Update 01.21.2010 — I was written requesting one of the images I displayed below be removed from being displayed on my blog, and have replaced it with a ‘censored’ image in it’s place. The link will direct you to the page where the photo I linked to can be viewed. Please note that I do [...]

I hate the references to “training” a horse. I know it is such an innocent statement, but often what is unsaid is more loud than what is said and I think the same comes true in regards to training a horse.

What is it to be a real horseman? Can you be a horseman even if you’ve never before been involved with horses? Can you be involved with horses every day and still fail to be a horseman?

Certainly, when hooves are flying and the threat of death is imminent the thought isn’t usually present in our mind that this could be a positive opportunity… but that is what hindsight is for!

When we pursue most hobbies in life, it is understood that there is a certain order in which learning is best undertaken and the reason we know this is because the teachers guide us to this understanding. Horsemanship on the other hand is as confusing about where to start and where to end, let alone [...]

I know it is common practice, and while there is more information being circulated to the general public which supports the idea that starting a horse at 2 years old is premature I still get a lot of questions posed to me relating to issues that come up in training the 2 year old horse [...]

It has been an extremely eventful last few weeks, with moments between of reprieve. I spent a week and a half in the Seattle area visiting my sweetheart, only to return home and leave again for a short weekend in Illinois to enjoy “A Night of Amazing Horses” show. With travel always seems to be [...]

What do you do with a horse who seems to be snoozing, relaxing, even napping… and then suddenly spooks!? Not only is it dangerous, but it catches us all the more off guard than spooking from an otherwise hyped up or highly sensitive horse.

I love days like today, that bring tears to my eyes and bring up such a well of emotion, excitement and curiosity! I managed to escape what was looking to be monotonous office work this afternoon (which reminds me I still have to do taxes!..), in order to enjoy the company of my horses.

Occasionally I am superficially involved with local 4-H horse events, primarily through my cousin who has been strongly involved since she was old enough to join I believe. Today was just such an occasion, and I wanted to bring up an observation that I had which led to me questioning if this was the norm?

Be careful what you call your horse… Ever remember being told that the horse mirrors us as riders? It isn’t fictious or simply some casual reference to be thrown around in jest. The horse really does mirror us, but maybe not in the way you think.