I was whining to my mother about not having a horse to train. She had been looking at a nice little reining type quarter horse with a friend, why didn’t I get him she asked. I don’t want a quarter horse I whined.  You have Princess Onna, my daughters mare, why don’t you train on her? My mom is so patient and apparently I whine a lot because she just wasn’t what I wanted either she’s old and broke good enough. I wanted a nice young, unstarted, western bred Morgan. Not that I’m picky or…

Lethargy. Sweltering with a non-specific stickiness. Flies. More flies. Dilly-dallying. These are the wilting Dog Days of Summer, named for Sirius, the Dog Star. No connection to the napping habits of dogs so deflated by the heat that a sploot position on the linoleum is the…

If there is an annual pony day, it should be Christmas. The reason is obvious, but if you didn’t get your wish, read this:

I’m a Dressage Queen with an unlikely soft spot for vertically-challenged horses. Too often they get small patience from humans who treat them with low regard. Or at the very least, these condensed equines are under-estimated–they are smart, tough, and very athletic. In the last few years that I’ve…

Some rescue groups prove their point by showing graphic photos of the very worst cases of abuse and neglect. These horrific images cower in a dark corner of my brain forever. Their torture leaves a mark on us, too. Maybe people think that the more blood-dried wounds, protruding bones and…

It was big news when Moorlands Totalis sold last year. Zenyatta is due to foal soon and the press is waiting. I see Ravel had a big win in Florida recently. Well, I have some really big news for the horse…

Thanks to Natalie Keller Reinert and her wonderful blog Retired Racehorse I stumbled upon these wonderful saddle pads!  You can proudly display your horse is an OTTB every time you ride!  I ordered the white one and can't wait to get it!  I am hoping that they do other colors and keep adding to the collection.  They also will donate $5 to an OTTB charity.  Be sure to check them out!…

I hope everyone had a wonderful and merry Christmas!  Taylor definitely was a good boy as Santa left him a stocking full of treats and not coal!  (I guess he forgave the couple of times he's tried to kick me recently-ha!).  I have spent a lot of time bonding with Taylor...a LOT.  Before I started his training, I spent my time grooming him and sitting with him.  I still love it when we have the chance to just hang out together.  With that said, he can read me.  Somehow he just knows when I…

I brought Taylor to his new home at the end of June.  I am boarding him at a stable that has rolling hills, a nearby lake, and a pasture in a valley.  It's a beautiful place! 

Let's just say Taylor was not impressed in the beginning.  In fact, he was mad at me.  This summer has been brutally hot, and Taylor is not one that really enjoys the heat.  He is the horse you will always find in the shade, if he can find a patch.  Unfortunately, his transition pen at his new home didn't have…

Taylor had been at Race Horse Reclaim Thoroughbred Rescue for a little over six months when I decided he was the one.  I had been volunteering for a few months so I was getting to know the horses and like any normal horse lover I loved them all.  However, my heart belonged to Taylor for he picked me as much as I picked him.  The first day I was there volunteering I was standing next to his pen watching…

There is nothing in this world like a horse excited to see you.

Nothing.

Those two ears pricked forward right at you.  A soft nicker of greeting.  A velvet muzzle thrust into your hands.  For me, these small actions just make my heart swell with joy and love.  I love to walk toward my OTTB (off-track Thoroughbred) and watch those ears prick forward and his head raise.  I'm sure he knows there will be a treat involved at some point but I'm going to say it's all…

This is a former post on my blog:  Hoofbeats Return

Sorry I have been bad about blogging recently, but I have had a lot going on.  The most important of which was my recent adoption of an exracehorse named Taylor.  Talk about falling in love!  It may really have been a classic example of love at first sight.  I volunteer at an exracehorse rescue…

Horses are my life. As a person who is deeply involved in all aspects of the horse on a daily basis, I strive for a connection with each of them and work at understanding and communicating in a way that is fair, humane and encourages trust and connection. This stuff doesn't happen overnight (necessarily) - it doesn't happen immediately in our human-to-human relationships…