Do you get the feeling that society at large has thrown in the towel? People keep talking about the end of 2020 as though everything will magically be better when the clock strikes midnight on January 1. I’ll admit the concept has spawned some good jokes, like the “wipe away 2020” roll of toilet paper …
Over a decade ago, when I had to unexpectedly retire a young endurance horse, I wrote this post on how to respond when a dream collapses.
Snow fell on the farm today. I found myself out in it, bundled in thick gloves and a hood, because the water tanks needed filling. The horses’ coats, bejeweled with ice, stood out from their round bodies. Whinnies caroled as I tossed extra alfalfa to keep them warm. I rested my elbows on a paddock …
Nobody rides for the awards, but everyone appreciates them. Coming up with the right idea at the right price is an ongoing challenge for ride managers. I plumbed riders’ minds to learn about their favorites. Here are 91 ideas, from old standbys to the downright bizarre, to get your juices flowing: Ride-Branded Awards These days, it’s …
Autumn. The skies have rained and blown for weeks. Blankets have been on and off the horses. Salted mashes consumed. Saddles nestled in the tack room, waiting. And then, yesterday! Dawn broke still and the farm floated alone in a heavy cloak of fog. Mist froze on branches, wire, hay, and manes. I warmed a saddle pad …
In today’s cacophony of fitness and nutrition discourse, we’re all choosing who is worth listening to. This is especially true when it comes to bloggers like me, who are informed aficionados rather than trained experts. I am decidedly average in terms of athletic ability ~ and maybe a notch above as a home cook ~ …
In today’s cacophony of fitness and nutrition discourse, we’re all choosing who is worth listening to. This is especially true when it comes to bloggers like me, who are informed aficionados rather than trained experts. I am decidedly average in terms of athletic ability ~ and maybe a notch above as a home cook ~ …
There’s something about being on a horse that makes people want to say hello. I do most of my conditioning rides on the grid of agricultural roads surrounding my farm. Just about everyone who passes in a car, driving a tractor, or riding a motorcycle offers a wave. Once in a while, someone stops to …
We are grounded. To varying degrees around the world, we are all being asked to stay home. No concerts, no weddings, no afternoons at the strip mall. There is much talk of these measures being too little, too late ~ or perhaps too much, too soon. We don’t know how bad it will be …
My first job was at a small, shabby horse farm in the valley below my childhood home. The driveway peeled off from a curvy, gravel road lined with hotwire paddocks, all nibbled bare and dotted with broodmares. The barn was creaky and drafty, with packed dirt aisles and a radio tuned to the country station. …