Our horse hobby has an uncanny way of spreading into and taking over our vehicles. While we might delight in eau de horse, chances are that some of the people who have to ride in our cars won't feel the same way. Are horses taking over your vehicle? Here are some ways to reclaim and barn-proof your car.

Use Plastic Totes

Plastic totes are key to getting a horsey car organized. Invest in a few heavy-duty plastic totes that fit in the…

Icy Cold Weekend

Soon as the weekend showed up, we plunged into the Arctic Circle.  Friday evening was so cold, that I couldn’t talk kevin into riding with me.  The river was too high to cross, so I planned to do a few trips with Cole on the hill.  He was one little bundle of energy.  When I got to the bottom, flat part of the hill, I hesitated to trot at the usual spot.  I wisely decided to shorten distance to the stopping spot.  When I did ask him to trot, he made a  huge…

Spring is here, and that means it’s time for spring cleaning. Spring cleaning your barn is a perfect time to do a sweep for common barn safety issues. When you start spring cleaning your barn this year, make sure to add these important safety tasks to your list.

Remove Old Hay

Old hay accumulates dust and begins to lose its nutritional…

A fence post a day, keeps the doctor away(or, brings them to you faster than what you'd like). Lemme tell you, lifting tree trunks, I mean fence posts, is harder than it looks. It's called MANual labor for a reason: a MAN was meant to do it, not a woman(or teenage girl). Good thing I love manual labor outside,eh?

Today was technically my very last day at the stable…

Last Sunday, when I was talking to Shannon about my latest problems with riding Tercel, I asked her if she had seen racing blinker hoods for sale nearby.  She hadn’t, but then she remembered that she had an old “made up” driving bridle with blinkers that she had used for training ground driving with a horse she had sold many years ago.  Shannon dug it out of her tack room,…

I Slept on It

The following morning, I sat up in bed and said, “I’m getting a new horse.” It was just that easy.

So, I went to work, put a few hours on the job—just giving myself time to change my mind. When that didn’t happen, I typed up an email, leaned back and looked at it for about a minute. I typed up an email, leaned back and looked at it for about a minute. I hovered the mouse over the send button, paused and------click.

I took another deep breath and sat there,…

“Asking your horse to hold your weight at the halt, like gossiping cowboys with their legs hooked over their saddle-horns, is much harder for a horse than moving with weight on his back. When you’re not riding, kindly get off his back.”

This quote is from last week’s blog and Cathy asked me to elaborate. I promised I’d hold it to a moderate rant.

Let’s start by…

And the Trainer Says…

I sent out the email to MerryLegs’ trainer.  I told her how I liked a horse that wasn’t lazy and unmotivated.  This was my biggest concern.  His owner made me think he wasn’t, but she didn’t actually ride him.  Mingo was a very quiet, sleepy horse, and he drove me crazy.  For many people, he would have been the perfect horse.  My older niece simply adored him.  They were the perfect pair from the very first ride, and I am so glad I had him so she could…

Working with Dante

Each time I go out to the barn, if Ellen isn’t there, I spend a little time with Dante doing spring tuning.  We are just reviewing the things what he knows to prepare him for trail riding.  For the first week, we played bus stop.  He remembered the game quite well.  It is where I take him to the end of the driveway and we wait for cars to pass.  If he stands still, it click and treat him.

Dante remembered the game very well, and just loves…

Losing track of the days here!  Didn't get to work him yesterday.  I was just to exhausted from work, and hadn't seen my husband in a while due to our conflicting schedules, and me always being at work or the barn.  Today I got him out and we lounged some with side reins.  He wasn't exactly hot, but very anxious.  I am starting to connect when he does this goofy thing with his mouth.  He always opens his mouth and acts like his is smiling or chewing.  He does this when I put his bridle on,…

Developing your riding seat begins with understanding that your seat must be used to signal to your horse, not interfere or disrupt his natural movement.  In order for you to utilize this aid successfully, it is imperative that you be relaxed first.  Relaxation is not floppiness, it is just an awareness of your body and how you are using it without any tension or resistance through your muscles.

The problem and confusion over developing your riding seat often begins right at…

As spring arrives, so does horse show season. While it would be great to buy yourself a new wardrobe each year to start the season off fresh, doing so probably isn’t practical. If your wardrobe from last year is looking a little drab, there are a number of ways you can spruce it up without spending a ton.

Add a New Show Shirt

One of the easiest…

We have all heard the old saying 'No hoof, no horse', and any of us that have been around horses for any length of time know it to be true.

But, aside from just the regular picking out and greasing of your horses hooves, what else are you actively doing to ensure the long term integrity of your horses feet and how closely are you paying attention to the small changes that can sometimes lead on to big problems?

Often as owners and riders we just assume our farrier is doing his…

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!! I never watched those movies(unless Krypto the super dog counts), too long, too boring and unlike Captain America, Superman is boring. But why discuss super heroes(Iron Man,…

Good News

Yes, this is good news. I finally got the results of the latest medical test, and it isn’t the C-word (and I don’t mean canter.) The problem is something very manageable, so that means life can go on. It is spring, and it is going to be a good one.

More good news—Kevin and I cross the river! Hurray! The first time was Friday night. Cole and Starry did great for their first trail ride of the year. They were both somewhat startled by a turkey running behind them, but…

“Working student.” It’s a phrase that is often thrown around in the horse world, but what does it really involve? If you’re questioning whether being a working student is right for you, or even whether you should take a working student on yourself, this information about the world of the working student may help you decide.

The Basics of Being a…

The days are getting busier and it gets harder for me to update this, but i am staying consistent with riding Mossberg.  Yesterday we stayed in te round pen part of the arena and rode after lounging with 2 other horses on the other side of the arena.  He was distracted but not crazy, and listened to my cues.  Working on more umph and forwardness.  I was afraid he would go up if I ever pressured him too much, but am learning he just throws a mini hissy fit and continues…

Spring is here!  The Bradford Pears and Forsythia are blooming, and I can see the leaf buds are starting to swell.  I hope it lasts for a while.

I did not have a very pleasant ride on Tercel.  Grooming him was fine, I had almost no problems brushing his ears or putting the poll cap on.    He was a little antsy when I started my lesson but we walked around the ring and he was not horrible--UNTIL--a rude duck flapped its wings just after we passed it.  All of a sudden…

"Every horse has its day" ~ Jordan Kroll & Julie Fleming(lol) 

I went to the stable hoping that despite the didisagreeable weather, I'd still have a good ride. Yeah. Right. 

Before I delve into detail of my hectic…

I don’t use spurs, because I don’t want to make my horse dull!”

If you’ve shared this opinion with so many riders I meet, you’re in good company!

But what if I suggested that the opposite might also be true?  As a woodworker might choose smaller chisels to refine the details of his project, so spurs give a rider precision in delivering his cues,…