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Loving the Old Days but Looking Forward I have a hard time with change. I push back against it, bury my head in the sand, and deny reality. But life is full of change, and I know intellectually it’s a good thing. To change is to adapt and to adapt …
YouTube Tutorials Can Be Helpful, but They Don’t Replace In-Person Instruction Social media can be useful; it connects us to neighborhood groups that let us know what’s happening in our community (is your power out too?) and keeps us in touch with long-lost friends from high school. I use YouTube …
The Hard Horse Who Taught Me to Use My Seat Recently, while judging a Working Equitation show, I watched a young woman ride a talented but spicy black gelding around a course of obstacles. The horse appeared happy, with ears pricked, a quiet tail, and a swinging back. He eagerly …
Inspiration Comes from a Clinic Student My summer has been busy with travel, judging working equitation shows, and teaching clinics. I feel fortunate to meet people of all ages, types, abilities, and backgrounds, and horses are the same all over the world—they fill me with joy. Horses humble us, make …
Horses Need to Know Their Worth We talk a lot these days about happy horses, and that’s a good thing. Today’s horsemen want to go beyond just keeping our horses from harm or suffering—we want them to thrive. We want them to really enjoy their lives and the time they …
Travel, Horses, and Learning Bring Back Joy Last winter, after my 7-year-old gelding Gus was diagnosed with DSLD and had to be retired, I found myself in a state of hopeless burnout, going through the motions of work, eat, sleep, repeat. I love my farm and have a good life, …
Life’s Journey Evolves How We Train As a young horse trainer, I had great ambitions. Although my love for horses has always been true, in my youth I took a more self-centered view of our relationship. What could they do for me? I thought about what we might accomplish together, …
Receiving Comfort from Special Friends Long Gone Throughout my life I’ve mined my imagination when I need to escape stressful situations. I use this skill to transport myself to a happy place and time. Memory is my greatest tool as I close my eyes, breathe, and think of some places …
Horse Care Helps Me Go On I have the flu. I’m feeling sorry for myself, which I suppose is expected under the circumstances. But I’m especially snappy because it’s winter and I run a boarding barn and make my living giving riding lessons. I’ve canceled lessons for the week, which …
Treasured Tools of the Trade On my farm I rely on mechanical and electronic equipment every day to keep the place running. My tractor, arena drag, coffee pot, wheelbarrow and manure fork, and the computer I’m typing on will all eventually wear out and break. Honestly, though, I have little …
