It is cooler down here this week, instead of the temperatures going up to 105° F they have been only getting up to 99° F.  Next week we will finally cool down to normal, the upper 80’s, a cold front is due to come through.

Wednesday, for my lesson, Mick started off really stiff.  I have been giving him massages with my little hand held roller massager before I ride, he really enjoys the massages but they don’t seem…

Hi guys,

This week's blog is going to be based on equine fitness. In any equine discipline, keeping your horse in top shape improves their performance and health. It is extremely important to do weekly conditioning to increase fitness in your horses for competition. In eventing, having a fit horse is crucial for x-country, and having the energy to complete all three phases safely and successfully. A great way to time yourself while doing your canter/gallop sets is to where the Optimum…

We couldn’t cross the river on our ride last night—too high.  I rode with a friend, Julie, who was on Kevin’s horse, Starry.  We went up and down the hill 3 times.  We trotted on the level parts.  Starry didn’t see the point in it all.  Cole thought trotting was great fun and Julie said that he was floating off the ground.  Yes, Cole can truly trot.  That was his extended trail trot.  He has a bunch of trots, but that’s the one that just eats up the miles.  It seemed like it would take only…

Hi all! This is a GIFT invitation for 4 Free Discovery Sessions offered by Cathy Rivers, a.k.a. The Confident Equestrian Coach. I'm posting this because an "equestrian" lifestyle can be costly and having a successful relationship with money is key! We all know that! 

Here's the info:

Offered by Cathy Rivers of Big Horse Dreams, Inc.…

During March of this year, 2012, I had fun presenting a clinic of this title at the Can Am horse expo along with notable hunter judge, BarbaraMitchell and again with reining judge Gary Yaghdjian. We fed of each other’s energy as we highlighted various mistakes judges note on their cards and how to prevent them. I asked riders to look beyond the usual fixes,…

Sunday July 1 2012 106th Ride. 

We played for a few minutes indoors while waiting for another boarder. Then we walked out to the outdoor arena without any snorts, nice and calm. We walked around the edge of the arena doing squeeze game, falling leaf and circles. We stopped in one corner so the managers little 1 year old some could pet Cooper from over the fence. Cooper stood quietly and looked like…

My riding has been sporadic and abbreviated since we have been taking care of my Dad.  I didn’t get out at all on Saturday, so my sister-in-law took pity on me and said she’d start her shift a few hours early on Sunday so I could get a longer ride and be able to spend time with Kevin.  I jumped at the chance.

I took Cole up to the show ring trails.  It is the first time since this whole thing started that I could ride somewhere different.  It is only the second time I rode…

First, my deepest sympathy to all the people and horses out West dealing with the wildfires and heat, as well to the people and horses in the Mid-West and Mid-Atlantic regions after the horrible wind storm.  My prayers are with you.  However bad it is here in NC, it is much, much better than what you are going through.

I didn’t get to ride much this week, in the earlier, cooler part of the week our minivan was at the repair shop so I could not get my lesson. …

So, two months ago I found a letter in my locker, giving me 30 days notice to find a new spot for my darling Maggie Mae. No reason given. Anyway, after my trainer and got over the shock, I set about finding new accomodations. I know a number of folks were freaked out on my behalf, but I have contingencies at any given time, there are at least two places I could arrive at in the middle of the night with a horse, no questions asked. I set about finding a place. I actually made a call to a…

Raanger - number one splashing horse

The Last Ingredient

Cole Train isn’t afraid of much and is quite a bold…

Hi BarnMice bloggers,

Hope everyone's having a great start to the Canada long weekend! To everyone competing this weekend at Dreamcrest Horse Trials and any other horse shows, best of luck :) Make sure to bring your sunscreen as it is going to be a hot one this weekend as well as your fly spray for your horses! 

Reminding everyone about the Peter Menet clinic that is taking place in Uxbridge on July 15th. Peter is the designer of Amerigo saddles and has extensive knowledge in…

Clicker on the Trail

For those of you that have been following my adventures on Cole, you know that he is my clicker horse.  I bought him as an unridden 4 year old, trained him for the saddle and headed down the trail.  I have trained horses for trail before, of course, but Cole is the first horse that I have used a clicker to help me from the beginning.

I thought I would write a book on clicker training and trail riding, but then I realized I didn’t quite…

  Cathy's so right. This is so worth the read. Check out her new blog post!

  THREE SURE FIRE WAYS TO SABOTAGE YOUR CONFIDENCE

Are you sabotaging your confidence? Are you in your own way? Take a look at these three ways to unconsciously, yet effectively, cut your own confidence off at the knees.

The Time Saboteur. The Time Saboteur never gives themselves enough time. They may be very generous to others with their time,…

I found this great article on Horse.com that I found pretty helpful. I hope someone else could use the information.

Not all horses need to wear shoes. In fact, some horses experience less hoof-related problems by going barefoot. The only drawback with a barefoot horse is the lack of hoof protection can sometimes lead to injury from hard surfaces, sharp stones, and other…

Source:  News Release/US Rider

USRider urges wildfire preparedness

LEXINGTON, Ky. – With massive wildfires scorching through hundreds of thousands of acres in the western U.S., USRider – national provider of roadside emergency assistance for horse owners – urges equestrians and others to…

We had a nice spring, until the day before the Solstice, then wham, 90° F or above every day.  No more springtime weather for us down here in the South. 

On Wednesday I told Debbie I would not be able to do much more than a walk.  As usual Mick was stiff right behind the saddle so I did my usual warm-up of gradual turns and the three speeds of the walk.  After 15 minutes Debbie looked at my face and decided what I needed was to go on a trail…

06/22/2012

My grandfather Percy Blake was a horse trader. They say he had a good eye, but I could never quite discern if he was honest or not. Folks respected him, but he maybe had more income than scruples.

Being a horse trader…