With the warming weather and the promise of beautiful, memory making rides, comes another memory you'll wish you could forget about: The Ticks. Speaking from personal experience: the the ticks are bad this year. I've been dealing with ticks for many years, but never have I seen so many so early in the year. They are out in full force,[...]
Horses are the foundation of military power, the great resources of the state but, should this falter, the state will fall. Ma Yuan (14BC - 49AD, Han Dynasty Military General and horse expert When Emperor Wu came to power, the Chinese had been using cavalry for the previous 200 years. Before that, chariots had been used in battle,[...]
Having the perfect bit can feel like a dream. As if you had put magic in your horse's mouth, suddenly they are responding with eagerness, turning your ride into a complete dream. But having the wrong bit can feel like a nightmare - your horse can refuse to listen, throw its head, and act out. Choosing the correct bit can be overwhelming.[...]
Iceland is one of the most dramatic and unique landscapes to see. Looking across the land makes you feel like you're in an alien world. Volcanos and snow live side by side, creating incredible sights unlike any other. I went to Iceland last year and it was incredible. I'm planning out my next trip, because last time I ended up miss[...]
Horse coats are fascinating. There's bays, grays, chestnuts, blacks, and palominos. But then there's even more variety - there's variations on those basic coat colors, modifying colors and giving some horses unique patterns. Horse coats are so important to us, we even have whole breeds that were created just around coat variation (lookin[...]
The Hungarians were scared. The invading Mongolians had already taken over half the country, leaving destruction and death in their wake. The remaining citizens knew their defenses were not enough. They would be destroyed. Any moment they would attack, and the Hungarians didn't know if they should fight, or try to flee. The heavy spring[...]
I love books, I love reading, and it used to be one of my favorite things to do. I suppose technically it still is, I just don't have as much time to do it anymore. But, I found myself with some extra time to read, and I decided to read a book simply for the fun of it. I choose The Horsewomen, by James Patterson and Mike Lupica. I have r[...]
After what feels like years of attending schooling shows, mastering those lower level tests, you've finally decided that you're ready. You're feeling confident about your ability to not embarrass yourself at the rated shows, so you're going to do it - you're going to join the United States Dressage Federation, and you're going to start w[...]
They didn't know how he did it - he did it in secret, with no witnesses. But they had seen the horse acting wild, biting, kicking at people before, and then when he led it out, it was as gentle as a lamb. Some said it was magic potions. Some said he dripped wax down the horse's ear. Others believed it had to be witchcraft, a deal with th[...]
I watched the edited clips of Katie Prudent's recent clinic, and my first thoughts were, "That doesn't look that bad." It looked like many of the trainers I had growing up. They were all like that, rough, tough on us, and using what I hope was hyperbole about the ways we should treat our horses. But then I remembered the second part of t[...]