It's a snowy Boxing Day in Aurora, Ontario. Having no respect for time and a head full of cold symptoms, I managed to pull myself out of bed around 10:30 a.m. and have been able to simply enjoy the experience of being -- such a rare occurence lately with all the hustle and bustle of the past few months. My spirits were warmed as I ate my granola and fruit breakfast and read the report in today's Globe and Mail (front page too!) of the successful efforts of a group of people in McBride,…

Is one of your goals for 2009 to become more organized?



One thing that helps me stay organized is creating a weekly "To Do List" every Monday. As a special project, I designed a printable "To Do List" for each week of 2009. Each week's page has a column for listing things to accomplish that week, a calendar for the week with space to write in appointments or deadlines, an inspirational quote and picture of one of my horse paintings (of course!)



I'd like to share my…

Hi Guys,



Regardless of which discipline you ride, it's very important to sit straight and square in the saddle. Can you tell if you're collapsing at your waist and sitting crookedly?



Ask a ground person to stand behind you.

1. Are your shoulders level (i.e. the same height)?

2. Is your seat in the center of the saddle so that each seatbone is the same distance from the middle of the saddle?



If your shoulders aren't level which means that one…

(Author Unknown)



It's the night before Christmas and I'm out in the barn

Blanketing my horses to keep them all warm.

They're eating their dinners, tucked cozy in stalls,

Not aware that it's Christmas, or any day special at all

They dream of spring pastures from their pine-scented beds.

No visions of sugarplums dance in their heads

.But we people are thinking of merry parties and such

Quickly doing our tasks so we don't miss too much.

This…

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Karen, Echo, Ollie, Sorpresa & DJ

Hi Guys,



Do you saw left and right on your dressage horse's mouth or wiggle the bit with both hands to get him "on the bit".



If you "saw" on your dressage horse's mouth by alternating squeezing and releasing with your hands, you're riding your horse from front to back. He might look like he's "on the bit" because his head is down and his nose is on the vertical, but you don't have an honest connection from back to front.



The only part of your horse's…

My barn, Deerfield Farm, is doing this great contest for the riding school that I had to get involved in. The activity is a Stall Decorating contest. Since the holiday season is upon us, everyone picks a stall and decorates it however they please.



So far the stalls look amazing with tons of garland, mistletoe, plastic snowflakes and candy canes. Really the tackier the better! Everyone gets a prize for decorating, but one will get a grand…

I always find it interesting when studies go to great lengths to prove what horse people already know!!



A new study into how horses recognise members of the same herd suggests that it's not just humans who use complex memory processes to identify each other.



University of Sussex mammal communication researchers studied the reaction of horses to the sight of one member of the same herd while they heard the recorded call of either the same horse, or a different…

Latest News



Toni Thompson presents Andrea Bresee with the Toni Thompson 'Spirit of Dressage' Award



Andrea Bresee receives the 2008 Toni Thompson "Spirit of Dressage" Award at the Toronto CADORA Annual General Meeting, November 1

Perhaps no one was more surprised than Andrea Bresee when her name was announced, in front of a group of 50 attendees at Toronto CADORA's Annual General Meeting, as the the recipient of the 2008 Toni Thompson "Spirit of Dressage" Award. "I…

We had a decent year in 2008 - not a banner year but not a bad year.



We qualified 4 animals for the 2008 SportPony Star Search at the Royal Winter Fair:

Private Benjamin (yearling Half-Welsh/First Premium Premier ASPR filly - *Stockham Commander M X Shades of Spring) first as a 2nd place winner behind an already qualified pony and then in her own right. She was also Reserve Junior Champion at Twinholm Open Sport Pony Show and Champion 2 & Under Half-Welsh at Erin…

Hi Guys,



When you train your horse, you're speaking to him in a foreign language. Think about how it feels to have someone speak to you in a language you don't understand. If you don't know the language, you can't understand them. If they speak slower, you still won't have a clue what they're saying. If they shout at you, you still won't understand.

That's how it is for your horse. When you train, you're developing a non-verbal language with him.…

I've just completed painting #12 in my Beautiful Horses of Michigan series! It's good to have a dozen done. Just 25 more to complete by mid-March when they will be on display at the Stallion Expo in East Lansing.



One Hot Nite (Chrome) is a Pinto Saddlebreed ASHA/PtHA tobiano stallion with the sleekest conformation I've ever seen. He was calmly standing in the barn waiting for Holly, his owner, when I first saw him. I love sleek…

Hi Guys,



Your horse should be able to flex laterally at his poll to the left and right. If you're not sure if he's locked at the poll, ask yourself some questions:



Will he easily flex to the left or right with one quick turn of your wrist or does he stiffen against the action of the rein?

Does he tip his head on small circles or lateral work with a bend like shoulder-in?

Are his ears level when you ride either to the left or to the right?



If he…

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21



Happy Birthday Sags. It is time to reflect on what you have accomplished during the past year. Actually you did remarkably well., considering the odds, which were pretty much stacked against you. You have worked long and hard all year, you kept your focus, now it is time to make a plan and work it.There is no need to become frustrated if you do not feel or see any immediate change in your life. They are coming and you will have to take on…

Hi Guys,



Lots of riders are confused about how to smoothly switch their long dressage whip from one hand to the other. Many of you tell me you feel awkward while doing this, and you're concerned about making your horse uncomfortable and disturbing the contact because you're twisting the bit in your his mouth.

Here's a step-by-step method to switch your…

SPECIAL MUSTANG REPORT TO BARNMICE



I don't know how Mrs. Madeline Pickens feels about nicknames, but this week I've been thinking of her as Mustang Maddie, and here's why:



People around the world have asked the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to admit and repair their mis-mangement of the Wild Horse and Burro program, but it took Madeline Pickens, thoroughbred horse breeder and animal advocate to "cowboy up.



In clear-eyed Western fashion, Mrs. Pickens saw…

Hi Guys,



So many riders are confused about how to warm-up their horses so they can have a productive schooling session. So here are 9 tips to help you with your warm-ups.



As a rider and trainer, your goal in the warm-up is to take the restrictions away from your dressage horse's body. So depending on the day, your warm-up could be as short as 10 minutes, or it could end up making up your entire ride.…

Next week, I'm going to Brazil to visit Interagro Farm, the largest breeder of Lusitanos in the world. There are about 600 horses being raised there - 30 are being brought to Florida for an auction in February. I'm getting a preview. The photos on the web site, lusitanocollection are gorgeous. I know they are champion dressage horses as the entire Brazil dressage team were comprised of Lusitanos. Now I've learned that a Lusitano won the Beginner Novice division in Eventing last year. As a…

I know lots of people like to spoil their pets over the holiday season too. I'm afraid that my horses probably work harder at this time of year than any other time, because the office is shut so I have lots of time!



So, because of this I like to spoil them (& myself a little bit too!) so I always make sure I sneak a gift or two for the horses on to the list.



This year, I think some matching polo bandages for the 2 brothers (or the terrible twins as they are known at…

In celebration of the launch of his new DVD Prepare to Win Vol 1, internationally acclaimed coach Conrad Schumacher was kind enough to do an exclusive Q&A for Barnmice. Enjoy!





1. In what ways has working with such a wide range of riders and horses in

Europe and North America affected or expanded your classical approach to

training and teaching? Can you give a specific example?



In Germany everybody who starts to ride gets a…