Terry Golson

For me, the joy of riding is that mind-meld that happens when my horse and I are in sync and communication flows between us with subtlety and nuance. To achieve this, not only do I have to listen to and understand what Tonka is saying, but he has to understand me. […]

Saying “Thank You!” From The Saddle

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Horses carry more than half of their weight on their forelegs – about 60%. But sometimes the scales tip even more to the front, and the horse ends up pulling themselves along. Going like that strains the front legs and causes the shoulder to work too hard. Put a rider […]

Reworking the Engine

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I have been working on a thoughtful training post. I was planning on writing it today. But the cherry blossoms are blowing off of the trees, and my thoughts have blown right out with them.   It’s May. This happens.   Hopefully, I’ll have something more cogent to post later […]

May Thoughts

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My previous post talked about what I do to keep Tonka happy about trailering. I left out one, hugely important item. For him to get on willingly, ride without fuss, and exit calmly, I also have to be happy, and for that I need to feel confident and competent driving […]

Horse Trailering Checklist

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You can train a horse to get on a trailer without balking, but for me, that’s not enough. I want Tonka to get on and have a cheerful, Where to? demeanor. And, I want him to arrive relaxed and ready. That’s asking a lot. Trailering means that Tonka is leaving […]

Happy Horse Trailering

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If there’s one thing that I’ve learned working with horses, it’s that there’s always something more to learn. My continuing education takes place both far afield and close to home, from trainers that I rely on, and also from serendipitous meeting with others. At the end of February I was […]

Continuing Education

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Which do you think is scarier to my horse? This:   or this?   The answer is the branch! Although Tonka has settled calmly into his new home, and has seen that downed pine bough every day since he’s arrived, when I tried to ride past it, Tonka deemed it […]

What’s Scary?

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Many of you have commented on how tidy I keep Tonka’s mane. Short and straight.   Well, my view from the saddle is a little different. I have to say that this “skunk tail” of a mane keeps me from taking us too seriously!   Tonka has whorls all over, […]

Ridiculous View

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