My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
When are the riskiest times during your ride? Mounting and dismounting rank right up at the top of the list. Especially mounting. This is when you are in a precarious position. An unexpected move by your horse or a shift in the item your standing on, can cause you to fall and potentially get caught […]
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When I was a kid, one of the songs we sang started, “Shoo fly, don’t bother me. ” Zelda is humming that now. The horse flies almost always show up around the 4th of July and this year they are right on schedule. Poor Zelda, those suckers have quite a bite. Even with a wonderful […]
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Everyone remembers Secretariat’s spectacular run in the Belmont, but how about Arazi’s legendary win in the 1991 Juvenile Breeders’ Cup? He makes a jaw-dropping run that positioned Arazi as the top 2 year-old in the world. And it was his first race on dirt. Arazi came into the race as the top European 2-year old […]
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A year ago, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) accused show jumper Andy Kocher of using “electric spurs” on his horses. In April, Kocher was suspended by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Tribunal for 10 years, fined and forfeited winnings from eight competitions where photographic evidence showed signs of the cables running up his breeches — […]
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To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I rode Freedom. He’s 23 or 24 now and I didn’t put shoes on him this spring. Mostly he’s happy hanging out in his field, watching his mares, and putting on a good show of galloping when the spirit moves him. But Zelda came back from […]
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Spring hunting passed in a flash, moving onto the next season of activities: Hunter Paces. Zelda and I got to hunt four or five times this spring, and an ulcer-free Zelda was back to her happy, agreeable self for most of it. She still can be a handful. I’m always amazed by how she can […]
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Freedom is the poster child for separation anxiety. Looking back over my blog posts, I’ve written about this before . . . always with the thought that he is “getting over it.” And he does. Kind of. For awhile. But then the anxiety comes back. When I take Zelda out for a ride I can […]
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Like a kid in a sprinkler, Freedom loves to get spritzed with water on a hot day. Today, after taking Zelda to a Hunter Pace, I hosed her off. She doesn’t object, but she doesn’t enjoy it the way he does. I gave him a good soaking from outside the paddock. He’s the only horse […]
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