I have been working on lots of ground work with the horse I ride lately. It's been a blast, Parelli training is really fun. Each time we cover something it goes a lot smoothly than before. I've been covering backing through a space, roughly three feet wide and over a pole. At first, the horse I ride was apprehensive about going through that small space and over a pole. Not only was he apprehensive, but my cues and directions were off a little. We made…

As published in the Rider Newspaper

Shirley, you joust!

She is pretty as a princess, courageous as a knight and ‘certifiably crazy’.

Yes, she is pretty as a princess and not only brave, she is motivated and compelled to excel at everything…

Here's the second part meaning another 5 of the ten life lessons I've learned from horses so far.

1. You are allowed to make mistakes. Have you ever felt reproach in a horse‘s glance? I haven‘t. Not because my project horse isn‘t fed up with me from time to time. I make mistakes, am unfair (though not on purpose), am not in control of my…

The Loop

Last year at this time, I tried riding Cole out on the loop—a small track that is about a quarter mile long that is behind the barn—and it was a disaster.  I ended up riding him in the arena when it got too dark in the evenings to go on the trail.  This year, I decided to try it again.…

Old Poke Meets Mr. Smooth

Oh, what a long weekend we had.  It was 4 consecutive, sunny October days—perfect for riding.  Of course, we had our usual vacation disaster, but this time, it had nothing to do with the weather or a high river.…

Making Lemonade

My sister and I take our vacation days together so we can go riding. We have to pick our days weeks ahead of time because if the way her employer’s system works. It’s not like we can look at the forecast and pick the days with the best weather. Instead, we just guess.

Our vacations are notorious for having bad weather and high rivers.…

The Goldenrod Ride

My sister and I love to ride up to the show ring trails all the time—but particularly when the goldenrod is blooming. Sunday was a chilly, sunny morning—a perfect day to see the goldenrod. Instead of Dante, Ellen took Ranger. Ranger loves…

Struggling with My First Arena Ride of the Season

It was rainy, cold and dark.  It was time to try the indoor arena.

Just a reminder for my readers—I had issues with Cole in the arena in the…

When planning to move your horse to a new boarding barn, it’s helpful to make a to-do list to ensure that you get everything necessary done before the day of the move. Knowing that you have accomplished what you need to do before the move will make the actual moving day less stressful on both you and your horse. Need to put…

If a barn renovation or upgrade is in your plans for 2015, then choosing stall accessories will be on your to-do list. When choosing stall accessories, there are particular factors that you will want to look for. Here are some tips to ensure that you get the most out of the stall accessories that you…

If you've been following our gift-giving series, you’ll know that our first two posts covered stocking stuffers and…

People, I have a problem. It's been my fatal flaw throughout my sixteen years of life.......I have a phobia of failing. It's true. The thought of falling anything-tests, riding, contests, anything, causes me to literally hive up. I'm serious. Right now my biggest issue is that I am not assertive enough with the horse I handle. I am a passive person, being assertive isn't in my DNA. Oh, I can be assertive, I just don't like it. It really frustrates me that I am having this problem with…

At Christmas, for the last several years, my horse has tailored a popular Christmas carol to make her seasonal opinion known, and as always, I have opted to share it with others, because I believe most horses think pretty much the way mine does (that is, food is all-important):

I'm dreaming of a tasty Christmas ---

Treats coming in a steady flow.

Give me cookies, candy;

Mint chocolate’s dandy;

And I love carrots, don’t you know.

I'm…

From November 20^th through December 13^th this year, cutting horse enthusiasts will descend on Fort Worth, Texas. The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) World Championship Futurity brings together the very best 3-year-old cutting horses under the roof of the Will Rogers Memorial Center. The event, offering $4…

Last week I offered Debbie the chance to see if my old German made dressage saddle would work for her Arab gelding Tercel.  This is an old calf-skin covered saddle I had found in pitiful condition in my feed store almost ten years ago.  It obviously had been ridden by someone in jeans (the leather jockeys covering the stirrup buckles were sadly worn,) and the saddle had obviously not been stored right because there were wrinkles in the calf-skin on the flaps, luckily not…

A friend of mine shared this on facebook and I just had to post it here. It's amazing. 

Equines less than 4 years are not supposed to carry a heavy weight and yes that is including the rider....

Once apon a time this was well known and horses were not considered usable until this age and the majority of the chosen educated horses were not at the prime age for education at the age of 15!

Attending the AQHA judges conference in Dallas – felt like being part of a large orchestra. One of 300 judges, tuning up to be on key with the standard, and in sync with one another. So many experienced, talented horseman,  yet personal preference, interpretation and bias were to be laid aside – a reminder to stick to the music score, without improvising.

We…

As the holidays approach, you may find yourself horse sitting for friends or even for horse owners you don’t know. Caring for horses during winter is very different than caring for them in the summer, especially when you are the sole caretaker for a barn. When you’re horse sitting in the winter, there is some very important information that you should make…