I changed hats t this weekend-literally.  Sometimes “stuff happens” and show managers have to adjust on the fly- and so do judges!  Arriving prepared to judge the western ring , I was asked if I would judge the hunter and jumper rings instead. For those who judge multiple disciplines we must learn to change hats -scoring systems, terminology, penalties, class formats, even…

Bingo Was Not Behaving

Last Sunday, while I was riding Cider at Shannon’s farm, I decided not to use my upper thighs to influence Cider’s spine.  Instead I concentrated my attention on keeping my heels down, thus making my seat more secure.

Well, Cider was quite good.  My work with my upper thighs the last few weeks certainly pain off!  At no time during my ride did Cider scrunch herself up into a pretzel, and while we were not quite as straight she cheerfully accepted contact…

Debbie Tells Me to GET MY HEELS DOWN

On Wednesday, when I got to the stable, Debbie had already groomed Bingo.  She told me how MUCH she liked having her own pair of the HandsOn grooming gloves since she could go ahead and groom Bingo for my ride.  She really appreciates being able to get down and scrub the horse’s skin, especially his back and cannon bones where crud tends to accumulate.  Using these grooming gloves really seems to prevent the accumulation of fungus in the horse’s…

 I've not written on Barnmice in a while as I've been busy with getting used to college life. I'm attending community college this year before going to university next year to start pre-veterinary medicine. I'm taking a world civilizations class, a bio-chemistry class and a math class. I've been quite busy studying each subject preparing for quizzes and tests and also writing on my blog( for each of you who reads this, will you please take the time to visit…

Want to acquire the eco-friendly and elegant solutionto reduce your bills?

Solar Panel Installation is the right option!

You may feel hesitant to take the leap and get solar panels installed, but once you do, you will immediately see the advantages such as reduced electricity bills and even receiving money from your hydro company month aftermonth.

In the coming years, possibly, nature will have to face major changes due to our dependence on fossil fuels and the pollution…

Hi everyone!

I'm excited to share about my latest release, B and B!  This novel is an equine romance set in Australia, aimed at adult readers.  Interested?  Check out the blurb:

Things are changing…

Ben likes his life at Happy Trails.  As a trail guide on a property in Australia he doesn’t have to work hard to make…

I Get to SEE the Results of My Work with Bingo

Since Debbie had a summer camp last week, I had a week off from riding Bingo.  She used him some during the camp, and Bingo did not behave perfectly.  Nothing exciting, just Bingo suddenly deciding he had enough and making a beeline to either the gate or the center of the ring.  Since Bingo has such a thick throatlatch, there is not much a beginning child rider can do to change his path.  It could have been much worse, Bingo did…

I’ve had a hard time acting my age. That’s not it, exactly. It’s more like I’m straddling the Grand Canyon between my usual teen angst and dealing with the fact I’m supposed to be wearing support hose. It all started with my birthday. Two years ago.

Then recently a donkey came to the rescue that I work with.…

You leave the arena on a long rein at A and to say you feel a little disheartened is putting things mildly... Dressage can be difficult, there's no doubt about it, however what tends to stack the odds even more so against a good dressage score is the fact that many riders see it as 'boring'; a means to an end of sorts.

Are you the sort of rider that thinks the most challenging part of dressage is memorising your test? For many riders, this is the be all and end all of dressage. Is it…

Groundwork, when referring to horses, simply means working with your horse from the ground in order to train and increase communication skills.  In this blog post we are going to focus on 'Pressure and Release' and how you can begin to correctly and fully understand the concept in order to further your horse's training from the ground.

This is part 2 of a full series dedicated to Groundwork from Strides for Success. Part 1 which explains the basics and then moves into…

Have you ever experienced popping over a jump with your horse, when he suddenly realises he needs a little 'more' if he is going to clear the jump?  He stretches, or pushes, a little farther than you expected and suddenly you find yourself very much behind the movement and bracing for the inevitable 'thud' that your backside connecting with the saddle will create on landing!

Or perhaps your horse has a frustrating habit of hanging a hoof here and there over fences, which leads…

Dressage isn't perfect, but what part is baby and what part is bath water?

Watching the Dressage competition at the Olympics was inspirational. And horrific. There were impeccable riders with fluid bodies and invisible cues. And riders who were brutal, with hard hands and cruel methods. There were…

You halt, salute and as you exit the arena in your best 'free walk on a long rein', you find yourself wondering how well your dressage test went...  That one circle may have looked a little more on the triangular side, but on the plus side you aced the canter leads each time and you're almost sure the halt was a square one.  However, when the actual test scores are handed out, you realise things did not go that well - at all!

Riding a dressage test can be a nerve wrecking…

Have you ever had the misfortune of a plan going awry when in the saddle?  Perhaps something small such as a refusal or run out, or maybe something a little 'bigger' such as a fall or stumble?  Either way, since it happened, you find that whenever you are in a similar situation or are reminded of it... Things are just, well, different.

Losing your confidence when riding is one of those things that no matter how small or insignificant the initial incident, has all the potential…

Have you ever found yourself out on the trail, or even in the arena and, for any number of reasons, your horse reversing in a calm, quiet fashion would be a really useful achievement in that particular moment. You ask him to go back, but rather than the smooth, no fuss reverse you were imagining, it rather feels like you left the handbrake on and he begrudgingly edges 'back', head raised in protest, hooves seemingly glued to the ground beneath them. By the end of the exercise, your…

That is the phrase for the week, that I have heard from three different people: "He is not the same horse." It is a complement, and a vindication of all the careful work I've been doing for the past 5 years, and particularly the last one.

One friend who has not seen Oakley in over a year came up to watch me ride & do some simple figures. She doesn't know a lot about horses,…

The bend is approaching and you begin preparing both you and your horse to ride straight and accurately through the turn. However, as you 'shift' your seat bones into 'position' your horse begins, well, almost side stepping... The further you get through the turn, the further your horse is from the path you had planned; in fact, he has derailed altogether from the ideal 'train tracks' you had intended to stay on as you rounded the bend.

As riders we learn early on about how…

Have you ever looked at photos or videos of your horse and it looks like his hind quarters are, literally, being left behind? They are dragging out behind him, rather than working underneath him. Or perhaps you have gotten the feeling that when you ask for 'more' when in the saddle, there is just no way he can provide 'more' without speeding up and becoming long...

Knowing how to activate and then engaging your horse's hind quarters is vital to his long-term training and…

You are cantering towards the jump... 3... 2... 1... But instead of the 'Jump' that should have followed the 1; it seems like your usually trusty horse decided to test both of you by inserting a little 'half stride' in there before take off!   The result is you doing a great Thelwell impression and your horse doing his best helicopter move, straight up and straight down...  Not a good feeling for either of you.

Riding a horse that chips in or adds an extra half stride in…