Anna Blake *I’m a full-time horse trainer who has written about horses (here) since 2010. My dogs think it’s their turn now.* Like the leaves on the trees, I’m letting myself go. How so, you ask? It’s not like I’ve worn makeup in the last forty years. I fearlessly cut my own hair without my glasses on. … Read more
*I’m a full-time horse trainer who has written about horses (here) since 2010. My dogs think it’s their turn now.* We’re driving and only an hour from home. Just prairie between Pikes Peak and us. It’s not just the last stretch of road; it’s the last trip this year. I’m a homebody who hears the … Read more
*I’m a full-time horse trainer who has written about horses (here) since 2010. My dogs think it’s their turn now.* Apparently, I’ve started using voles to aerate my farm. It amazes me how much the wildlife on my farm changes year to year. Some years we were absolutely flooded with rabbits. The last few years … Read more
*I’m a full-time horse trainer who has written about horses (here) since 2010. My dogs think it’s their turn now.* I try never to step outside of myself and take too long a look at what I’m doing. It’s how I maintain my self-respect in the moment. Of course, then I blow it by writing … Read more
*I’m a full-time horse trainer who has written about horses (here) since 2010. My dogs think it’s their turn now.* Just across the west pasture, Pikes Peak shows an early September snow. Here on the prairie, we hit the low forties overnight. The horses are growing winter coats. The sheep are getting hairier, as hair … Read more
It’s the autumn equinox. The sun rises rusty yellow, low-angle light catching prairie particles floating like fog on the horizon. We have more deer in our pastures than horses these days. A month ago, I mucked at dawn to avoid the heat. We didn’t just have a hot summer. Colorado just had its hottest in … Read more
The buttery glow of a palomino at sunrise. But so much more. It’s his obvious intelligence. His ability to have total awareness of his environment while focusing on us. His choice to engage with us, when his instincts might be wary. The miracle of survival despite his fragility. It’s enough to steal my breath, like … Read more
And by “bar,” I mean the Swedish Vallhund Nationals. We didn’t tell Mister. I packed up the Rollin’ Rancho out of view, closed the curtains, and Jolene and I pulled out just as if we were going to a class. We drove two hours north to Greeley and joined the Vallhund family camp. Over 1600 … Read more
-+ I am driving a rented passenger van. It’s a first. There are three humans and five dogs. The family is here from Texas; two of Jolene’s sisters, along with mom and dad. They came up for the Swedish Vallhund Nationals. Jolene and I are going because they are. She doesn’t have all the letters … Read more
*I’m a full-time horse trainer who has written about horses (here) since 2010. My dogs think it’s their turn now.* It’s the small things. One morning, I pulled the shower curtain open and, remarkably, the bathroom rug was right there, in the bathroom. Usually in the backyard, Jolene and I played a sneaky slow-motion fetch … Read more