trail riding


I’ve got a busy week coming up. I’m putting the finishing touches on my presentations for Equine Affaire and getting ready to travel down to Springfield, MA for that, so I’ve no time for a thoughtful and carefully crafted blog. But I don’t want to leave this site blank for […]

What I’ve Been Up To


Yesterday the weather couldn’t have been better. 66° F. Clear blue skies. A perfect morning to go for a quick trail ride with Kim and Booker. When we arrived, Tonka knew exactly where he was, and was calm, yet had a sparkle in his eye.   We headed out onto […]

Tonka Mopes


Today’s blogpost is a public service announcement 🙂 It’s the time of year to wear high visibility gear. If you’re on a road, even a dirt one, it’s best to have a on. Mine has a message. Once in awhile I know that someone has read it because they actually […]

High Vis for Riding Safety!



When your horse is worried, it’s never nothing. I’ve written about this before. Tonka and I have ridden here a gazillion times. From the field, he can see his barn and his friends in their paddocks. It should be a worry-free place to do conditioning sets up and down the gentle […]

Tonka Knows More Than Me (continued…)


Tonka and I both like to get out of the ring, but biting flies and ticks have kept us out of the trails in the woods. We need mowed open fields. We’ve explored the ones at Kim’s house, and we needed a new experience. The only place that I could […]

Tonka Visits Turtle Hill


I was concerned about the twilight years for the Goat Boys. They’re not going to last forever, and one was sure to die before the other. What was going to happen to the remaining lone goat? I thought about adding to the herd before Pip and Caper were too old […]

The Plan Is Working!



I have a couple of adages that I ride and live by. One is ‘the slower you go, the faster you get there.’ Another is ‘the more you do, the more you do.’ I’m not a bold and brash rider. It’s all too easy to stay in my comfort zone. […]

The More You Do, The More You Do


Tonka has never had big issues with trailering, but I don’t take it for granted! When I purchased him, he loaded fine, but scrambled too fast backwards when stepping out, so I trained him to wait patiently in the trailer and back slowly when asked.  Over the years, there have […]

Optimistic Trailering


Around here, weather in February can give you whiplash. There’s always a thaw day; this year’s has been extreme. We suddenly went from frigid arctic temperatures to a sunny 60° F. You’d think that horse people would be celebrating. Nope. Our horses still have their winter coats. Tonka doesn’t get […]

Winter Thaw Footing