Today I woke up pretty stiff. I’ve been trying to piece together how exactly I hit the ground. Since I had no warning and didn’t actually leave the saddle before impact, it’s surprisingly difficult to piece together what happened and where my injuries are. I think I sprawled with one arm above my head. I… Read more »
Outdoor Arena
Letting Go
Since we went to our first Buck clinic, I’ve been working hard to change the way I ride in any number of ways. The biggest is to do with my legs. Before Buck, I thought I used my legs, but really, I didn’t. I hadn’t been that great at using my legs before Steen, but… Read more »
A Snaffle and a Rope
One of my long-term horsemanship goals is to get handy with a rope. This is partly because I think it would be neat to work with cattle in the future, but also because using a rope adds a whole extra level of sophistication to your riding. When I watch riders who not only have perfect… Read more »
Steady Laredo
Robin and I were both tired heading out to the barn. It was a cool and cloudy day; I’m sure that wasn’t helping. We did feel better once we got out there and grabbed our horses. It is funny how steady and even Laredo feels after working with Zoey. Not only have we known him… Read more »
The One Where I Don’t Fall Off
Today was Steen’s birthday. He turned 13. My gift to him was a day off, which translated into some quality alone time with the bale. I rode Zoey today. We started off trying to saddle at the hitching post. In my efforts to be graceful with this, I tied my offside stirrup up with my… Read more »
Body Position Really Matters
A few nights ago we watched Richard Caldwell’s Jaquima a Freno (part II). It was a really great video. So many of the exercises we have seen before, but it is always nice to hear how another great horseman lays everything out there. And like so many others, Caldwell rides like he grew right out… Read more »
A Ride on a Different Girl
Bear seems to be over his bug. So although he’s probably still struggling with the anemia, the vet suggested getting him back into some light riding would be good. So today we set out to ride all our horses, two each. I started on Laredo in the outdoor arena. We rode him there a lot… Read more »
Hard to Title with Two Very Different Rides
We got out to the barn early on Saturday knowing we would work with a lot of horses. We were each going to ride two, and on top of that Robin would be working with a 2 year old. It was my day to work with Zoey, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that… Read more »
If It Is Important, Do It Every Ride
Today we were short on time. Work was busy and we also had an early evening social engagement. So I was the one to dash out to the barn in the late afternoon. Robin was at the barn yesterday getting all their feet trimmed, and Steen’s shoulder burns were looking a lot worse. I wanted… Read more »
Just Laredo and Me
Robin has been hit by some ragweed allergies, so when I suggested a trip to the barn today, she wasn’t up for it. Thankfully she was fully supportive of me going. She’s the best. On the way out I decided Laredo needed the ride. He got two days off and Bear only got one day… Read more »