My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Zebras are notoriously hard to train because as a species, they have defied domestication. They can be aggressive, and have a history of randomly attacking human trainers which has limited their use in movies and circuses. That doesn’t mean that people don’t continue to try training zebras and it appears that some trainers have more […]
Read MoreI can’t remember the last time we had two spectacular riding days in a row. The ice is gone, the trails aren’t completely under water and the sun was out. Freedom is much improved. Yesterday I worked him in our local ring (the footing was surprisingly good) and although he felt a tad short on […]
Read MoreLike many people, I grew up riding in jeans. Breeches were a luxury item reserved for shows. To protect my legs, I usually wore chaps. I didn’t worry much about my saddle. In fact, I owned the same saddle from the time I was 14 until I was in my early 30s and it held […]
Read MoreWill horse triumph over bike? Place your bets! (You might want to fast forward through the first 50 seconds to get to the action). The horse, Helium, is a saint to maintain her focus with that BMX bike jumping beside her. Not many horses would put up with that!
Read MoreThe British Horse Society is using “Trigger” a mechanical horse, to introduce people to the joys of riding while they visit the British Leisure Show. Last year Trigger was one of the most popular attractions, with many people who had never seen a horse or pony lining up for a ride. The rides are free […]
Read MoreAfter many decades of the basic Fillis stirrup iron, there have been a number of efforts to improve upon the design. First there were safety stirrups, then jointed stirrups. Then there were stirrup/boot systems that “lock” together. Now this company has come out with a new type of stirrup design that supports the whole […]
Read MoreAs humans we are all used to doing things with our hands. In fact, during our days we probably do most things with our hands. Unfortunately, that tendency extends to riding. It’s all too easy to ride with our hands and that leaves us focusing on our horses’ heads, rather than on their engines. Recently […]
Read MoreDeveloping your eye for jumping takes practice. But maybe you don’t always want to jump your horse — either your barn doesn’t allow jumping outside of lessons or your horse doesn’t need the extra pounding. Try jumping ground poles. It’s a lot harder than it looks! This is something we always did when there was […]
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