My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
After a long, stressful week with too much work, election stresses, and not enough time for fun, this is the best view ever. Last Friday we had four inches of snow. This Friday it was 72 degrees out. I’ll take it. While the snow decimated the fall foliage, there were still enough leaves this afternoon […]
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Ever since racing authorities announced new rules on the use of whips, there’s been debate whether or not whips win races. Many jockeys are still upset about the ban, both from a competitive standpoint and because of safety issues. “I’m not happy about (the new whip rule),” he said. “This will change the races a […]
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Bitting up for hunting can mean the difference between a fun ride and a continuous tug of war. Whenever someone says you should be able to ride every horse in a snaffle, I chuckle and think, “you’ve never been foxhunting.” That’s not to say you can’t hunt a horse in a snaffle. My Trakehner was […]
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According to a study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery, revealed that 45.2 percent of TBI among adults were related to horseback riding, Over the years, I’ve had two concussions — at least that I know of. The last one occurred about 10 or 12 years ago, while I was hunting. There is an in […]
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When I got to the barn yesterday morning, Freedom was nowhere to be seen. I was a bit late to feed, and usually, the horses are waiting by the fence, eager for their breakfast. I scanned the pasture. Nothing. I whistled for him. No response. The girls were there, nickering encouragement. So, I threw them […]
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Although I hate the fact that darkness is falling earlier every day, drastically reducing my ability to ride (and work), on a sunny day in the spectacle that is fall in New England is breathtaking. Zelda loves the fall because it means that I stop and take pictures. She pretends to be looking, too, but […]
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Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to jump downed trees in a single bound. Look! Running after the hounds! It’s Zelda! For sure, Zelda had the locomotive part down pat. Riding her was a bit like being on a runaway train. Without brakes that worked well. Zelda and I had […]
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Tally ho! The fall foxhunting season has started and Zelda and I have been getting out a bit more. After staying close to home this summer, the fall hunt season kicked off and the last two hunts were quite close by. I was on the fence about hunting. Truthfully, my left ankle is still not […]
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