My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
One of my favorite books as a kid was Winning Your Spurs. I dreamed about the time when I would be old enough — and skilled enough — to earn the privilege of wearing them. Fast forward to the time when I was able to wear spurs. For several years, I wore them proudly. Then […]
Read MoreTo build the muscles that strengthen a horse’s topline, first you have to get the horse to work correctly — to use his back, engage his abdominals, and push from behind and connect with your hand. You can tell when a horse isn’t working correctly by looking at his musculature. If your horse’s underneck is […]
Read MoreOne of the great puzzles about Sheldon has been his reluctance to go forward. I’ve restarted a few OTTBs and one thing they always had was a well established “go” button. Given his long and successful racing career, I knew that Sheldon had to have one too. I suspect that something must have happened to […]
Read MoreThe purchase of a horse comes with all kinds of dreams and aspirations. You can picture yourself on your new steed — winning ribbons, chasing hounds, succeeding at the discipline of your choice. However, if you don’t buy a horse that is already established in that “job”, it doesn’t always work the way you hoped. […]
Read MoreVery rarely does Freedom buck. He bounces, but he doesn’t buck. I never have to worry if he starts to drop his head which is probably a good thing. I know that if he put some effort into it, he could launch me into Connecticut. Some people enjoy a buck or two. They see it […]
Read MoreWhen you buy a horse you are buying more than just an animal — you are investing in your hopes and dreams of what you want to accomplish. You visualize yourself coming in from that cross country course with your cheeks flushed and your eyes watering from the excitement . . . or finishing that […]
Read MoreHere’s an inspirational video that shows that hard work, perseverance and faith can really pay off. I love the description that the rider wrote about her experience. And it gives many of us who have only moderately talented horses can have hope. We’ve come a long way, and he’s taught me so much. If there’s […]
Read MoreDuring hunting season it’s tempting focus only on conditioning and jumping. It’s all too easy to forget about dressage. Not the dressage as in riding the movements for perfection, but rather the dressage that helps your horse stay supple, strong and stretched — able to dodge that tree with a quick leg yield or to […]
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