My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Calvin Borel has pulled off an incredible feat: in just two weeks he rode the winners of the Kentucky Oaks, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. He’s at the top of his game and it appears, from all reports, that he deserves to be. 42-year old Borel grew up in Louisiana, the son of sugar […]
Read MoreIn case you missed the race, here’s the Preakness. Amazing rides by Calvin Borel and Mike Smith. The question is: would Mine That Bird have caught Rachel Alexandra if he’d gotten clear of the field a bit earlier? Or would the filly have dug in and pulled away?
Read MoreWhen Rachel Alexandra’s owners decided to run her in the Kentucky Oaks instead of the Kentucky Derby, many racing fans were disappointed. Over the last two weeks, much has changed: Rachel Alexandra was sold and her new owners ponied up the additional $100,000 necessary for late entry into the Preakness. The Preakness field is limited […]
Read MoreAfter posting yesterday’s article on workload and nutrition, I was asked what I feed my horse. I’ve spent some time working with a nutritionist and reading about equine nutrition, as well investing in some trial and error. Here’s what’s currently working for me. My Horse: Freedom on the Wind is an 11 year old TB […]
Read MoreI’ve always thought that my horses have had pretty easy lives. Five or six days a week I ask them to carry me around for an hour or two. Sometimes that ride is just an amble; other times it involves galloping and jumping. But still, that’s not much. I wish that my workday was so, […]
Read MoreOne of my trainers used to say that you train your horse every time you ride it, so be careful about what you do (and don’t do). We’ve all probably now that horses seem to learn bad habits much faster than they learn good ones, so that means you must be doubly cautious. Recently I’ve […]
Read MoreI try to have a plan for each ride when I start out. Sometimes the plan changes, but I try to set my goals — or my limits — before I ride. It’s the times when I’ve tried to do more than my plan that I’ve gotten into trouble. You know, the time you just […]
Read MoreMany of have been there. We train our horses and work toward a goal only to be sidelined by an injury at the last minute. Months of work and anticipation can thwarted by a lost shoe, a tweaked tendon, an episode of colic, or a rider injury. All of that anticipation and we’re left cursing. […]
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