Willfully Guided: Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Tips for Winter Horse Care

Winter
Allison’s son helping with winter chores. Photo by Allison Trimble.

This morning it was a balmy 27 degrees at the barn. We worry about mud management during the winter months, often forgetting about freezing temperatures until they are upon us. My horsey childhood in Alaska was spent more than half the year in the dark and cold of winter, so …

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Arena Footing Considerations – Advice from an Arena Contractor

An arena built and maintained by Murray Gudmundson Jr Construction Inc. Photo by Jackie Gudmundson

When I moved to Washington in 2000, we were fortunate to buy a property that already had a barn and an all-weather 100 x 200-foot outdoor arena. I prefer riding outside, but at our new property, I made the decision to build a covered arena in the future. For now, …

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Willfully Guided: Dream Facility, Part Two

Making Decisions, Choosing Priorities By Allison Trimble   Twenty years of daydreaming about my dream facility is finally coming together. It turns out the reality is equal parts exciting and terrifying. Decisions can be hard to make, especially on amenities that I haven’t had much experience with on my janky …

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The Broke Horse: Part 2

 In the Saddle By Allison Trimble   Once a horse is being ridden, the wide range of disciplines can make defining a “broke” horse more of a challenge. The culmination of training for a working cow horse looks quite different than a finished hunter. In this article I will focus …

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