Mental Focus Means Not Trying Too Hard
Character and temperament matter most.
character
Dear Drama Queen-
Dear Drama Queen, I understand getting upset. You have so much passion and desire for riding. I know how much you want to do the very best job. Sometimes the world seems to conspire against you; it’s like every bad thing happens to you and none of it is your fault. No one else has … Read more
Making Little Girls Cry…
The gate opened and in came the first horse/rider combination. The horse was a post-prime Arabian, trotting quickly with her nose out. She was groomed to a shine, with a braid in her mane already beginning to fray. The rider was a tiny girl in jeans, rubber tall-boots and a scuffed helmet. I think she … Read more
Thoughts on Retirement, Equine or Human.
They say that old age is not for the faint of heart and neither is this post. Don’t expect a warm Disney story about my horse aging. Spirit is 23 years old this fall -retired for 7 years. He has hated every day of it.
WEG: Experience Required, Maturity Rewarded.
The World Equestrian Games are in the United States for the first time, at the Kentucky Horse Park. It isn’t too late to watch it on FEI TV. Eight riding disciplines are represented, many reflecting old world skills like dressage. Reining is a comparatively new sport, born in the American west, competed on American Quarter … Read more
On Horse Movies: Velvet Brown Lied!
It’s the movie National Velvet-and a 12 yr. old Elizabeth Taylor lied. The Man from Snowy River came a bit closer, but still fell short. Don’t even start with me about The Horse Whisperer. These are beloved horse movies, watched by horse-crazy girls and boys of all ages. By definition, movies require a suspension of belief from the audience.
Wealth That Money Can't Buy.
Lots of us struggle to balance horses and money. There is an assumption that owning horses is a rich person’s game, and especially in a sport like Dressage. But not all of us have imported horses, or trailers worth more than a small home. Some of us have more passion than money, more try than … Read more
The Barn Rat Release.
First, lets get our terminology straight. A barn rat is a child who might answer an ad with the headline Horse-Crazy Girls Wanted. (Yes, almost always a girl.) The Infinity Farm barn rat is 9 years old. Elana got here the usual way, begging and badgering parents who don’t ride. Through extended connections, she showed … Read more
Women's Work, and Dads.
Lloyd Blake was a farmer and even now it isn’t an easy life to romanticize. I worked outside with him from early on. Farms are no respecter of sex or age- work had to be done by those available to do it. Dad taught me to drive tractor during haying season- before I was tall … Read more
"The more I know about people, the better I like my dog." – Mark Twain
“Add to that- horse, donkey, and llama–okay, even the goats.” –Me This was a week of sharp-edged experiences. The world lost a great horse this week, a mare in our extended family. Toushay was from an era of excellence and integrity: she was athletic, smart, funny, and any human’s total equal. She was not my … Read more