I have worked on dude ranches in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana since the mid 1980s. My

business now is dude ranch consulting. One of the things I do is set up

horseback riding programs for new ranches. I am certified by the Dude Ranchers

Association as a wrangler instructor. I teach Horse Safety Certification

courses. Over the years I have trained countless wranglers and taken thousands

of…

Who Am I This Time is the name of a short story written by Kurt Vonnegut and made into a film with Christopher Walken and Susan Sarandon.  It’s a quirky story about two people of very different and uncomfortable personalities -who fall in love while acting in a community theater production of Streetcar. (Hear Walken’s painfully shy, tongue-tied character roar, “Stella!!”…

EHV-1:  Treating Veterinarian Discusses Outbreak

Wendy Mollat, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, has been the lead veterinarian treating one of the early patients in the 2011 EHV-1 outbreak.  The horse was taken to  Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital where Dr. Mollat specializes in biosecurity (controlling the spread of infectious disease), neurological diseases, neonatology, Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, and camelid…

So, I have found my child a lovely spot where he can run and play with kids his own age. 

Saturday, I came from the barn he's at, after discussing it with the manager there that he needed a different spot, and I went to the local tack shop for Garlic (bad mosquitoes here) and a tail strap.  I walk into the shop and see a girl I haven't seen in years.  I've known her for closing in on a decade, she was a teenager then.  So, we get to chatting about our various steeds, and she…

Congratulations to:

Avery Sharp for her photo of "Sky's the Limit"

and

Amanda Erin Diggins for her photo of…

"Respect is appropriate response to pressure."  I heard Pat Parelli say this once, and the ring of its truth is undeniable.  Whether working on the ground or in the saddle, a horse's appropriate response to pressure is essential to any activity.  Brody definitely needs (re)education on this!

Maybe lack of cooperation is his passive-aggressive platform for establishing dominance, or maybe I haven't been consistent enough in establishing my expectations and requiring him to…

Two weeks ago an interesting thing happened when I rode Mia.  I finally had found my old string fly fringe that goes over the browband.  I really like the anti-fly tack that was developed in the days before effective fly spray.  I try to avoid the fly sprays and persticides as I do not think they are good for my compromised nervous system.  I put ear nets on my horses when the gnats appear in the spring, and I also use a fly whisk on the horses who…

So, little Havoc got to go out in the field today.  Perhaps we were a bit naive, thinking he would be fine out there.  I wasn't too sure, but, I'm one of *those* owners, so, I was letting the experienced folks make the call.

One 10 month old baby.... 4 geldings.... one field....  They ran around a couple times, Havoc leading, he can out run them.  Then it looked good, he was by himself, they were up in the one corner, no one was freaking out, big field....  Until one of the…

Yet another poetic ramble from my alter ego, Shakespeare "The Equine."

Enjoy!

Wash 'n' Wear

A bright spring day

It’s very warm,

Flies buzz around me

In a swarm.

The Scribe and I

Spend training time

In outdoor ring

With dust and grime.

When done are we

Sweaty am I,

My horse couture

Must bathe and dry.

So to the wash stall

Lumber…

The story of how a horse goes from a second chance pony, into an inspirational life changing horse.

http://horsecarezone.com/navaras-story/navaras-story-part-3-time-for-change-just-the-beginning/

Navara's story. Tell me what you think so far. I hope you enjoy

STRANSKY MISSION FARM'S "TEAM STEP BY STEP" RIDERS TOP COMPETITION AT

KENTUCKY SPRING HORSE SHOWS

TRAINER & TEENS CHAMPION CHILDREN'S CHARITY & TAKE LEAD IN $30K CHALLENGE & JUNIOR COMPETITIONS

Lexington KY - May 15, 2011 - The Kentucky Spring Horse Shows,…

I really want to focus on strengthening my leadership, so that eventually I can safely ride Brody and take him out on the road.  Here's how I worked to establish my physical space with Brody this week.

First, Brody did not want to be haltered, especially once he caught sight of the rope and stick.  So I swung the halter towards his hindquarters and got him moving off whenever he started stepping away from me.  When Brody wheeled to face me, I turned my back to him and stand…

Around 2 years ago I discovered Barnmice and started blogging for the first time in my life. 

I was in shock, for I had been on the net for several years and could not believe how much the horse world had changed since the last time I had been involved with horse shows and riding.  I…

These images were taken last November in the Collingwood, Ontario area. I was lucky enough to stumble upon some farms and these beautiful animals came galloping towards me. I had a wonderful interaction with them, almost like they sensed my intention of capturing them with my lens. They are intelligent, sensitive, super aware creatures!

 …

… and Grace gives herself a promotion.

Dressage borrows lots of language from ballet -after all, we are the dancers of the horse world. Pas de Trois is a dance of three. I have commandeered that phrase to describe riding lessons as a conversational dance between horse, rider and instructor. All three participants have to be heard for the dance to succeed.

I am always…

There are over 1.8 million donkeys in Kenya and around three quarters are working animals used in transport and farming, playing a key role in Kenya’s agricultural economy. 

Around one third of the working donkey population are in a poor condition, suffering from work-related injuries, malnutrition and lameness. Many of the problems arise from a lack of understanding…

I have often been asked by clients why our saddles aren’t flat on the horse’s back all the way from front to back – which makes them look like they don’t actually fit and will probably rock. Many riders don’t understand that ideally the saddle needs to slightly ‘rock’ at the cantle as the horse’s back engages.

It is the duty of the saddle fitter to explain to the client that a slightly rocking saddle will never put so much pressure on the horse’s back that…