂

But underneath all of the fun, there was a whole lot of learning happening.

Steering toward a destination. Planning where to go next. Stopping in the right place. Reaching, balancing and moving while staying aware of the horse underneath them. Making choices independently. Communicating when they needed help. Trying something again when it didn’t quite work the first time.
And maybe most importantly — being comfortable enough to learn without worrying about getting everything “right.”

That’s one of my favorite things about teaching kids. The lesson doesn’t have to feel like a lesson for meaningful learning to happen.

Yesterday was an especially good reminder of that. We welcomed new faces, watched kids make new connections with the horses, learned a whole lot about each other, and had more than one child who wasn’t particularly interested in leaving when their time was over. 😂❤️

I’ll take that as a pretty successful day at Ground to Saddle.

Where horses and people learn together. ❤️🐴
#GroundtoSaddleEquine #iowahorse #iowacommunity #learning taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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a month ago

Sometimes slowing down makes room for things you didn't know you needed. ❤️
Last week looked very different at Ground to Saddle.

The heat was relentless, lessons were put on pause, and the horses spent most of their time doing exactly what they needed to do — hanging out in the pasture, staying cool, getting hosed off, taking baths, and generally enjoying a week with very few expectations. 🐴💦

Apparently, I needed a little of that too. 😂
With my normal schedule suddenly quiet, I had time to slow down and say yes to things I usually have to squeeze in somewhere.
I met new people. I visited new friends. I had some really meaningful conversations. I got to meet some wonderful horses while exploring possibilities for the future of Ground to Saddle.

And I got to stand back and watch Laurel meet Randy for the first time. ❤️
After everything Randy and I have worked through together, watching someone meet him without expectations — simply spending time with him and letting him decide how much he wanted to participate — meant more to me than I can really put into words. And knowing now that he's found the person who will continue that relationship with him makes that day even more special.

I also got to spend time with Meagan, meet Breezy, wander through some beautiful pastures, and reconnect with the part of the horse world that exists outside my own little barn.

Meanwhile, back at home, the horses were quite committed to their vacation. 😂 Baths were had. Hoses were tolerated. Absolutely no one complained about the lack of lessons.
And Ollie somehow acquired a bite mark that looks suspiciously like a smiley face, so apparently even the herd was pleased with the arrangement. 😋😂

What initially felt like a week where I had to put everything on hold turned into something I didn't realize I needed.
The horses got a break.
I recharged my battery.
New relationships started.
Old ones grew.
Some really exciting doors opened.

And now we're coming back to cooler weather, new faces, new ideas, and a very full season ahead. ❤️🐴

Turns out the pause was productive after all.
#GroundtoSaddleEquine #iowahorse #iowacommunity #toohottoride #takeabreak taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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a month ago

Some of the most important lessons horses teach children happen in the relationship between them.

If one of my students accidentally bumps a horse, pulls too hard, gets frustrated, or simply does something that wasn't necessary, I'll often say:
“Tell them you're sorry.”

I've done the same thing with Taylor since she was little.
Not because I believe a horse understands the words I'm sorry the way another person does.
It's because I want the child to understand what those words represent.

I affected you. I noticed. And I care.

And I think it's just as important for children to experience that consideration in return.

Razz recently bumped his little student and startled her. The picture that followed wasn't Razz literally apologizing — it was him responding to the change in the moment and reconnecting with her.

But to a young child, we can give that moment language.
“Razz is telling you he's sorry. He didn't mean to scare you.”

Something uncomfortable happened. We didn't have to ignore it, and we didn't have to let it damage their relationship. We could acknowledge it and move through it together.

Horses give children a place to practice compassion, responsibility, awareness and integrity. But also honesty, forgiveness, communication, advocacy, acceptance and repair.

To express a hard feeling instead of hiding it.
To acknowledge when something went wrong.
To take responsibility without believing a mistake makes you bad.
To forgive without pretending nothing happened.
And to learn that uncomfortable moments don't have to damage a relationship. Sometimes acknowledging what happened is exactly how we protect it.

Because when children learn to notice how they affect the beings around them — and what it feels like to receive that same consideration in return — I think that awareness reaches far beyond the barn. ❤️🐴

♥️Where horses and people learn together.
#GroundtoSaddleEquine
#Horsemanship #RelationshipBasedHorsemanship #IowaHorses
#CedarRapidsIowa taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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a month ago

Sometimes you don't need to ride.

Sometimes you just want to be around horses.

Brush one.
Feed one a Snackie.
Wander out to the pasture.
Stand quietly beside one for a while.

Or breathe in that very specific smell of a horse who's been outside in the sunshine all day.❤️

There doesn't always have to be a goal.
There doesn't always have to be something to accomplish.

Sometimes being with horses is enough.

And I think there should be more places where that's allowed.
❤️🐴
Ground to Saddle Equine

❤️Where horses and people learn together.
#GroundtoSaddleEquine #relationshipbasedhorsemanship #iowa #iowahorse taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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2 months ago

There are so many moments in a barn day that I never get to see from the outside. ❤️🐴

I’m usually right in the middle of them—teaching, answering questions, helping a student, getting a horse ready, or already thinking three steps ahead about what needs to happen next. 😂

And then Gwen gave me these.

The big moments are here, of course. But what I love most are all the little ones she noticed—the conversations, the helping hands, the curiosity, the work, the relationships being built, and all of those ordinary pieces of barn life that mean so much to me.

Thank you, Gwen, for seeing the little moments and preserving them for me. Your talent is such a gift, and having your support as all of this grows means more than I can say. ❤️🐴
#GroundtoSaddleEquine taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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2 months ago

From hard to catch to helping little riders learn. ❤️

Randy has been stepping into lessons more lately, and I absolutely love watching him figure out this job.

He is quiet, thoughtful and incredibly responsive, but what I appreciate most is that he doesn't just tolerate the kids—he genuinely seems to enjoy being included. He slows everything down, listens, and gives them space to figure things out right along with him.

These are the moments that make all of the quiet, boring training worth it. 😉

Building a horse who understands expectations, trusts people and feels safe expressing himself doesn't just change how he behaves.

It gives him enough confidence in himself and in the people around him to make room for a little rider who's still learning too. ❤️🐴
#GroundtoSaddleEquine #compassioninhorsemanship #trusttheprocess #eveningride #mustanghorse taken in Mt Vernon, IA by @groundtosaddleequine

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2 months ago