There’s a lot of discussion about bit vs bitless as if these two methods of communicating with a horse must be mutually exclusive.
hackamore
Time On Nevada
Today I had a totally new experience. I rode a horse that has been trained solely by my husband. That is to say, today I rode Nevada for the first time. And I have to say, I thought we got along quite well. Obviously it helps that Nevada knows me, even if I’ve never climbed… Read more »
Winter Diversions
True cold came early this year. Now it’s shotgun season around the barn, and even on mild days it’s not safe to ride out. Which means we’re stuck in the indoor arena. Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful we have the ability to ride indoors. In some ways, it’s even kind of nice. All summer,… Read more »
Hello Winter
Well, winter has set it in earnest now. We got hit with some truly crazy cold earlier this month. Between that and coming to the end of our most active year with the horses ever, both Brian and I are finding ourselves a little less motivated to get out and ride many times a week.… Read more »
Hackamore Aiden
It’s a little hard to believe, but we’ve had Aiden for seven months now. In that time, he’s transitioned from a scrawny, shaggy, wormy creature who would sooner walk over the top of you than listen to you, into a sweet, plump, soft guy who is respectful and quiet in most circumstances. Not skinny anymore,… Read more »
Sunset Gallops
Lately I’ve been having this strange experience of feeling like I only have one horse. This isn’t true, of course. But we’ve worked out a deal with Brian’s student, K, and she’s riding Aiden three times a week, twice on her own, once in a lesson with Brian. This is great for her as she’s… Read more »
The First Few Rides
Nevada and I have spent the last couple of weeks really working on our groundwork. While parts of the early sessions were a little rough for both of us, things are now going extremely well. She is soft and happy and willing to work through problems that I present to her. I’ve never spent so… Read more »
Frigid
Like so much of the country, we are experiencing some pretty crazy temps. I’ve made it out to the barn the past three days, though, and I’m happy to say our four are doing quite well. The big cold was rolling in Sunday evening, so I went out to check everything late that afternoon. It… Read more »
A Bad Bale
It has been an odd week with the horses. On Sunday last weekend, Steen seemed much improved. We had a nice ride. I gave him more probiotics. I thought we were in the clear. Year-end work has been nutty for me, plus I am still pretty sore. So again, several days passed before we made… Read more »
Time with the Kid
Since Brian has mostly taken over riding Zoey lately, I’ve been spending lots of time with Laredo. And it’s been neat in a number of ways. Since we got him a year and a half ago, Brian and I have switched back and forth working with Laredo consistently, usually alternating rides. While this is great… Read more »