Anyone who has worked with or owned horses understands that horses don’t give a flying F about your plans, even if those plans are supposed to be beneficial to them. My barn owner, Kate, her husband, Lee, and I had plans to get Kiss trailered to a clinic at my trainer, Deanna’s on Friday afternoon….
Tag: animal welfare
New Year, New Barn, New Post!
Hello! I know, it has been a significant minute here since I last posted. I’m still navigating my depression and the oppressive challenges posed by Jake’s separation anxiety, but I’m now working with a veterinary behaviorist, who assures me that, once we have the meds right, I’ll be able to leave my house at least…
Everybody’s Doing It, Sooo…
There are so many things in the traditional horse world that most riders accept as conventional wisdom but is actually, at best, not doing the horse any favors, and at worst can be harmful. For example, the flash noseband is rampantly used to keep a horse’s mouth shut, especially in the dressage world. Nevermind that…
Girl, You’re Gonna Carry That Weight
I think it’s part of the human condition to make horrible decisions in traumatic times. For me, going through a divorce, I decided to rescue a dog. Oh, but not only rescue a dog, I rescued a dog who wasn’t housebroken, had heartworms, and wasn’t neutered. Oh, AND, come to find out, he has some…
Mocking Bird Moves
As I’ve mentioned many times before, dressage is hard. You know how I know it’s hard? Because a large number of people who train in the sport seek out shortcuts. What do I mean by shortcuts? Shortcuts can be a number of things, but most frequently it’s the use of training aids, as well as…
A Long Weekend of Life Lessons
Coming off of a long weekend is always tough. You feel a little foggy and not quite yourself. It takes a moment to settle back into your weekday routine and focus on things that need doing. This weekend was full of activity after a lot of rain the week before. On Saturday, Deanna came by…
Dressage is Hard, Y’all
Back in the 90s, I learned to ride with a dressage foundation. What that gave me was a great perspective on feeling the horse, responding to them, and being effective with my aids. As time has passed over the last 30 years or so, the learnings and the sport have evolved. Because I didn’t really…
The Other 80 Percent
Much debate has been had about the “20 percent rule” of the rider-to-horse weight ratio. On the one hand, many equine professionals and amateur trainers cling firmly to the scant number of small-scale studies conducted around this subject, while the plus-sized equestrian community, mostly made up of plus-sized women, rails against this rule as “fat…
Equicurious 