In Beth’s dreams a pony white

Would dance and frolic through the night.

By day into her mind he’d trot

A fancy, floating, fleeting thought.

Sometimes upon his back she’d ride;

Sometimes behind a veil hide

And simply watch him prance and play.

He would be hers, she knew, one day.…

Women Riders Who Could ... And Did: Life Stores of Top Level Equestriennes

Author: Karma Kitaj Publisher: Huckle Hill Press 2010

" ... It's a worthwhile book for young riders who aspire to be professionals. ..."

Cindy Sydnor, Long-listed for the U.S. Olympic Team, Dressage instructor, "R" dressage judge, USDF Examiner for Certification Program

It may seem odd to start an independent…

... I tried to share with non-horsey people the elation and overwhelming sense of "being" I felt after an "Aha!" moment with my horse.



Picture this ... it's my once-a-quarter dressage lesson with Canadian Olympian Belinda Trussell at her beautiful Oakcrest Farms. The second of a long series of thunderstorms looms on the horizon as I enter the magnificent arena to start warming up for our 45-minute lesson. As the lesson begins, a rumble of thunder introduces the stormy symphony…

Lest anyone think that Valentine's Day is going to pass us by without a jaunty love missive from one Shakespeare the Equine, let me not disappoint you but offer, herewith, his ode to one fair filly who lives down the aisle ... Happy Valentine's Day!!!





Fair Damsel

To Fergie



Is it thine amorous eye

That seizes mine awareness,

Or the wistful yearning of thy

Tender whispers in mine attentive ear?

I know not save the craving…

It's a snowy Boxing Day in Aurora, Ontario. Having no respect for time and a head full of cold symptoms, I managed to pull myself out of bed around 10:30 a.m. and have been able to simply enjoy the experience of being -- such a rare occurence lately with all the hustle and bustle of the past few months. My spirits were warmed as I ate my granola and fruit breakfast and read the report in today's Globe and Mail (front page too!) of the successful efforts of a group of people in McBride,…

Yesterday was "Talk to the Hoof" day. No matter what I did, how hard I asked, begged, cajoled or pleaded with my leg, I was greeted with "talk to the hoof." Bear was simply not interested in listening to my opinion or in going forward the way I wanted him to.



Was it the heat? We worked in the arena because the sand ring was too soggy, and even with the doors thrown wide open, there wasn't a lot of air circulation. We both were coated in sweat when we were done. (This lady doesn't…

No quotes today, folks, just a moment to expound upon the frustration of the elusive left lead pick up.

It's elusive because I'm not nailing the cues Mr. Bear needs to make it happen. He asks me "Is this what you want?" as he throws his head up and moves into a faster trot; "Or is this what you want?" as he slows down to do the little prance thing that he thinks I'm requesting? "No buddy, that's not it!" I respond as patiently as I'm able. I half halt to rebalance and attempt again to…

"To become what we are capable of becoming is the only end of life."

Robert Louis Stevenson

I don't know about you, but I'm still working at "becoming" that of which I am capable -- in my case as a rider, a writer, a singer, an artist ... a human being. Life is about the journey and all its twists and turns and surprises, and how we deal with them as we move toward our destiny. This reminds me of a poem I wrote some time ago:

The…

"Sometimes no thought is the best thought." Dorothy McDonall

This is "Give the Brain a Rest Day."

Ciao

"Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps." David Lloyd George

I like the word "if" in this quote. How many times do we take a big step -- like moving up a level in the show ring or learning new dressage movements, etcs. -- when we really ought to be focusing on mastering what we're doing right now? I get caught up in that sometimes. I think to myself "Oh, I should be riding at this level," or "Bear and I need to do…

Today we grace you with the poetic ramblings of my surprisingly literary equine partner, Shakespeare -- just for fun. It was written between mouthfuls (of hay, of course), November, 2006. Here goes:

What luscious forage through mine

Velvet lips doth pass?

Ah! Tis sweet, tis delicious

This dried and texturous grass.

Said soft and fragrant stems and leaves

Seem far too good to eat.

But neigh! Tis best to sup than

Leave it lying at…

"In partnership with a horse, one is seldom lacking for thought, emotion, and inspiration." Charles de Kunffy

There's no doubt about it, a life with horses is forever stimulating. Whether on the ground, or in the saddle, time spent with a horse is an exercise in self-awareness and being "in the moment." This was something that it took me an awful long time to learn. My first leap to self-awareness was as an intern at CornerStone Farms 13 years ago while I was working toward my…

"... through his mane and tail the high wind sings, fanning the hairs, who wave like feather'd wings." William Shakespeare

I just had to share this as I imagine the wind blowing through my own Shakespeare's mane and tail as he yahoos! at high speed around the arena to get the bugs out before I get on him, especially in this weather. It is such a marvel to watch him exercise himself -- he is so joy-filled and such a show off!!!

"We are responsible forever for the things that we tame."

Antoine de Saint Exupery from "The Little Prince."

My first exposure to this author and his lovely book "The Little Prince" was as a little girl in London, England. It was a book my mother often read to my brother and I before bed. Part of its charm is how it is both wise and whimsical, as well as beautifully illustrated. If you have never read it, I highly recommend that you do ...…

... "Go as far as you can see. When you get there, you will be able to see further." ~ Thomas Carlyle ~

We cannot always see the light at the end of the tunnel; especially on those days when life has dealt us a blow and we are smack dab in the abyss of that dark moment.

I was involved in a freak riding accident once that, unfortunately, claimed the horse's life. Though I was unhurt physically, I was left devastated and emotionally shattered for a while. I recall lying in bed…