A recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Midlife Crisis?  Maybe a Horse Will Help,” reported that women in their midlife years are returning to horses and horseback riding. Such a phenomenon is no surprise to horsewomen. But having this issue addressed in a well-respected,…

Research in equine-assisted mental health has explored how people develop trust by working with horses, but is trust the same for horses as it is for humans?

Social psychologists agree that trust involves giving up some control and accepting vulnerability, with the expectation of being protected from harm.

Dr Robin Foster, Researcher and equine behaviour…

“How important is it to bond with my horse?”

I’m asked this regularly. I may dig a little deeper, “Tell me what you mean by bonding.”

If bonding means to you:

• my horse feels safe/relaxed in my presence
• he understands me,

 I’d say that’s very important. However, if you’re hoping for your horse to share your human…

How I Conduct a Training Session at the Walk    

Since I am now in transition from no medicine for my Multiple Sclerosis to re-starting the only medicine that has ever controlled my MS, my body is changing daily.  This means that there are days when I only walk when I ride a horse.  There were times, when I was younger, when I would have been terribly bored just walking around the ring, keeping on the rail and going around in pointless circles, and accomplishing…

Let’s be honest. When you think of riding your horse, the last thing that enters your mind is an attorney. And that’s how it should be. But we have all heard of someone with a horrible horse experience that might have gone much better if they had known an equine attorney to talk to about the situation.

Maybe you know someone who sold a horse on payments, with no…

I Start Riding Bingo More    

During my lesson on Bingo on Wednesday, he did fine until we were trotting around, when he did a twisting evasion so he would not have to trot at a particular place at the rail.  He had caused another rider a problem at the same place during another lesson (by breaking into a canter), so Debbie went to that spot, dug down, and concluded that she would have to have the base of the ring repaired at that place.  Bingo was obviously trying to tell everyone…

A CBC interview about helmet safety piqued my interest.

I learned that in nearly every study of hospital admission rates, helmeted cyclists are 80% less likely to receive serious head and brain injuries —but these stats apply only for those who get into accidents.

So here’s the flip side –research says that helmeted cyclists bike faster, take more risks, and ride in riskier environments.

We’ve also discovered safety feature in cars give drivers a fall sense of…

We Stabilized My Pegasus Butterfly Saddle on Cider’s Back    

Last Sunday I got to try my new Pegasus Butterfly saddle on Cider again.  I found my only string girth, washed it, and I prayed it would fit Cider.  When I got to Shannon’s farm we both put the Pegasus pad on Cider’s back, I explained how we wanted the top part of the pad (the part right under the panels of the saddle) to be sort of flat, and we ended up putting all four shims in the second and third pockets on…

If you are an instructor, coach or trainer your knowledge and expertise is Gold.  It is what sets you apart from all the other Instructors, Coaches and Trainers. The experience you have gained over time and perseverance, the insights you have learned through trail and error are priceless. 

However, your reach  - the people you can help and inspire with this hard earned wisdom is limited to time and travel. Unless you somehow record all this knowledge…

My New Pegasus Butterfly Saddle Gets Baptized in the Rain    

I did not get to ride Cider last Sunday so I did not get to see if putting the shims in the Pegasus pad was the answer to our problems during our last ride. 

On Wednesday morning, as we drove out to Debbie’s stable, it started drizzling with some bigger drops of rain.  I decided that hey, I’m tough, I ride hunt seat, and foxhunters often ride in the rain. Luckily for me, Debbie agrees that a light rain is really no…

Don’t Shoot the Horses

Before you get too upset the reference is to photography not weaponry

Have you ever had, what you thought was a fabulous idea - yet everyone around you shoots you down and tells you “Don’t Do It”.

The “naysayers” tell you it’s a crazy idea that will never work, it’s just not…

My Pegasus Butterfly Saddle

First of all, my condolences to Ronnie, who sold me my Pegasus Butterfly saddle, his mother-in-law died and he was at her funeral the day I first used my new saddle.  I chose not to interrupt him during that difficult day, so my challenges with my new saddle are not his fault, or the fault of the saddle.  At least he went ahead and sent me the saddle when he said he would, so I got to ride in it this week.  He also told me last week that to “break in” the…