Terry Golson

Where Tonka lives, there are six paddocks, and each has a sparkling clean tub of water.   The other day, after I rode Tonka, I cooled him off (as best I could in hot, humid weather), put on his fly mask, sprayed on bug repellent, and put him out in […]

Tonka Tells Me To Fix It

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Since clearing the downed trees and opening up the trail, Tonka and I have gone through this verdant, narrow path and over this bridge several times (three over, three back.) Tonka has remained careful, but when we traversed it the sixth time he was matter-of-fact, which I was quite proud […]

Spook at the Different, Not the New

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The weather yesterday did not feel like fall. It was hot and muggy, but Tonka and I had a special lesson to take, so off we went to a farm twenty miles away. Eva Rainsborough, a German Grand Prix rider and trainer, was here for a clinic. She coaches my […]

Sticky Peppermint Mouth

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There’s an expression in riding that you “throw your heart over the fence and your horse will follow.” The idea is that if you have courage and are committed to a path, that your horse will bravely carry you there. If only it were that simple. You can throw your […]

Heart First

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I have a friend who’s been struggling to be in balance with her horse. The word balance can mean so many things. You can define it as the measurable even distribution of weight. Or it can refer to keeping the more metaphysical elements of life in proportion: work and relaxation, […]

Balanced Horse For Riding Longevity

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The weather has turned. I’m wearing long sleeves and a vest. Someone is giving me a clear message that he is not a barn dog. At least not when the temperature drops.   That’s okay. You don’t force an animal to be what they’re not. All you can do is to […]

Not A Barn Dog

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As I wrote about recently, Tonka was going great, and then he wasn’t. All four legs were working fine, but instead of going willingly, he felt tight and recalcitrant. In this video clip you see him putting his nose in the air, sinking his back, and refusing to trot. I […]

One Step Back, Three Ahead

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My last blog had a serious message. So today, during this long holiday weekend (at least here in the States), I give you this. Selfies with my horse.     No message, just fun. Actually that’s not true. That is the message. Riding well takes physical work, critiques and on-going […]

Keep It Fun

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Yesterday Tonka was ticked off at me. He made it very clear. I had to look back through my archives to find a photo to illustrate his demeanor. This does it. Pinned ears, narrow nostrils, tight lips, tense neck, eyes showing some white. This is a pissed off horse.   […]

Tonka is Ticked Off

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