Happiness on Horseback by Catherine Madera Visitors to Barbara Windom’s ranch, La Estancia Alegre—“The Happy Ranch”—find a new definition for happiness on horseback once they swing a leg over one of her Peruvian Horses. “There’s this smile that spreads across their face when the horse begins to gait,” says … Read More
Kick-off Event to Introduce AQHA Rookie Program The goal of the WSQHA “Rookie” horse show, tentatively scheduled for June 9-10, in Spanaway, Washington, is to introduce the new AQHA Rookie Program and help newcomers feel comfortable enough to attend the Regional Experience Show. This show will be the headliner for the … Read More
Don’t Forget to Enjoy Your Horse By Catherine Madera I have a dream…to do flying lead changes (on purpose). I’m no Martin Luther King Jr., but dreams are for horses, too. My first attempts to teach flying changes occurred in a neighbor’s field when I was about 15. I … Read More
Liberty Work: Part 1 by Alice Trindle The pursuit of developing a true and willing relationship between a horse and their human is thankfully becoming the foundational goal of many. To connect with another living, breathing, thinking being that has four-legs and is so much larger than us, becomes not … Read More
Introducing the First Book devoted to this Popular New Sport by Mark Bolender Bolender’s Guide to Mastering Mountain and Extreme Trail Riding, published by iUniverse, is available for eBook downloads from all major vendors such as Amazon.com and in all formats. The soft cover book is available in most … Read More
Tips for Teaching this Mountain Trail Horse Skill by Mark Bolender Whether out on a trail or in a show, watching an accomplished Mountain Trail horse moving through a difficult log obstacle makes it look easy. The horse navigates the logs while going forward boldly and confidently, and always … Read More
Turning Your Colt or Stallion into a Gelding by R. Paul Schwab, DVM Castration, or the surgical removal of the testicles, is one of the most common procedures performed in veterinary surgery. The common reasons for castration in the horse are for behavior modification and population control. Horses that are … Read More
Celebrating the Life of Melanie Ann Plagerman by Leilani Salinas On January 30th, 2011, The Nooksack Valley Rider’s lost a member and dear friend, Melanie Ann Plagerman, to Cystic Fibrosis. She was only 23-years-old. Melanie was diagnosed with CF at age two and spent her entire life battling this terrible … Read More
Getting the Most Out of a Lazy Horse by Allison Trimble There are many different personality types in horses: some are overachievers, some are hot, and certainly some are, by nature, lazier than others. These horses can make you feel like you are working yourself to death just to … Read More
Meet the Only Wild Horses West of the Cascades by Rich Wininger Maverick is big. At 16 hands many people step back when he trots up; they don’t know that all he wants is love and attention. He is curious and unafraid and a great trail and mountain horse. Mountains are in … Read More
