Affirmative Training: The Opposite of Dominance Isn’t What You’d Think
Sitting in a horse pen is the easiest thing in the world. I might even like to cook if I...
The Thing About Dimensionally Succinct Horses
I've written "The Thing About" essays on Mares, Geldings, and Donkeys to dispel untrue myths and sing their praises. These...
Loafing in Limbo: Hibernation as a Training Aid
We are in Limbo. It's that week between Christmas and New Year when nobody knows what day it is. Not...
Nebulous Lameness. Nebulous Anxiety. And a List.
Your inner monster screams, "Just Kick Him!" but you don't. You aren't that person. You don't use spurs or whips....
Are You Having a Midlife Horse Crisis?
I got an email from a reader last week. She had a hard question. She acknowledges she was naive, but...
Mental Maturity in Horses
Darryl, Darryl, and his other brother, Darryl I've never been good at remembering dates, so sometimes...
What’s Love Got To Do With It? [Horse Version]
We love horses. We love to say it loud and proud. We love the ones we grew up with and...
Forging a Path: What to Do Next With Your Horse.
It's that time of winter when you half-think spring isn't real. Are you frustrated with how you and your horse...
Gray Mares, Time, and Priorities
Do you notice that it gets a little easier to be yourself every day? Public speaking wasn't the sort of...
A Legacy of Homegrown Ingenuity and Bull-Headed Confidence
I am the great-granddaughter of pioneers. They traveled far, mixed their blood with those not like them, and built lives...
Virtual Dressage and Girls in White Shirts
The FEI passed good rules this year, and the Olympic judging held to the high side. Dressage had things to...
Does Leadership Mean Domination Now?
From a Reader: "Anna, you articulate the dance between horse and human so very succinctly. I wish it were easier...
A Book Report and What We Know Now.
A bit of explanation: I grew up on a farm without a bookshelf. We were not readers. Once we finally...
Is She Still Going On About Helmets?
Riding Habit 1801 Yes. I've been writing in support of helmet use since the start. I...
The Best Horse Conversations Start With “No”
Imagine that each time you climbed on your horse, he began to move in a slow canter, so rhythmic and...
Life Happens: The Unplanned Dismount
"I owned horses for 20 years until divorce happened," the reader said, asking me to write about it. "I think...
COVID-19 with Horses: How Are We Doing?
If horse people know one thing, it's that it's never just one thing. Having horses also means we partner with...
Horse Woman, Our Narrative
Drawing by Rebecca Howard I usually write a gray mare rant annually on my birthday. I'm...