I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! 

My husband gave me some Christmas money, so I went to the tack store yesterday.  I’ve had my eye on a “Korsteel JP copper ball link full cheek” 3-piece snaffle with a small copper ball that rolls around the center link, as well as a “gelcomb” and a small brush so I could groom Mia’s head properly.  I lucked out, the bit was still there and I finally found the head brushes I was looking for.  One of the ladies who worked…

From 2004 – 2007, Dawn and I lived on a ranch in northwestern Nebraska, doing work with our nonprofit.  There was an area at the ranch that had several houses and other buildings, and the main horse pastures were in that area.  The area around the houses had several apple trees that bore many apples each year.  The ranch had high game fence around most of the pastures because…

I think I am coming down with something, even though I have been staying mostly at home.  All disease germs must love the Christmas shopping season, there are so many potential victims just waiting around to provide a hospitable home.

Wednesday I got my lesson on Mick.  Poor guy, Debbie thought that it would be warmer on Tuesday night so she just put Mick’s sheet on (he is in a stall at night.)  Well Wednesday morning was cold and there was an even colder wind.  When…

Hello fellow viewers!

I am new here, but that does not mean I know nothing about horses - as I know quite a bit, but still no everything.

I hope you all enjoy to see my future blog posts and learn lots from them and ask quesitons!

If you have any requests for me to do a blog on a how-to or on just anything, let me know and I will do my best!

Cold rain.  Cold wind. 

Last Sunday it was a cold rain, so I missed out on riding Cider.

Luckily I got my lesson on Wednesday.  The low that night had been 21° F but when I got up the TV said 25° F so I went out to ride.  I had gotten Mick an extra exercise sheet, this time a Centaur Climate Control Thermo Knit Cut-back Exercise sheet.  Mick takes a 72” blanket so I had to get the horse sized one which is…

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” Winston Churchill was certainly right, and some times of the year, more than others. I notice the holiday season has a lot of us wound up just a little tighter.

Is your horse a therapy horse? All of mine are, especially the retired ones. Sometimes…

There’s something about horses that can bring out a fierce inner dragon in us. We can get extremely frustrated while interacting with our horses. Maybe it’s because they are big and intelligent. Perhaps it’s their spirit or expansive energy. Whatever it is, we can snap!

How can you tame yourself and prevent that Yosemite Sam outburst?

I can remember schooling my…

Hi,

My name is Tanja and I currently working on my personal spare time project, my very first own blog. I like to scan through articles and other blog posts, gather ideas and combine them with my experiences, pictures and videos and share them via my blog. Some entries are also about my own horse Hafl aka TCA2 Andor, a 6-yr old Haflinger gelding. We are from Austria but keep our blog in English to serve a broader audience. Please find below the link to my blog and we would…

One of the trainers I rode with always said that being a good rider is 90% confidence. I'm sure that training, talent, and dedication comes into play also. Yet, I believe that confidence is the most important due to the fact that the other three attributes can be masked by a lack of it. A rider can't completely relax and focus if they are self-conscious and/or scared.



I still struggle with my confidence every time I ride. In fact, it gets worse as I get older. It's not even…

Love Your Pony, Love Your Planet is a delightful, engaging way to help the youngest equestrian learn the BEST methods for the ultimate health of their pony and our planet. These BEST methods are depicted on 64 pages using full color photos of actual children and their ponies. The added…

My horse loves these.

I spent part of my night baking  to give as gifts to the various equine-owning people in my life. They came out well, I think. I guess I won't know for sure until they get horse-tested, though. ;) I'm hoping they go over well with the furry beasts, as the  was a nice, easy…

My sympathies for all of you in the winter storm.   

I actually rode FOUR times this week!  Yes, I am exhausted, but we are due to get the winter storm  by this weekend, snow and ice are going to try to make it down here on Sunday, Monday it will rain and next week it will be cold again.  My son’s schedule changed so I grabbed the chance to ride today since I obviously will be huddling at home this weekend instead of enjoying horses.

Last Sunday Cider was glad…

Timid horses are the introverts at the party. They aren't usually the first horses to come up and say, "Hello!" but they can make for lovely personalities to befriend. They are naturally super light and responsive to signals and this can make them great fun to play with. Playing with a timid horse is our chance to observe subtle body language and energy manipulation in…

Why do horses do what they do and people do what they do? And why does the show ring seem to magnify those emotions and reactions? Brainfreezes, butterflies and blow-ups…all part of the competitive experience.



When we, as riders, understanding the science of how horses view their world, it helps to nip mishaps in the bud. As a prey animal…

Somehow the seasons have already run through from spring to summer to autumn, and now winter is just around the corner. It has crept up on us more quickly than it seems possible - Christmas is suddenly the next big celebration on the calendar! As a horse rider this means it is high time to get prepared for the coldest season as it is important to take extra care at this time of year.

Follow some of the hints and tips listed below so you can be sure that you are ready to deal with the…