Less is more
A few days ago I got to Jon Ensign work with a horse who has offered aggressive responses under pressure in day to day handling. In the course of less than an hour, the horse had learned that less gets...
View ArticleNuzzle up
By Monday afternoon, the rain had washed away most of the snow, and the driveway at Edensgate was a dark ribbon, to my relief.
View ArticleHorseMaster seeks stars
... and an arena location. Julie Goodnight's HorseMaster program is coming to the Pacific Northwest in June to shoot.
View ArticleHomeland security
After Greg trimmed Willy's feet and replaced his missing front shoe yesterday, I took Willy for a little test trot in hand across the parking lot despite the rain.
View ArticleA big hairy guy
Somewhere in my files I have a postcard from Sweden. It portrays a naked man running across a field, pursued by several women. He is in his middle years, as best we can gather from a rear view only,...
View ArticleCrossing that bridge
'Tis the season when people want to make the transition from arena to trail rider. Sometimes their horses are not so enthusiastic, either about leaving the security of the barn and known territory, or...
View ArticleKoikkaloikka
Yesterday morning Cindy Balogh forwarded this video to me. It's the creation of a trainer in Finland named Kalev who has spent some time teaching his horse to do "horse agility."
View ArticleBox of chocolates
A good press release or announcement hand-feeds you a headline.... while I don't usually post directly about commercial inducements, I do feel obligated to point out that the Gift Horse in Woodinville...
View ArticleHairy tails and Fairy tails
Today's snowfall has given me an excuse to finish a post that I started back in August after a road trip that took my husband and I beyond the Northern Cascades via Route 20. While most of us think of...
View ArticleScary Santa
The plan for Tuesday morning was to do Goshen and Scooter's trims together so that Goshen could be Scooter's moral support -- its his first trim since weaning and Cathy would like to keep up the good...
View ArticleYou’ve come a long way, baby
I haven't vanished from the earth, but my aging computer finally bit the dust. Although I had a backup, reorganizing everything took my time off writing about equestrian adventures in the last weeks....
View ArticleInspiration (and a little perspiration)
It was some time around noon. Wendi and I were assessing the number of horses still waiting outside the gate for the in-hand class for the “Ride for JacKie,” a benefit event organized by Bonnie Davis...
View ArticleTaking the Good Deal
On Friday morning the arena at the Tacoma Unit in Spanaway was full – twenty-four riders and horses, at least four times that many auditors in the stands, and Buck Brannaman and his roan horse, the...
View ArticleRail Time at the Washington Horse Expo
It was Valentines Day, and a Friday, so things were a little slow on the first day of the Washington State Horse Expo. We had some occasional quiet time at the Pacific Northwest Endurance Rides booth,...
View ArticleA day in the sun
“Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off,” said Dobby, suddenly giving a little shiver, as though the prospect of so much leisure and riches were frightening, “but...
View ArticleTeeter-Totter Time
Spring is nearly here. Time to freshen up the obstacles! Well, okay, I am not quite that virtuous and prepared. The truth is, we had a virus show up at the barn. It wasn’t a horribly dangerous virus...
View ArticleMission Accomplished
As I walked towards the banner for the Thoroughbred and Half-thoroughbred Show at Donida Farms, I saw Emily Bullard-Clough and her husband John walking towards me with Onyx. Emily didn’t look happy. It...
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