Last week, with visions of rowel spurs in my head, I went to my "local" tack shop--a 60 mile round trip, and discovered they did not have what I was looking for. There was ONE set of smooth rowel spurs, with the extra long neck, made of zinc of all things but only $10 US so I got them anyway for future experiments if needed. I also found this weird looking set of slip-on spurs, with the "spur" interface being a series of rounded metal curves. This set looked…

I finally got to ride three times this week, and I am VERY tired, but it was worth it. The weather has been wonderful down here in NC, 60 to 80 F, nice breezes, and sunny. Well, it is nice if you don't have hayfever, luckily I don't. The horses are shedding gobs of hair, I spend as much time getting the brushes and curry combs clean of hair as I spend brushing the horse. I do not know if I could handle it physically if I had to do all the grooming myself, I am…

Finally Spring is blooming all over, and Shannon's ring FINALLY dried out, so I have been able to ride Cider again. I like Cider, she has plenty of get up and go, so much that I never have to carry a crop, which makes me happy because the more things I have to mess with in my hands the harder it is on me.

Last week when I rode Cider she did not seem completely pleased with her bridle any more. Nothing nasty, slightly less…

I got a request a few weeks ago to discuss manners, or rather getting a horse to act politely. I had to think a lot, it has been over a decade since I had to work with a misbehaving horse on the ground. My MS makes it hard for me to keep my balance at all times, and when I got diagnosed I figured that my days of effectively training a young horse were over, for it REALLY helps in disciplining a horse if you can stand your ground. However,…