The term “Search Engine Optimization” often brings to mind visions of large, intimidating companies that can be hired for a small fortune, with promises of having your website listed on the first page of Google. What many small business owners don’t realize, is that most of the techniques used by SEO experts can be accomplished successfully by the novice as well. With a few professional tools (included below) and some focused efforts, you can significantly raise your website’s traffic,…

Equine therapy studies are hard to find. And perhaps even more challenging to find, studies that utilize sound research protocol. Of course this leaves many well intentioned mental health practitioners to question the validity of equine therapy. On the other hand, there are many potential recipients of equine therapy who wish that there insurance company would cover equine work so that they may partake in it.

So, that being said, lets take a look at a few good equine…

A funny thing happened at the barn last night.  I brought Cole into the arena to ride with a big TB.  This was only the second time the TB has been ridden since his operation for a cyst in his sinus.  The vet told the owner she could resume riding at 6 weeks.

A few minutes into the ride, she noticed he was doing a strange step every now and then when they were trotting.  I didn’t see it.  He wasn’t lame, though.  She said he would put his foot down hard, and he jut started…

The icy claws of fear set firmly into the spine of every horse owner upon hearing the very word spoken...  Colic. By definition, “colic” is simply a vague term for “pain” anywhere between the stomach and tail of the horse, and tells us next to nothing for a diagnosis. At some point in our equestrian lives, chances are good that we will have to deal with colic in some form or another. Whether it’s a horse of…

I had a great weekend with the horses.  On Friday evening and Saturday morning, I managed to get Cole to canter some more in the arena.  That makes three arena rides in a row.  He still doesn’t get too far before he stops on his own, but I’m sure that will come in time.  I will try again, tonight, if I have the arena to myself.  On Saturday, after our schooling session, I rode him down to the river (which was too high) and back.  He was flawless.

Sunday, I skipped the arena…

I had a great weekend with the horses.  On Friday evening and Saturday morning, I managed to get Cole to canter some more in the arena.  That makes three arena rides in a row.  He still doesn’t get too far before he stops on his own, but I’m sure that will come in time.  I will try again, tonight, if I have the arena to myself.  On Saturday, after our schooling session, I rode him down to the river (which was too high) and back.  He was flawless.

Sunday, I skipped the arena…

i have a albion orginal comfort dressage saddle for sale, Medium wide tree, neat seat, excellent condition 17.5 inch seat

$600- new seat was $500!

Also 17 inch Black Forrestier close contact saddle.. almost brand new. Doesnt fit new horse barely used - hardly tell there was ever a stirrup on it.  New was $2000.. will sell $1200 firm. you are getting a brand new saddle essentially

When I went out to Debbie's stable Wednesday I had my notes about the low release for jumping in my pocket.  While Debbie was finishing a stall I read them to her and asked her to help me during the lesson.  Last week during my non-lesson ride, when I tried the low release on Mia I "heard" Mia ask me what in the world I was doing (Mia is a horse who tends to halt whenever she does not understand anything new.)  I obviously needed eyes on the ground!

After we got out…

Sounds weird eh? I mean we all know that riding is fun, that's why we do it, right?  I love my Maggie, always have.  I've had her for 5 1/2 years.  She's had some 'training issues' during that time.  Okay, when I first got her, you picked up the reins and she'd start kicking and bucking.  She actually has a move called the Maggie, it's a buck, leap, rear sort of thing.  She's willful.  She had some really bad training early on, I got her as a 5 year old.  Anyway, we'd made some progress when…

“You know what your problem is? You’re too sensitive.” Ouch. Have you heard this? It feels like being accused of throwing like a girl.

It’s dismissive. This definition of sensitive means I’m not dependable, that I’m an emotional liability. When I was younger, hearing this would make me defensive. My mind ran like a rat on a wheel, I choked on my tongue and my heart rate jumped.  I appeared… well… too sensitive.…

There is no shortage of stress reduction strategies, particularly these days. And for the most part, these interventions can be incorporated into the traditional psychotherapeutic model quite easily. When this occurs, a triage like form of care can be offered to the patient which leaves less room for unmet needs that may cause problems later.

No other area is this more true than in the case of substance abuse recovery. Addicts have often more than one additional…

I have had trouble cantering Cole in the arena, and have only done it sporadically.  Usually when I make the request, he doesn’t trot faster, but bigger, deeper and more powerful.  He gets so locked into the trot, but I can’t get him out.  If I push too hard, I get bucking.  I pretty much had given up because I didn’t want to keep practicing the wrong thing.

I have cantered him quite a bit on the trail, but we haven’t transferred the skill to the arena.

And…

Ready for Spring

Last night, I was riding in the indoor arena.  The weather has been mild enough that I could have gone on the trail, but it was dark.  Until the time changes, I really don’t have enough daylight to ride on the trail after work.  I am glad I have the indoor arena.  It allows me to ride all winter long.  Years ago, when we were at a barn without one, my riding was very sporadic in the winter.  Between bad weather and bad footing, sometimes I couldn’t ride for a…

Recently, a member of the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA), www.narha.org. posed an important question. New to the field of equine therapy, and only just beginning to amass an understanding of the practice, this horse enthusiast was wondering which, of the many certification now available if the horse healing world would be best.

The question is worth pondering for sure as with the recent growth of equine therapy, new…

I just heard that women over a certain age (not saying how old) tend to settle for where they are in life.

• Settle for companionship instead of love
• Settle for the same horse when you are ready for more experience
• Settle for the same riding instructor when you know you need and want more
• Settle for old dreams instead of new ones.
• Stay in bed a little longer than you know you should.

Hurray!!  I got on trail this weekend!!  Saturday, the river was still too high from the melting snow, so we just did 3 trips on the hill.  I took Cole out with my sister on Ranger.  I did lounge him, beforehand, but that didn’t keep him from acting up in excitement.  Sigh.  He is still a young horse, after all.  He just kept having these little outbursts where he would try to surge forward past Ranger—and he was rushing on the way home.  When I got back, I worked him 10 minutes in the…

Long, long ago, when I first read of jumping horses I dreamed of effortlessly sailing through the air on my trustworthy horse.  Needless to say my first jump (accidental) was a horrible wake-up call as I lurched all over the horse's back (I did stay on but the jump was only one foot.)  Years later when I finally got my first horse I was DETERMINED to learn how to jump.  Having learned about the Forward Seat I finally got one week of lessons at a FS school and from then on it was a…

PLEASE * PLEASE *

Go to this link and sign this petition against AQHA and then copy the link and send it to all your friends.

http://www.change.org/petitions/horse-abuse

The horses need your signatures in order for AQHA to realize they are in a fish bowl and need to protect the horses once and for all.