When I started with my first horse over 40 years ago horse training was sort of considered an esoteric activity that only adepts could do.  Most people sent horses to trainers because only trainers had the equipment and the secret knowledge necessary to train horses.  After several months at the trainer’s place the horse came home, hopefully knowing enough about carrying and obeying a…

Hey bloggers,

This week's blog is going to be based on the variety of autumn and winter blankets we have available at Baker's. We carry a variety of brands and blanket styles, and I am going to describe each of them to you so you can figure out what blankets you would want to purchase to keep your equine buddies warm for the upcoming Canadian weather. 

The first blanket brand that we carry at Baker's are the Rambo blankets. These blankets come in a variety of styles including…

As a judge and competitor, I’ve seen a lot of bad horse show experiences. From horses who begin to anticipate in the class to those who refuse to go in the gate. There are riders falling off and others just falling apart emotionally. 



If training a horse is like climbing a staircase, many mishaps occur because riders try to skip a step, or even jump…

Best Laid Plans

My sister and I were planning long rides on this holiday weekend.  Saturday morning, we headed out on the first one with Cole and Ranger—and when we started trotting, Ranger was lame.  Our hearts fell.  It’s bad enough to have a lame horse, but it is way worse when the horse is on the older side.  The anxieties are multiplied a hundred times.  Could this be the big one?  Is it something chronic that will limit his use? 

We watched him and…

You know, when someone passes out of your life, especially someone close to you, it reawakens you to the world and who you are.  My older brother Austin, aged 65, died a week ago on August 27th.  It came out of nowhere, a rare blood disorder, he was into the ICU and on life support within 3 weeks of  getting ill and then he went.  It was all so sudden, unexpected and sad. 

Long ago I realized the power of gratitude, and one thing I know, I have no regrets about my…

September 2 2012. I haven't been feeling well for several days now but went out to see Cooper, pick his feet and say hi to him. He had a new kick on his left hip. You could tell it was a kick as the hoof mark was there. There was an egg size bump with a little heat to it.

I took him to the wash stall for some more cold hosing again. He wasn't very comfortable with the water trickling down his leg and massaging at the same time. I didn't make it out last night again.…

Last week Debbie asked me if I minded her training a horse she had in for training during my lesson.  I told her I did not mind at all.  I LOVE seeing Debbie train a horse, she makes it look easy!  During the weekend Debbie called me saying she wanted me to shim the Corrector pad so the mare would be more comfortable under saddle. 

So on Wednesday not only did I have to shim up the Corrector (since the mare has a rather flat back I used all eight shims,) I helped…

Hey bloggers,

This week's blog is going to be comparing the two air vests that are currently on the equestrian market. Safety is paramount, and wearing the proper equipment while riding gives you a sense of security and relief if you were to have a mishap while riding. It is a great addition to everyones tack collection to own an air vest for ultimate safety while participating in the equestrian sport. Both the Hit-Air Vest and the Point Two Air Jackets provides riders with greatly…

Here is a ranch for sale in Alberta where I take Dressage lessons. May be of interest to someone out there. The link is
http://jamesriverhorsepalace.com/contactseller.cfm