This week’s jumping lesson provided something of a metaphor for 2020. In January Tonka and I tried something new. Jumping. Despite the pandemic, we’ve been able to take lessons from Steph. We’ve learned a lot and progressed.  Yesterday we were given a new challenge – a bounce line. This is […]

Grabbing Mane Into The New Year

Well, the holiday gift-giving season is just about over. What was the best gift that you received? Or the one that surprised you (in a good way!) the most? Mine was a chainsaw. Specifically a lightweight, rechargeable battery-powered chainsaw. This was a gift from Steve, and in my world, it’s […]

Best Present

Tonka is ready. If one of Santa’s reindeer can’t do the job tonight, Tonka is able and willing.     He’s been studying the flight manual.   He’s been practicing flying over jumps in the arena. The trail riding that we’ve been doing will keep him sure-footed while clattering on […]

Standby Reindeer

Last week the snow fell light and deep. No crust. No ice. Perfect for riding. I led Tonka to the outside ring. He was not sure that I was serious about this.   After I got on he said that walking through snow is a lot of work. Look at […]

Dashing Through The Snow

There’s been a lot of frustration and disgruntlement (to put it mildly) about our horse sports’ governing bodies, but the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) has done something right. As of July of 2021 the FEI has ruled that it will be illegal for horses to compete at FEI events with […]

Yay for Horse Whiskers!

New works keep getting added to the sculpture garden at Turtle Hill.   Here’s a site tour:   The artists are active at night. Steve set up a cam so that we could watch them carve.   Each tree sculpture is unique and possesses its own beauty, but they are […]

Beaver Sculptors

I recently rode the elusive Skunk-maned Flying Reindeer. Here’s a view from the saddle:   Despite the weight of the antlers on this reindeer’s head, he could move out.   Perhaps the antlers help with balance when flying?   Reindeer are known to kick out to get the after-burners started. […]

Skunk-maned Flying Reindeer

Back in August Tonka went lame on his left front. Monika, our veterinarian, took a look and determined that the likely culprit was a sore coffin joint. (Read about that here.) We decided to try injecting it with a cocktail of drugs. It worked! Tonka moved happily once again. (This […]

Shoes for Coffin Joints

I’m writing this while a nor’easter blows through. Currently there’s a hard, cold rain pelting down. In a few hours it’ll turn into wet, heavy snow. But last weekend it was sunny and 40°F, which is remarkably good weather for southern Maine in the winter. I knew it might be […]

The Trail Less Traveled