**I’m a full-time horse trainer who has written about horses since 2010. My dogs think it’s their turn now. Click for HORSES** Have I wandered out of my lane? I’m not a dog trainer, just a horsewoman. But none of us are just one thing, are we? Because I work with horses doesn’t mean that … Read more
We’re recuperating from last week’s clinic in Wyoming. I heard more smoke moved in the next day, so the timing was good. We wouldn’t have worked the horses if the smoke had been worse. The smoke followed me home. Some years it’s been more dense, but with daily air quality warnings, this is bad enough. … Read more
I’m doing it again. Pretending to be Jane Goodall… you know, if she got a herd of sheep. I was born this way, to the dismay of those who thought daydreaming about animals was an immature waste of time. I guess I showed them, still doing it on the far side of seventy. Jane Goodall … Read more
Mister, who is the voice of conservative reason and common sense, looks me in the eye. What starts as socializing a puppy quietly becomes a habit, and before you know it, you are slipping off to classes and then to dog trials. You wind up driving hours for herding lessons. You end up with ducklings … Read more
I wasn’t thinking, really. The car was packed the night before. I got dressed while Jolene walked me, room to room on my heel. She will Not. Be. Left. Mister would like you to know doing anything at the crap of dawn is not civilized. He was taking his nap after breakfast. He barely woke … Read more
A beady-eyed burnt-orange sun crept over a smoky horizon, and it’s hot-air balloon season in Colorado. Juxtaposition: A new day dawns, but the same destructive fires continue to destroy homes, kill animals, and upend lives while others carry on as usual. My hay guy just delivered a load, $2.50 a bale more than the last … Read more
Yes, it’s a proper word. I didn’t make it up, but I wish I had. Quanked is in the 1893 Glossary of Words Used in the County of Wiltshire. It means overpowered by fatigue. They didn’t say emotional exhaustion, but I’m not alone here. I needed a word that was as old as I feel. … Read more
Mister has a big all-day chewy and doesn’t even come out to wave goodbye. Mister would like you to know that he is a dog that knows things that are not visible. Don’t hurry back on my account, he says. Half of my heart stays with him. I would prefer to hide out on our … Read more
I got the clean go-to-town coat off the hook and Jolene started the truck dance. Mister had a look of worry with a dollop of dread on top. It’s his normal look. I told Jolene, not this time. The words fell flat; she was in utter disbelief. Mister nurses his disappointment, but Jolene doesn’t give … Read more
The week started with a needle in my forehead. You just knew it was going to improve. Then each day had hours of that kind of coolish-warm spring air. At our altitude, there’s nearly no oxygen, so it’s easy to remember to breathe it in. I had no extra work-work, so I spent time working … Read more