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Travel, Horses, and Learning Bring Back Joy Last winter, after my 7-year-old gelding Gus was diagnosed with DSLD and had to be retired, I found myself in a state of hopeless burnout, going through the motions of work, eat, sleep, repeat. I love my farm and have a good life, … Read More
Life’s Journey Evolves How We Train As a young horse trainer, I had great ambitions. Although my love for horses has always been true, in my youth I took a more self-centered view of our relationship. What could they do for me? I thought about what we might accomplish together, … Read More
Receiving Comfort from Special Friends Long Gone Throughout my life I’ve mined my imagination when I need to escape stressful situations. I use this skill to transport myself to a happy place and time. Memory is my greatest tool as I close my eyes, breathe, and think of some places … Read More
Horse Care Helps Me Go On I have the flu. I’m feeling sorry for myself, which I suppose is expected under the circumstances. But I’m especially snappy because it’s winter and I run a boarding barn and make my living giving riding lessons. I’ve canceled lessons for the week, which … Read More
Treasured Tools of the Trade On my farm I rely on mechanical and electronic equipment every day to keep the place running. My tractor, arena drag, coffee pot, wheelbarrow and manure fork, and the computer I’m typing on will all eventually wear out and break. Honestly, though, I have little … Read More
A Grim Diagnosis for a Beloved Horse In last month’s column I wrote about my 7-year-old gelding, Gus, and his struggle to stay sound. Slightly lame over the summer with an undiagnosed injury to his left hind, he then bowed a tendon in his right hind in October. I rested … Read More
Horses Don’t Always Want What People Think They Want Not that long ago the norm for top-notch equine care was to stall horses at night and turn them out in paddocks or fields in the day. We spent a lot of time leading horses in and out, stall cleaning was … Read More
Connections with Horse People Enrich Lives I spent a lot of time and money over this past summer working on advancing my judge’s license with USA Working Equitation (USAWE). Like working for an advanced degree in college, I’m investing in something that I tell myself will (hopefully) pay off. I … Read More
The Time to Prepare is Now Recently, I was startled awake at 3:00 in the morning by claps of thunder. My first thought was a horse in the barn was cast, so I listened in the dark for a few seconds as I tried to decide if I needed to … Read More
Equine Professionals Wear Many Hats Think of an airplane pilot. They train for years, are repeatedly tested, and then earn their wings. Now imagine if that pilot had to purchase the airplane, keep it running, pay for and install upgrades, keep the books, clean the garbage out from under the … Read More
