Horsemanship can feel vast sometimes. Whenever I see videos of Buck Brannaman or Ray Hunt working with a green horse, the main thing that floors me time and time again is how fast they are. They ask for one thing after another after another, and their horses stay focused and attentive. These last few rides… Read more »
Buck Brannaman
Mecate Transformation
After our foray into English riding we were keen to get back on our own horses again. We stopped at the barn on our way back into town and found our guys a bit on the grimy side but otherwise seemingly unaffected by our absence. It was nice to ride in my own saddle again,… Read more »
Double Work
Today was the first day of my vacation, so I went to the barn this morning with Robin (she still had some work to do, but she was game for some horse time). The days and nights have both been warm lately, and that means the winter lot is a mess. I should have gone… Read more »
Focused on Soft
Today was the last Duke Day of the year, which means we have a little potluck and hang out while the horses get their feet trimmed. Brian and I like to ride before trims when at all possible, and it was a beautiful day– warmer than I’ve ever seen December in Iowa. We rode on… Read more »
Title Generator?
I need one. Titles seem to be the most difficult thing for me. Even when I have bad rides, it is harder to come up with a title than anything else. Today was a great day. The barn was super crowded because Duke was there to trim feet and we were having a little end… Read more »
Snaffle vs Hackamore
I had one of the busiest weeks with the Brown Wing Studio that I can recall. I launched my two largest projects of my entire career within 12 hours of each other. By Friday I was tired and fried and by the time Brian got home I was wandering aimlessly around the house because I… Read more »
Unsticking the Back
I ended up riding three horses today, though it wasn’t quite as exciting as it sounds. Cathi was riding her thoroughbred, Chewy, when we arrived, and I mentioned after she stopped loping that he moved so differently from Steen. She immediately offered me a spin. I climbed up into her hunter saddle with stirrups that… Read more »
Chilly Ride
It seems to have been our year for buying saddles. Although Brian has been largely happy with the bear trap, it seems lately to be causing some problems for Bear. Being that Bear is now 16 1/2 years old and we want to keep him healthy and fit as long as possible, we decided to… Read more »
Another Birthday Ride
This time mine. Yesterday I turned 31. Things are now slowing down at work and I was able to sneak away early in the afternoon. It was a little cold and damp out, so we had some tea before heading out to the barn. And we also got our first video from Giddy Up Flix. … Read more »
Winter Prep Project
Although this fall has so far been mild, I know the cold will set in any day. I want to do a better job riding through the winter this year. To that end, this weekend I finally sat down to make something I’ve been thinking about putting together for about two years. I gathered my… Read more »