If you were a horse crazy kid, as I was (and remain in my heart) you likely read many of the same books I did while growing up. Most of us have fallen in love with some story of that special bond between a horse and human. We have fantasized about having that gallop down … More Thoughts on ‘Heart’ Horses
My first horse sport was Eventing. It was a growing sport in our state, and its lack of formality appealed to the university crowd I grew up riding with. Wicki came with miles under his girth, and was a great teacher. When I outgrew him, the plan was to get a younger horse that I … More Bendigo, the Event horse who wasn’t
If you hang around the classical Dressage crowd for any length of time, you will hear someone say something to this effect: “Horses already know how to do the movements, in the field; training only consists of teaching them to do them with a rider added.” It might also be slightly modified to include “on … More What is the goal of training?
Anna Blake recently posted a piece on bringing horses home that deals with the all too often ignored aspect of just how much disruption we subject horses to. I have long been sensitive to how what we see as simple, and often necessary, changes in a horse’s life can actually be highly disruptive to what … More Ben and Joy
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?”
If you do not keep horses at home, you might never have experienced your horses trying to “help” with repairs and chores. Curious by nature, horses are likely to insert themselves into any activity in their vicinity. I’ve had heads over my shoulder as I secured a loose board with my trusty drill driver. We’ve … More When horses try to help
Horse Crazy Once Again 