I applaud Melanie Ferrio-Wise  not so much for going bridleless at the Washington Horse show, but for the systematic process she took to get there.

As a riding a teacher, I’m excited about process– understanding and enjoying the journey, not just the results.  Teaching skills and cues to your horse, layering them to produce the manoeuvres you’ll need and then…

I Triggered My Hip Bursitis

Last week, when I rode two horses using my regular Prussian Sided stirrups with the Super-Comfort stirrup pads, I triggered my hip bursitis. My hips used to bother me many years ago until I bought my Back on Track boxer shorts and started wearing them every day, and last week was the first time in YEARS that my hips hurt, specifically my left hip joint, especially…

Even with one refusal and two rails, which dropped them to 24th in the placings, Melanie Ferrio-Wise  was delighted with her performance at the Washington International. She rode the course with a neck rope instead of a bridle!

She describes her horse as a tough horse unable to handle the stress of his previous life in competitive dressage. “He doesn’t like…

   In our weekly lesson we are now jumping about 85cm (2'9") which probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but my desire is not to jump as high as possible in as short a time as possible, but rather to excel at going over jumps, raising the bar a bit at a time, and address whatever shortcomings become most obvious as the difficulty increases. My immediate goal, is to ride around in rhythm, to turn to the jump in rhythm, go over the jump in…

My Heels Creep Up Again

In my search for more stability while doing the “rider's push-up” exercise, it occurred to me that my double-offset Prussian sided stirrups might be destabilizing me while I bent my hip joints so I could touch the horse's neck with my chest. So I dug out my pair of regular Prussian sided stirrups, bought another pair of the Super-Comfort stirrup pads, put the new pads on…

Oops!  I ironed a hole right through my dress pants for the second day of judging in Israel.  And my pants from the previous day had a small rip beginning.  No needle and thread…maybe duct tape?  Prayed for the seam to hold as I crawled through fences…gingerly!

I had to take my own advice-when things go wrong in the show ring, never mind and carry…

 I LOVED coaching this group of older teens, each hoping to earn a place on the Israeli AQHA youth world cup team.  The following year each will head to compulsory military service, before pursuing any post-secondary education. 

This must be what contributes to their strong work ethic and…

I Get to See Debbie Riding Bingo

This week at Debbie's stable I got to show her how I “customized” my new Free Jump Collar so I felt comfortable using it on a horse. I used a combination of a Western curb strap, a 1” metal ring and a doubled up stirrup leather attached to the girth to keep the collar down at the base of the horse's neck, I added a pair of “breast-plate Ds” to the breast-plate…

Before my judging assignment in Israel begins, I’m standing in King Herods’s 1^st century “Hippodrome”-the site of ancient horse shows and chariot races Herod built at the time of Jesus Christ-part of his summer palace in Caesarea.

It hit me – Tomorrow, I’ll be standing in a 21^st century…

My judging colleague is from Italy. My ring steward (and wonderful interpreter), Israeli.

Striking, as a “reserved” Canadian, Middle Eastern shows are more…  dramatic!  Enthusiastic applause for every class, down to the final one at 9:00 PM. 

Passionate viewpoints are expressed at the show office, over the walkie talkie and from the sidelines are…

When the Weather Interferes With My Riding

It has been a frustrating week for me as a horseback rider! I missed out on riding Cider last Sunday because the weather forecasters were predicting rain in the morning, so I called Shannon and we canceled my ride. Sunday morning there was no rain and I was miffed, until later in the afternoon when there were…

Have I Found “Another Piece of the Puzzle”?

Ever since I started doing the “rider's push-ups” six weeks ago I have experienced many moments of feeling quite unstable on the horses' backs. I achieved some feeling of stability while doing the “rider's push-ups” on Bingo, a gelding, but I never really got rid of the feeling of teetering in my stirrups while on the mares, Cider and Mia. At first I…

" Aucun homme ne peut rien vous révéler sinon ce qui repose déja à demi endormi dans l'aube de votre connaissance." Kalil Gibran

  My legs ache. All the muscles through my core ache. I can feel each and every one. That can only mean one thing: my riding must have improved.…

Bingo Seems to Like My New Seat in the Saddle

Due to Bingo's extremely high croup and due to the lack of intelligent training and physical development earlier in his life, including not “fixing” his inverted posture while ridden, Bingo has back problems under saddle. It has been my goal for every ride in the last seventeen months to strengthen Bingo's back and to lead him to the best way of…

"Mr Smith, I think for the sake of your daughter's well-being, you should invest in a horse..."

Reading an article about the effects smartphones and social media have on us, I‘d say the science is confirming that uneasiness many of us have our ever-present screens.   "There's compelling evidence that the devices we've placed in young peoples' hands…

What an awesome review - many thanks Christine!

Team Up by Elizabeth Alexander

Recently I was contacted by Elizabeth Alexander to…

I Put My Feet “Home” in the Stirrups

I find that trying to do the “rider's push-ups” is quite challenging for me. Until my lesson on Wednesday EVERY TIME I did a “rider's push-up” I felt like I was teetering forward and back in my stirrups, my right stirrup still felt 2 holes longer than my left stirrup, and I had a great fear of falling head long over my horse's shoulder. In order to get my…

Had a little chuckle in the produce section yesterday J

Hmmm…the process of choosing just the right melon includes the 3 things I consider in choosing just the right solution to offer a horse and rider!

LOOK- We scan the melons comparing one to another - any flaws? I scan horse and rider-looking for resistance, tension,…

As I Strengthen My Hip Joints

Ever since I re-started taking lessons, my long term goal has been to gallop and jump again. I became so very, very week after my car wreck and the ensuing frequent exacerbations of my Multiple Sclerosis, until I was just too weak to ride faster than a walk. Through riding horses I started to regain my strength, but each exacerbation wipes out a LOT of my strength…