Have you ever thought about what you would do if you had to evacuate your horse in an emergency? We hope that you never have to face an evacuation, but good planning is key to evacuating your horse successfully. Here are some tips to help you get…

Equestrians are notoriously busy, and sometimes our horse lives and our lives outside the barn conflict. How do you manage your outside life when you have a big show coming up, or when a horse gets sick? These tips can help you find the right balance between your busy horse life and your life outside the barn.

Assess What Your…

At least something good happened this week; I got my lesson from Debbie on Tercel!  Her daughter that runs the stable when Debbie is gone, Sam, developed a gall stone and could not give me my lesson on Tilly, so I rode on Thursday since Debbie had come home early to take care of the stable.

Tercel had already gone on a trail ride on Tuesday, and he was not too sure about being ridden two days in a row, the poor horse.  He showed his anxiety/displeasure by becoming ear…

Barn hacks – they’re everywhere, and they make life with horses so much easier. From cheaper alternatives to super smart moves to save time and improve the function of your barn, we’ve gathered the best barn hacks together in a single list.

Use…

When it comes to your plans for your horse's retirement, is donating him to a therapeutic riding program an option? Donating your horse to a therapeutic riding program may seem like an ideal option, but therapeutic riding…

Riders are a unique group of people. We find enjoyment in riding thousand-plus-pound animals, in challenging ourselves to overcome our natural fears, and in paying exorbitant amounts of money to do so. But let’s be honest – we all love being a part of this fascinating group. Check out this fun list of things that only true riders can really…

If you've ever gone riding alone, you understand that riding solo is very different from riding when a friend is present. Riding alone brings with it a unique mental aspect. Let’s take a look at the mental demands of riding alone, and how you can improve those rides you take solo.…

Debbie finally got back and I got my lesson on Tercel on Wednesday!  It had been a whole month since I had a lesson on him, and I think he had not been ridden by Debbie either.  I brought out my 45 year old Stubben Siegfried (plus the Corrector pad and the shims for it) to try on Tercel, and the EZ-Fit saddle just in case the Stubben did not work.  Fortunately my husband did not mind lugging two saddles out to the van, plus two pads and three girths. 

Debbie brought…

Ulcers. It’s a diagnosis that horse owners dread. But what exactly are ulcers, and why do they form? Here’s what you need to know about ulcers in your horse.

What Ulcers Are

Ulcers, more specifically gastric ulcers, are a common occurrence in performance horse. Ulcers are lesions which can form in the lining of a horse’s…

When it comes to selling a horse, you want to ensure that he goes to the best home possible. But the truth is that once you sell your horse, you lose control over how he’s treated and cared for. This makes it super important that you find a…

At some point, almost any rider will have to ride alone. You may even ride alone on a regular basis. Riding alone can be a wonderful way to connect with your horse, but there’s also an element of danger to mounting up when you’re the only one on the property. Before you ride solo, think about putting some or all of these safety tips to…

Way long ago in ancient days I started riding in Chile, in an old English hunt seat saddle (before knee rolls) and the main English stirrup of the day, now called Prussian sided stirrups (also sold as Polo stirrups and exercise stirrups.)  This was long before those nice rubber pads that we all use, I had naked metal under the sole of my shoes.  The stirrups used in the very few lessons I got before I got my first horse were Prussian sided stirrups, as were the…

As we work our way through show season, do you find that your ribbons are starting to take over, well, everything? You can only hang so many ribbons from your horse's stall door or in your tack room. If you’d like to work some of your favorite ribbons into your home décor, we’ve got…

The half halt should be one of the earliest things that riders learn to master when learning to ride their horse. It is a vital part of riding well and being able to performing accurate, balanced movements with your horse. However, while many riders understand the concept of the half halt in theory, unfortunately the carrying out of the actual movement leaves a lot of room for improvement.

You can listen to the audio version of this blog post…

Founder is a serious condition that can have debilitating consequences if not quickly treated. The term "founder" refers to a condition where the coffin bone inside your horse’s hoof moves down inside the hoof capsule. Spring grasses put horses at a particularly high risk of founder, but founder is a condition that can really occur at any time. Do you know…