Change: A Virtual* Barn Raising!

No, I’m not building a real barn. That would be easy. I’m handy with tools and I’ve been known to use my truck in some unusually creative ways. This new barn is different. It’s a “website with an online membership group” but I think it’ll be more comfortable if I just call it The Barn. Most … Read more

My Horse is Too Sensitive (Part One.)

“My horse is really sensitive. He isn’t a just a Quarter Horse, you know. He needs special handling.” When I hear something like this, I always peer around the barn to see if anyone else looks like their head is about to explode.  Is she saying that any idiot can ride an ordinary horse, but … Read more

What a Parrot Taught Me About Horses.

There were a few dark years (between leaving home and having enough income to support a horse) that I was earthbound with only house pets. I survived it. Barely. During that horse-less time, a box arrived. It was a surprise parrot -from a friend in Panama. I’m not saying it was a great idea to … Read more

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me!

Namaste is a Sanskrit word -which means it’s very old.  Most translate it to some version of “The spirit in me respects the spirit in you.”  There is so much in a name. Namaste is also an easy-on-the-eyes, young, Friesian-Arab gelding with a big  dressage heart. I have known him for about 5 years and … Read more

Dressage: A Relaxed and Forward Ride.

The foundation of Dressage for the rider/horse is rhythm. I define that as a balanced combination of relaxation and forward. It sounds deceptively simple. A rider/horse can not sacrifice forward for relaxation, or relaxation for forward. The art of riding is in negotiating the balance of the two in both the rider and the horse. … Read more

A Lesson Horse is Born….

… and Grace gives herself a promotion. Dressage borrows lots of language from ballet -after all, we are the dancers of the horse world. Pas de Trois is a dance of three. I have commandeered that phrase to describe riding lessons as a conversational dance between horse, rider and instructor. All three participants have to … Read more

When I Die, Can I Come Back as Your Horse?

The least flattering time I heard this re-incarnation plan was while I was rubbing mineral ice on my horse’s inner thigh. He had torn a muscle and was in his second month of stall rest. The man who said it thought he was Columbus in the New World, and a total laugh riot.

"The more I know about people, the better I like my dog." – Mark Twain

“Add to that- horse, donkey, and llama–okay, even the goats.” –Me This was a week of sharp-edged experiences. The world lost a great horse this week, a mare in our extended family. Toushay was from an era of excellence and integrity: she was athletic, smart, funny, and any human’s total equal. She was not my … Read more

Advice for Moody Riders.

This week a self-described moody rider requested a blog- about moody riders. To tell the truth it has been an erratic week at the barn. Each rider had their best and worst rides, in rapid succession. Passion is the green light, frustration is the red light, and the ensuing crash in the intersection can make … Read more