How’s your derrière? Is posterior a more delicate word than rump? Our culture has a lot of fanny chatter: too flat, too round, somehow sagging. Riders should care less about the superficial “do these white breeches make my butt look big?” and…

I’m a traditionalist when it comes to the art of dressage. I love the structure, the fundamentals, the words of the classical masters. Dressage is the peaceful partnering of a horse and rider in a dance. It’s a discipline of intuition, subtle cues,…

Consistency is a great aid but do you know how it actually works? There’s an analogy I heard decades ago that has stuck with me. It involves bank accounts. You’re right; never listen to me about money, but it’s not that kind of bank account.…

I assume your horse respects your space; that on the ground he stands a couple of feet away, relaxed and cool. He doesn’t shove his way through gates ahead of you, or jerk the lead rope out of your hands, or perform police-like…

I’ll speak for myself. It’s only the middle of December and I’m a bit tired of this holiday season already. It probably has something to do with the days being so short. The noon sun is so low in the southern sky that a habitual twilight-squint has settled in between my eye brows.  It’s hard to find rhythm in all the hurry and fuss. Taking a nap on your nose…

You’d think that the first snow/death-to-flies celebration would cheer me up. But no, days are shorter now and I’m haunted by summers end. Come to think of it, there isn’t much autumn left either. It’s the fall-back time change next week, that will mean night…

What do you think when you see this photo?

Do you notice that sweet S-curve in his tail? It’s the sure sign of a relaxed back on a forward, soft horse. This walk speaks volumes about his rider, too. What a lovely sight.…

It starts pretty much the same way for most of us:

One day we see a horse. He’s beautiful and free, with an improbable balance of pride and humility. He seems comfortable with his perfection. Most people can just go on about their business…

“Hey, Little Red-haired Girl, I have your pony here!!!” Meet Bailey, my most recent date.

If you follow my blog, you know I work with Ruby Ranch Horse Rescue. (RRHR.org) Rescue horses come to Infinity…

Acknowledgement:  Synonyms are  credit,  gratitude,  thanks,  appreciation, …

Christmas is bearing down, getting closer every day, and I continue to defiantly…

Last week I had a bit of a Christmas rant (read) and declared I would celebrate…

Thanksgiving is my holiday; low expectations and high reward factors. It is a holiday…

It starts innocently. Maybe when you were little, your dad watched John Wayne movies like mine did. We fell in love with a column of cavalry horses (instead of their riders.) We loved those horses until the cavalry met a band of Indians- Indian horses were always better.  Or it may have been a  movie like My Friend…

My corner of Colorado is having a particularly colorful Autumn. The sun rise is later and later, but the dawn colors seem worth the wait. Tomatoes plants have wilted but the tree leaves are frosted and toasted to richness. I hear big weather is coming next…

The connection between horses and music is not abstract. It’s literal.

I was learned this fact years ago riding with a group of friends at a barn party. The sound system was cranked up and Bobby McFerrins’Don’t Worry was playing. I am sure…