As the light wanes, I plod back to the house after the evening chores. I watch Jake trotting ahead of me, his fluffy ‘pants’ swaying with each stride, his tail bobbing over his back like a plume. It has been a rough few weeks at work, the office politics reaching a fevered pitch – yet … More The Dog You Need
My mother was down with food poisoning. Though nearly an octogenarian, she was not content to handle it curled up in a blanket on the couch, as most people even decades younger than her would. No, instead she was dragging herself out to feed snacks to horses, and texting me complaints about not being “made … More Enjoying each other’s company
One reason I dropped out of teaching and training was the epidemic of anyone who won a few ribbons hanging out their shingle as a trainer. In some cases, people who rode horses trained by other people were getting their scores and then becoming professional trainers. I saw people and horses getting hurt under such … More Is your instructor worthy?
In this era of learning everything by YouTube video or Facebook posts, people seem to rarely have the patience to spend time learning anything in depth. I have read many an article that says we no longer need experts because we have so much knowledge at our finger tips. I hope those authors never need … More Apprenticeship
Recently, Coffee was on some turnout time in the arena. My mother went to bring him in, and he was watching calmly from the corner; but, when she neared the gate, he galloped a small circle, threw in a buck, and stood looking at her expectantly. He was clearly asking, “Come play with me?” … More “Come play with me?”
The barn I spent so many years riding and teaching in was nothing much to look at. It was your typical dusty pole barn, so common in the Western U.S. Built by cowboys for year round roping practice (there was still a holding pen and remnants of a shoot attached to the indoor), it was … More Be eclectic!
Horse Crazy Once Again 