From essentialequestrian.wordpress.com:

When I decided to refocus my riding to dressage, I made a valiant effort to find someone to give me regular longe lessons. Shockingly, this was much more difficult than I had expected! I would hear things like, “you’ve been riding all your life, why do you need a longe lesson?”…

From essentialequestrian.wordpress.com:

If you don’t currently exercise outside of riding, I highly recommend it. While I completely understand it is tough to imagine doing anything other than crash on the couch after a 12+ hour day, I’ve found that it has made a huge difference in my body control and body awareness while I’m riding.

As a groom or working student when you are lifting buckets,…

From essentialequestrian.wordpress.com:

I hope you read this title, made a guffaw, and said, “What?! No ride is ever a bust!”

And, honestly, I agree with you. No ride is ever a bust, and it is the difficult ones that often teach us the most. This doesn’t change the fact that it is tough to…

From essentialequestrian.wordpress.com:

A colleague of mine used to love the phrase “managing expectations.” I’ve found this mindset has uses in many areas of our lives, especially when teaching and training.

As riders, we must check our expectations at the door and “let the horse be your calendar,” as Charles de Kunffy says. As teachers, it is imperative to manage the expectations of our…

Last Tuesday I went down to the tack store to pick up my Stubben, all ready to ride with new front billet straps.  It did not take very long for the local tack specialist to replace the billets and it just cost me $87.00 USD.  Now I do not have to worry anymore about a billet strap breaking and I can relax and enjoy riding in my ancient 43 year old saddle.  When I got it home I put on stirrups and stirrup leathers, my sheepskin seat saver and my…

Today we want to say CONGRATULATIONS to Orb and trainer,

Shug McGaughey for their impressive win in the 2013 Kentucky Derby!

Orb splashed through the slop the Kentucky Derby, coming from way back in the pack and giving Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey his first victory in the 3-year-old…

Hi there, 

     My names Bethany and well its been a while since I have written a blog... life just gets in the way sometimes you know? Anyway writing a blog hasn't been the only thing that I haven't done in a while.…

Tim and I would like to introduce our readers and

to 2 new members of the “WINNERS ON HOOF-EASE”. Memorys and Dreams and Carni; both trained by Jennifer Hayford-Quinones, had races today with come-from-behind . We would like to offer a heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS to all their connections! What a great day for all!…

Madam might be taking this writing partnership of ours a tad far. First she assigned me the job of publicist. That was fine until she informed Gabe and me that a Horse Opoly tournament with the local Belgian pulling horses did not comprise a proper book promotion. That’s when I suggested she might like to tackle this publicist task on her own since I was running low on tasteful ideas.

“Why, yes,” she agreed. “I’ll be happy to cook up a few events.”

Since then,…

When I was 10 I got Peppy as a Christmas gift. Shortly thereafter she was diagnosed with Laminitis. When I was 16, we had to euthanize her because the pain was past what she could handle. It broke my heart into tiny pieces to lose her. We were a great team in the show ring and together we won 27 ribbons.

Today I found an article that may save many horses and…

For the last two months I've been working out from 7:15 to 8:15 four times a week trying to get back into shape. I use a local physical therapy office that has a "health for life" program, so I am trained under the watchful eyes of trainers and PT's who have a real education in the mechanics of the body and will make sure (I hope) that I don't hurt myself. Why? So, when this time of the year came I would be ready to…

We are pleased to have Dale Myler return to Baker's this spring for an educational seminar on bitting featuring the Myler Bits® line.



Attendance is $10, and pre-registration is required to ensure your spot in the clinic. Your attendance fee will be reimbursed to you upon the purchase of a Myler bit. Included is an informative session and an opportunity for an open forum Q&A, as well as…

Kevin and I took Cole and Starry out for a ride last night. It was in the 70s, so we figured they would be on the quiet side, but we were wrong. Both were feeling good. We started out with some fine trotting. They were energetic, but behaving, so I was able to talk Kevin into doing some cantering—with me in the lead. That meant I could go fast!

We have a favorite stretch for cantering that is so good that we even call it “the canter stretch.” Cole really felt like cantering, so it…

Anyone following the Kentucky Derby this year? I've really been enjoying the Kentucky Derby Photos that I've seen so far. Such great looking horses. Do you guys have any favorites?

Mrs. Zackery’s Crash Course in Hoof Anomalies.

Below is the view of the foot most often seen by the bare foot trimmer. These are the structures and areas of the horse’s hoof anatomy that we most often directly affect, when trimming. Learn the names and proportions of each area of the hoof. It will help you trim correctly and also help you recognize a healthy foot.

 …

From essentialequestrian.wordpress.com:

I’ll admit, I haven’t been feeling ready for show season. Between my struggles to find a saddle (stay tuned for a saddle fit post coming soon!), the looming financial toll, and the fact that the test movements were not confirmed to where I want them, I could use another few months!

I have been fortunate to…

Whoot!! Whoot!! We've come so far since we bought the campground in 2011 and have accomplished so much. Let's look at a recap of things gone by:



2011

--------------------------------------

The Martin family bought True West

Made Stall walls higher to prevent horses from playing with the tack

Lighting outside the restrooms

Rebuilt the outer portion of the deck outside…

Share YOUR Most Interesting Hoof Problem Story …..And you will be entered into our first drawing of May to win one of the pictured hoof picks. This hoof pick has a convenient brush for thorough cleaning and it is equipped with a rubber grip for easy handling. Comment on this post with your story and be sure to leave your name and email so we can reach you when you…

Buying a horse is a huge investment. For some it may be the culmination of a dream come true, while for others horse ownership is born from necessity. Either way, knowledge is key when deciding to buy a horse. There are a great many factors to consider- breed, age, housing, feed and medical expenses and the like. For that reason, it is important to approach horse buying with a clear understanding of both the buying and owning process. These guidelines will help you understand the process and…