This is how you can tell there is a tourist in the barn: they keep their eyes on the ground and there’s lots of erratic tiptoeing. Some even squeal at the sight of manure. I call it Fecalphobia- an irrational fear of digestive waste. Thankfully, humans are the only species prone to the disease. (Nincompoops.) Everybody else is fine about bowel relief.

People who live with horses don’t get emotional about poop. It’s such a normal part of the day-to-day…

I saw the first holiday decorations come out a few days before Halloween. I did not burst into a rousing rendition of Here Comes Santa Claus. Christmas is not my holiday.

I fell in love with horses all over again this week. Yes, it was a pretty short fall and yes, it does happen every week. And no, it never gets old. Does my enthusiasm make me seem less professional?

It has been also been one of those weeks when most of my clients are having challenges with their horses. Some of the challenges are old ones and some are brand new but regardless of origin or cause- a challenge is an opportunity by another name.…

There was a small gaggle of ducks to begin with. The girls laid tasty eggs, usually dropped at a run without looking back. They were non-flyers, but fun to watch in their pool. I didn’t take them very seriously at first. One of the ducks had a deformed beak that curved to one side. I named him Duck Cheney.  See what I mean?

Years passed and there was slow attrition. Eventually only two ducks were left.

Fred and Ethel had lived so long that their pithy political names had fallen…

The equestrian world can seem kind of bi-polar. Some of us ride like headless (brainless) horsemen with little consciousness for our horse or surroundings.  Some of us are such control freaks that we slow every walk stride and micro-manage our horse’s nose into being afraid to take a breath. Most of us are working towards a middle ground.

Dressage seems to attract riders who like…

The calendar changed and so did the weather. These first September days have been undeniably Fall- shorter, crisper and with a bit more oxygen in the air. The moon rules the prairie and this weekend is the Harvest Moon, the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox. I won’t say the word- but tick, tick, tick.

The horses didn’t need a calendar to know. There has been a break out of the Fall…

Lately, I am discovering I like mares more and more. They are so NOT like most of us humans.  They have a refreshing honesty. “If you aren’t going to drive the bus, get out of my way and I’ll do it.” Succinct, blunt and clean with her intention- a mare will get the job done.

Thank you. Bluntness is a gift after so much of passive aggressive chatter like, “Honey,…

I admit it. I find mucking to be a near inspirational time; I simply do my best thinking while holding that fork. Today I was pondering a fairly gut-wrenching blog topic that has been haunting me, but it’s late August and there was an audible fly buzz that’s more than  distracting- it’s nearly…

Dressage is an equine discipline of beauty, partnership and art. YouTube is full of spectacular videos of elite horses and riders. When Blue Hors Matinee’s freestyle was viral, a dozen non-horse friends sent me the link. I hear Moorlands Totilas has groupies like the rock star that he is, but my personal…

We humans are always labeling ourselves. Labels reflect politics and attitudes, or can define a purpose.

The horse world is no different. We divide ourselves by breed or riding discipline. Sometimes a label is inclusive and sometimes not so much.

Some riders label themselves as recreational as opposed to competitive. This feels odd to me- I believe we are all recreational. Some us…

We had an Introduction to Driving clinic at Infinity Farm last weekend. It was a fun group ready for a new experience. Our schoolmaster/donkey-boys taught the clinic, along with me and Lisa.

Participants asked my favorite question about driving. “What do you do if you have a runaway?” The traditional answer, passed down from generations of teamsters, is enjoy the ride.

I had a decent runaway when Ernest and I were still green. There was an explosion of sound behind us,…

There were a few dark years (between leaving home and having enough income to support a horse) that I was earthbound with only house pets. I survived it. Barely.

During that horse-less time, a box arrived. It was a surprise parrot -from a friend in Panama. I’m not saying it was a great idea to catch a bird and ship her, I’m just saying that she…