Considering Options

This week I rode both mares, Mia and Cider, and I got three rides in.  Mia’s coughing continues and my rides on her now are mostly in the category of physical therapy, hers and mine.  You all are well aware of how riding horses keeps me walking on my own two feet, and riding Mia now requires me to use a lot of leg to keep her moving out, which means that I strengthen the muscles of my legs every time I ride her.  As for her physical therapy I worry about the mare,…

Are you the kind of person who gets nervous in a new place if there isn’t a dog to talk to? Do you find it easy to look through the dog spit dried on the passenger window when making a right turn in your truck? Do you have a drawer with a bunch of old dog collars with…

These two right…

A colleague of mine recently called the worn path around the outside of an arena the "idiot ditch". Perhaps somewhat harsh, but I had to chuckle.  Riding the rut doesn't stretch riders to make guiding adjustments or challenge our aids and timing, but it doesn't involve risk ether

Doing the same thing over and expecting a different result may count as…

Spring is Here

Yes, North Carolina in the spring.  This is the best time of year here, the gnats and flies are still mostly absent, even the colder mornings warm up nicely, the birds are tweeting outside the window, and the horses are shedding what is left of their winter coats.  The trees are flowering, the leaves are sprouting, and it is simply gorgeous!

Grooming Mia has been a hairy adventure in more ways than one.  Of course, gobs and gobs of hair fly off her coat and the…

Pastor and professor Dr. Howard Hendricks wisely said “Experience is not the best teacher- only evaluated experience is”.

As riders, we are responsible for problem solving. When things go wrong in the schooling ring or show ring, it’s wise to stop, assess, and come up with a plan to solve the problem.

“Is it me or my horse?” My natural curiosity floats…

  Isn't she adorable? That's my little sister playing with HER horses. Yep, she's a mini me. One of the next generation equestrians hopefully. Ever since we started to bring her to the stable with me she's been obsessed with horses and ponies. She'd prefer the big horses though. She likes the little horses and ponies but she's drawn to the gentle giants. One horse at my job,…

Well, Friday we euthanized my beloved dog. He was a gorgeous seven month old blonde german Shepherd cross. He was way too aggressive for his own good, trying to attack anything and anyone. He was evaluated and said to be a lost cause. Neutering would have done nothing for him. Just before he was led into the clinic he laid his head on my lap, and stared up at me with his big, brown eyes. It was as though he knew his fate and was saying good-bye. 

Getting rid of…

Debbie Says I am Looking Stronger in the Saddle

I have ridden three times since my last blog and all three times I made it to thirty minutes, and on one of these rides I made it to 37 minutes!  I am losing track of time in the saddle since I no longer get totally exhausted after 20 minutes.

Both Mia and Cider are accepting contact better, so my weakness obviously affected my stability in the saddle.  Both mares had been rather polite about my worsening hands, but as patient as…

My Florida coach Luis (Lou) Reteguiz Denizard brings Henk van Bergen to his farm for clinics and I am lucky…

I was out riding Tori in the arena the other evening and Kami stood at the gate, asking to come in and play with us. I opened the gate and she synched up with us at liberty. Tori and I did patterns and Kami did them with us.

Kami loves to do liberty with people on the ground but I have not "taught" Kami to do liberty with me on horseback. I used no stick or whip to drive her forward. Tori and I waited for her if she fell behind, I would sigh and pause if she went too quickly…