As we age, horsemanship can involve facing fear after illness or injury. It's about honouring old dreams and being open to new realities. My mantra is living well and riding better. Hi, I'm Lee... I invite you to saddle up and ride!
Last week, we talked about the nuts ‘n’ bolts of riding sidesaddle… what the art represents… how to find a correct saddle… what makes a good sidesaddle horse? This time, we’ve got our saddle, our trusty steed and our boots are on. We’re ready to ride. So, I’m riding sidesaddle. Now what? One of …
I began riding sidesaddle because of Mr. Paterson. An elderly man and a good friend of our family’s, he observed my sister and I chuffing around on our ponies with little enthusiasm. We were squarely-built girls with pig-tails, ragged fingernails and filthy jeans. Worse, Mr. Paterson was concerned about the practice of letting us ride …
Don’t fence me in… Ever since the Andrews Sisters sang, “I can’t look at hobbles and I can’t stand fences,” hobbles have gained a lousy reputation. Why is this? Pros ‘n’ Cons Well, in the negative, hobble breaking can be violent. Depending on the horse involved, there may be a long and passionate fight. …
Corners. The dictionary tells us that these are “the angles where two straight lines intersect”. It also says that to corner something is to “enclose whereby it is hard to escape”. Hmmm. Might I add one more? Corners are ‘the key to improving our horses’. Riding out in open country is important to the …
If you want to become a better horse person, you need to surround yourself with good people. Their example will have a profound effect on the type of person you become. We horsemen tend to underestimate the power within the relationships we have with other horse people. Our world is a small …
Every so often, we come across the horse who is tireless, brave and generous – and who hates to be ridden inside. This horse or pony, so often a mare, is a warrior princess! If you remember this and give her real, meaningful work with mileage and problem solving – a job description that includes …