Finally and at last, the ice on the pond has thawed and birds have returned. It’s our spring break.

My elderly, domestic ducks waddle off to the pond with a very officious gait, business-like in their bathing.  They quack around with wild ducks, exchanging opinions. Mine are easy to tell apart, they swim much lower in the water and act like they own the place.  They return to the yard in late afternoon for dinner- the old gelding shares his with them. It has been a long,…

Riders know this lesson; if you get bucked off you have to climb back on. That’s the rule. Horse or rider are better for it. They say that the hardest thing about riding is hitting the ground (sigh) but I disagree. The recovery is often more challenging.

I think we are afraid of what we know- more than the unknown. Experience makes it personal. Once we have…

It’s generally considered good manners in the barn to graciously take the blame anytime your horse is less than spectacular, and give your horse all the credit after a good ride. But it is more than manners, it is also a rider’s responsibility.…

The head of the herd at Infinity Farm is the kind of horse you might call Grandfather- with reverence. He was a flashy something in his day; what he lacked in confidence he made up for with bravado. We made a pair and a quarter century later, we have both softened and matured with age. He rules the ranch, from the ducks (he shares his grain with them) on up. Not all barns are as…

“Horses hate llamas.” Lots of horse people told me that, but by then my gelding was babysitting my first cria and the party was in full swing.

Llamas are brave and curious. Mine hike with packs, do llama agility, and Sebastian was a ring bearer in a wedding. (At the reception he confused the Mother-of-the-Bride’s corsage for an hors d’oeuvre. It was an…

Anna Sewell authored Black Beauty in 1877. She wrote the book to educate about animal cruelty and promote a more understanding approach to horses. She wrote,

“My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt.”

Most times we don’t have the power to actually right wrongs. It is…

Infinity Farm has always boasted an extended family of many species, so the nickname was obvious- The Peaceable Kingdom. I love that painting by Edward Hicks. He was a Quaker minister who painted his spiritual truth in a simple way that resonates with me profoundly.…

I love this photo- it’s education in a trickle down sort of way. These fillies are learning the fine art of wither itching from my retired gelding- when he speaks everyone leans close and listens. He is the Master.

Maybe learning takes lifetimes… This week I have been reading…

A friend of mine volunteered at a nursing home. One of the patients there was always talking about riding and my friend thought that maybe I could come along and talk horses with her. That was what I knew when I entered her room.

The walls were covered with horse pictures from magazines, a couple of medical machines were humming and sighing,…

Woody Allen says, “I am at two with nature.” That pretty much describes how I feel about technology. Embracing the tech world for me is like enjoying a violent allergy attack.

Having…

Dear Mr. Farrier,

Remember me? My friends call me Clara. You may call me Claro d’Luna. Please pronounce it with a Spanish accent.

I…

 ”Peace on Earth”, -The Wild Texas Wind, aka Windy, Infinity Farm Matriarch.

  “Good Will to All” -Holliday, Infinity Farm Homeland…

Who hasn’t begged for a pony for Christmas? My generation scrutinized the color plates of horse breeds in the H volume of our aged Encyclopedia Britannica. Some of us read Black Beauty a dozen times. We held Man from Snowy River film festivals at home. Kids today haunt websites like…

“The threat of Christmas hung in the air…”

This is a stressful time of the year. Some of the stress is good stress; children’s programs at church, parties, presents, all kinds of cookies, and family dinners. Some of the stress is not so good; unreal expectations, emotional strain, expense, time pressures, and family dinners.

Humans like routines as much…

“Slow down. No one’s tombstone ever says ‘I wish I would have mucked faster.’”…

There is a front coming in tonight. Clouds are moving low and fast, the wind is howling around corners, as the temperature drops like a rock. Spring and fall bring this kind of barometer-bouncing weather.

Worst of all, the horses are acting unsettled as the atmosphere. There is a name for this kind of weather, but I don’t like to say it out…