This is an approximation of my conversation with my eldest daughter (a beginner rider, 9 years old):

DD1:  What if the horse spooks today when I ride?

Me:  Well, try to focus on sitting deep in the saddle, staying relaxed and being a quiet leader.

DD1:  But I could fall off!

Me:  But you didn't yesterday, right?

DD1:  But I could!

Me:  Yes, but you might not.  And the horse might not spook, as the snow isn't melting as much today. So the arena's roof…

Both my daughters have started riding recently, and it has been a rewarding and learning process for all of us.

Browsing friends' status entries on Facebook, I've been struck by some friends' effort to find and recognize happiness, as well as expressing gratitude (things like, 100 days of Happiness, etc).

This made me pause to think about finding and expressing happiness, via gratitude, when at the barn.  As such, my daughters and I now take a bit of time, either at the end of…

by Anna Blake

As many of ya’ll know, I have a three year old son named Reed.  As many of you also know, I have no prior experience raising children.  So basically, I have no clue as to what I am doing.  I try to apply natural horsemanship principles and techniques whenever possible, but as with my dogs, I am just not as disciplined with him as I am with my horses.  I find myself doing crazy things that I used to see other crazy parents do before I had Reed. Then, I thought that they were crazy.  Now I…

My husband still reminds me that night when I found out I was pregnant, I started planning our first pilgrimage to Disney.

I went to Disney several times as a child, and, of course, loved it. I didn’t recall the parking, the crowds, or the $5 pretzels.

I started planning our trip 6 months out.  I wanted to make sure I had every minute planned out for maximum…

Blake

With New Years Day having just arrived, many people are making resolutions and plans for 2014.  Resolutions and plans such as “I will ride more often this year,” or “ I will be able to do a flying lead change by the end of the year,” abound.  Most people are…

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” Winston Churchill was certainly right, and some times of the year, more than others. I notice the holiday season has a lot of us wound up just a little tighter.

Is your horse a therapy horse? All of mine are, especially the retired ones. Sometimes…

One of the trainers I rode with always said that being a good rider is 90% confidence. I'm sure that training, talent, and dedication comes into play also. Yet, I believe that confidence is the most important due to the fact that the other three attributes can be masked by a lack of it. A rider can't completely relax and focus if they are self-conscious and/or scared.



I still struggle with my confidence every time I ride. In fact, it gets worse as I get older. It's not even…

Why do horses do what they do and people do what they do? And why does the show ring seem to magnify those emotions and reactions? Brainfreezes, butterflies and blow-ups…all part of the competitive experience.



When we, as riders, understanding the science of how horses view their world, it helps to nip mishaps in the bud. As a prey animal…

We all want success and we want it now.  We've been taught to "reach for the stars" and set big goals.  As a result, sometimes we expect so much of ourselves and our horses that we are rarely happy with our results.

If you've ever said (even to yourself),

"I should be better than this!"

Then you end up feeling like a failure because that "I should be" is really a disguise for that self-defeating old mantra that whispers quietly  "I'm not good…

It’s been quite a year so far. We had fires the first half of summer and floods the second half. It’s like 2013 was determined to stand out from day one. It’s been year of erratic weather in our lives as well; lots of reluctant change and no shortage of loss. Some of the changes have been nothing but good, and even that doesn’t always mean easy.

On top of that, this year had serious velocity. Such speed that weeks were the length of days, and…

In life, we are given three choices. Give up, give in, or give it our all.

I gave up.

At 20 years old, I am fighting depression, my physical health, and desperate to find a path to my future. When I was 17, I was forced to sell the Thoroughbred that was my ticket to…

As people continue to live unhealthy lifestyles; eating processed foods, drinking lots of soda and coffee, and not getting enough rest, the more people are experiencing bouts with a cold or flu.  Here are some simple, natural ways to fight these pesky bugs!

1)  Alkalize!  Pathogens (germs) thrive in an acidic environment.  Your body becomes acidic when you eat a…