Terry Golson

I was sitting in my screened porch in my peaceful backyard when a house sparrow landed on a large sunflower growing in a pot by the steps. That wasn’t unusual, this bird often uses the plant as a vantage point. What caught my attention was that he started chirping in […]

Missing The Farm Dog

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It’s important for horses to stretch. Many equestrians have a routine of exercises for this purpose. Using carrots as lures, they get their horses to reach around with their necks to their sides, lift their backs (known as crunches) and bend down to put their noses between their legs. Tonka […]

Tonka’s Stretching Advice

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We’re in the middle of a heat wave. Daytime temperatures are in the low 90s (in Celsius mid-30s) and the humidity is almost as high. Horses can overheat, so we have to be careful not to ask our partners to do too much. You’d think we’d be able to escape […]

It’s HOT

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Earlier this summer, Tonka and I went to two schooling shows. Such competitions aren’t under the auspices of the United States Dressage Federation (USDF). The judges are very good, but they don’t yet have their full accreditation. The atmosphere is more laid back than at recognized shows, and your scores don’t […]

Harmonious

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Herbivores are generally either grazers or browsers. The grazers eat grass in wide open spaces. Think domestic cattle. Browsers prefer brush and climbing thorny things. Like goats. My goats will ignore a lush lawn and head on over to the roses for their meal. (A reason why Pip and Caper are […]

Tonka Tries Chamomile

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If Tonka were a dog, I’d say that he has perfect loose leash walking manners.   Once in awhile, when he lags behind, I gently pull on his halter and he catches up. He doesn’t drag me to grass – he knows graze, head up and let’s go behaviors, which he […]

Walking Past Scary Things

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Now that Lily’s gone, Scooter is finding his new normal. His job for ten years was to be Lily’s sidekick. Follow her around. Distract her when she got too serious. Observe her brilliance. Not everything has changed. Scooter continues to indulge in his favorite pastime. Naps.   But I know […]

Helping Animals Adjust to Loss

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I use checklists. I’ve already shared my hitching up checklist for you. I once thought I had that down and didn’t need to take pen to paper to X off the steps – and my trailer didn’t budge. I’d forgotten to remove the chocks from the wheels! Fortunately Tonka wasn’t […]

Trailer and Riding Gear Checklist

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