I’m sure you’re aware of the Pros and Cons of leg products such as boots and wraps and how riders and trainers need to balance their use for protection along with the danger of overheating. There are a number of studies on the topic and there are others concerning the danger of overheating with ceramic boots and wraps used for injury prevention and recovery. One important theme veterinarians and professionals emphasize is the need for breathable protection.

Another important topic…

There is so much talk about vulnerability, authenticity and self-acceptance these days. I love it. In case you haven’t seen the (by now famous) TED Talk by Brene Brown yet or want to see it again, I'll post the link below.

The process of becoming a horseman is the epitome of the vulnerability, authenticity and self-acceptance trifecta. Living the truth of it……

 No argument there  - although our behavior is only strange to Non horsey people

Have you ever wondered just How Many “Strange” people are out there and if we are all in some way connected.

Lets do the;  Six Degrees of Seperation Experiment

To see…

Willie Nelson is known the world over for his music but what you might not know is Willie Nelson has a love and passion for horses. Willie grew up watching the old cowboys like Roy Rogers and Gene Autry and that what he wanted to be "They rode horses and sang songs" as Willie said. Today not only does he ride horses and sing songs but he has also rescued and rehabilitated over 70 horses headed to slaughter.http://www.hrtv.com/willie

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…

When the autumn time change happens, I always feel like my house gets smaller- by a few acres. The outside is my favorite room and I resent winter for taking it from me.

And is it just me- or is every winter somehow a bit more twisted and confused than the one before?

In the dark months, everything on the prairie seems the very definition of the dead of winter. It’s a monotone landscape, flat-cold, with not many trees to distract my sullen gaze.

And just when…

At the heart of passion for horses can often be found a Thoroughbred Racehorse.  Vivid recollection of  horse races viewed myopically on a television screen weave their way through equine pursuits as we claim equine partners and pursue dreams of athletic achievement.  The majesty, beauty and determination of every single horse straining his entire being to claim the finish line is a blueprint for the dream of a rider.  Ask any horse lover if they have a favourite race horse and immediately a…

Winter doldrums: I’m dragging my feet all the way in from the arena, the ground is dry, the grass is dead and the wind is cold as a slap in the face. Maybe I have an Auld Lang Syne hangover. Mourning and a desire to hibernate go hand in hand in January. It seems we lose alot of…

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.

CLAIRE DOROTIK, LMFT

Having spent a lifetime around horses – growing up riding and training horses and later riding at many of the country’s top show barns – Claire, in many ways, understood horses before she understood people.

Claire’s competitive accomplishments include top placings at the Almaden farms Mini Prix, the Michelob Classic Mini Prix, the Monterey Bay Mini Prix, a 2nd place finish…

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…

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…

… and Grace gives herself a promotion.

Dressage borrows lots of language from ballet -after all, we are the dancers of the horse world. Pas de Trois is a dance of three. I have commandeered that phrase to describe riding lessons as a conversational dance between horse, rider and instructor. All three participants have to be heard for the dance to succeed.

I am always…