My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
I have always been a snaffle kind of rider. Partly it’s because I generally have had horses that require more kick than whoa; partly it’s because I use other aids to control speed and rhythm; and partly it’s because I like a horse to take a solid contact with the bit. Look in my bit […]
Read MoreThe spring hunt season went by way too fast. We had our last two hunts over the Memorial Day weekend and were lucky to have great weather, albeit a tad warm. I managed to squeeze in five hunts in the end — not as many as I would have liked, but since the last three […]
Read MoreMy mother was scanning old photos and she sent me this one. It’s from my very first event ever, which makes it about 1983-84. I was riding a horse that I half leased for a couple of years, a 5 year old Hannovarian/TB cross called Dudley. The venue was Pleasant Hollow Farms in Coopersburg, Penn. […]
Read MoreBack in November I read a post on The Barb Wire that resonated with me. It was called Tempest. In it, Tamara talks about dealing with stress caused by lies and injustice. She concludes that she won’t ride until she feels better because she doesn’t want to ride when she’s so tense and upset. “Ever […]
Read MoreI found this poem online a few days ago and wanted to share it with all of you. I Hung up my Bridle Today by Kris Garrett Yesterday, for the first time, I was too tired to ride Yesterday, for the first time, I was afraid I would be hurt if I was thrown Yesterday, […]
Read MoreWe’ve had rain here for the past two weeks. Lots of rain. For those of us with no indoor, that means one thing: riding in mud. When the sun peeks out for brief periods I’ve tried to get on my horse and get him moving and thinking. He doesn’t have the personality type to hang […]
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Not long after I got my Freedom I remember riding him in a lesson and feeling that he was going pretty well. He was hot but “packaged.” My trainer reminded me that if I was holding him together the entire time, I was losing the ability to communicate with him. She told me I had […]
Read MoreOften you can predict what will scare your horse when you are out riding. But sometimes, it’s a surprise — and provides some insight into how your horse perceives its surroundings. Last fall I had finished schooling and was cooling my quiet older horse out on a loose rein, with no stirrups while talking on […]
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