The Power of Positive Energy April 8, 2021

Over the last month I’ve been to several farms in Wellington and Vero Beach doing videos for Dressage Today OnDemand. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing beautiful facilities, fabulous horses, outstanding trainers and excellent riders. Having been away from the formal dressage scene for several years, it did make me want to get back into lessons and showing. Oh, and the attire for both horse and rider has gotten so fancy! It’s fabulous and makes my old stuff look…well…old.

However, the thing that struck me the most were the people. All of them. Maybe I was just lucky, but every single person I encountered was upbeat, friendly and helpful. All the environments and energy were positive. It’s not that this really surprised me, but I have to say it was quite refreshing. In the days where everything seems to be confrontational, it was a breath of fresh air to be surrounded by positive people. More than anything else, I think that’s what energized me.

We all know that horse people in general, and dressage people specifically, can be difficult, but not these people. They were all wonderful, and as a new person in a new position doing a new job, I can say that it was very welcome. I feel fortunate to have made these great connections right away, and they certainly set the bar high for everyone else that will follow. I look forward to working with them again, and I’m excited to get back on my own dressage journey. I have all those people to thank for that.

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A Solid Foundation November 14, 2020

The last few weeks a number of different people have seen me riding different horses and commented on my quiet, steady hands. It reminded me of a time long, long ago when I first started riding with the people who would become my mentors and second parents – Col. Alfred Kitts and Gretchen Kitts.

I don’t actually remember how old I was when I started riding with Mrs. Kitts at their Paul Revere Farm. Maybe I was 12 or 13? I do remember Mrs. Kitts complimenting me on my good basics, including my hands. She said it wasn’t often that young riders had such a solid foundation. And to that I owe a debt of gratitude to my very first instructor, Jenny Stine.

Here I am with Jasper, the first pony I ever rode. And the outfit? It’s a classic. No, I didn’t have any “real” riding clothes.

Jenny taught at her family farm while she was in high school. I started taking weekly lessons there when I was eight. I initially learned on Shetland ponies and eventually moved on to her larger horses. She instilled an excellent combination of basic leg position, upper body position, and independent hands. Oh…and she was a proponent of wearing helmets every time, every ride many years before it became a regular requirement.

When Jenny went off to college, I was left without a riding instructor. To this day, I remember my mother said I couldn’t ride for a year. She thought this was a passing phase. But, if after the year was up I still wanted to ride, she would find another place for me to take lessons. It was a very, very long year, and of course when the time came I wanted to be around horses again.

My mother kept to her word, and it was then we found the Kitts’s. They helped me build on that foundation and put me squarely on the path that I’ve been on to this day.

I’m not the best rider out there. Not even close. Nor will I ever be. But I do have a forgiving hand and have learned over the years how to have a good conversation with the horse’s mouth. So to you, Jenny Stine, wherever you are, thank you.

The Only Way to Get Riding Fit is to Ride October 17, 2020

Riding my mare Nadia at a Jane Savoie clinic.

In the last six days, I’ve done 13 rides, two lunge sessions and taught three lessons. Most professional riders do that in a day or two, but I haven’t ridden that much in one week in years. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but riding is hard work and can be pretty intense exercise. Anyone who tells you it isn’t has never really ridden.

I’m not in that kind of riding shape. My legs, core and back are really tired and a bit sore. I know that will improve as I continue this schedule, but the bigger issue is that I’m riding green horses or horses ridden by inexperienced riders. That means they are stiff and imbalanced, and boy does that torque your back, neck and shoulders. It actually can be pretty painful to ride these kinds of horses. They jar you and try to throw you off balance because of how they carry themselves or how they try and evade your efforts to help them.

As a rider, you have to try and show the horse the correct way of going, and that takes understanding what the horse is doing and having the skills and tools to work towards making it better. That doesn’t happen in one ride, and depending on the personality of the horse, it can get kinda ugly before it gets better. Some horses are quite resistant to change, and you have to be really assertive to convince them that what you are doing is worth them trying. Please note that assertive is different than aggressive. There is no need to be aggressive, although there are times when being strongly assertive can look like being aggressive. In that case one has to look at the intent behind the action. Assertiveness comes from a place of confidence. Aggressiveness comes from a place of anger. There is a huge difference.

For the green horses, you need to be confident to help show them the way, and for those young horses who think they know everything, you have to convince them your way is better. Boy that can be a challenge!

For inexperienced riders, you have to teach them the correct skills so they can positively impact their horses and gain confidence as they progress. To do correctly, all of this takes time, work and patience. It is not an easy path, but it is a worthwhile one.

In the meantime, I’m resting up for next week and looking forward to building on the work I did. Oh…and I’m taking lots of ibuprofen.

Pondering Freelancing Full Time July 22, 2020

I have been freelance writing and teaching for more than 20 years. It’s always been part-time, and sometimes it’s almost completely gone on the back burner. At the same time, I wished I could do it full-time. Well, now I find myself unemployed, and as I have been looking for a job these past few months, it occurred to me. What if I became a full-time freelancer? Prior to that thought I hadn’t really considered losing my job (i.e. good income, steady paycheck and health benefits) to be an opportunity. But…that could be what this is; an opportunity to do what I have always wanted to do.

Can I do it? My heart says yes, but my brain says wait a minute. You should probably do something where you will receive stable income and health insurance. On the other hand, with the advent of so many people working remotely, perhaps more businesses are open to someone working for them outside the office.

Then there is the teaching aspect. In Maryland, I had a solid group of individuals that I taught. I enjoyed that so much, and I have really missed it. I haven’t really tried to get clients in Florida. But there are many, many horse people here. It takes time to establish a presence, but there’s no reason why I can’t do it. I just have to get out there, and social media (much as I don’t really like it) helps get the word out so much faster. For example, in one Facebook post on a Florida-based horse group, I got my first two clients. I need a lot more, but it’s a start.

I’m not really sure if I’m brave enough or willing to risk everything to do this. I had thought my freelance work would be my temporary gig or my safety net until a “real” job came along. What if I thought of it the other way? To get unemployment, which I’m not eligible for for several weeks yet, I have to be looking for a job so that could be my back-up plan to working for myself full-time. Hmm…

Closing One Door July 16, 2020

I’m dusting off this blog again. It’s been quite a few years, but I’m looking to increase my freelance work. I am recently unemployed from the Arabian Horse Association as they are no longer publishing Arabian Horse Life, the magazine for which I was managing editor. I didn’t write much for the magazine, but what I did was usually association information so I didn’t take a by-line. Several people suggested I write something for the last issue, so I did. This was printed in the final issue of Arabian Horse Life, and I posted it on social media, but I wanted to put it here for posterity I suppose.

 

A Conversation with Lily August 2, 2017

Lily has scratches. That’s a blog post in itself, but for another day. The first day I tried to rub the scabs off she had a fit. I understand they hurt and I understand she is sensitive, but trying to kick me while holding her hind foot is unacceptable behavior. So Lily and I went outside and had a conversation. This was the first serious talk she and I had, and she was initially stunned. I started moving her one direction and then the other and she exploded because she didn’t like being told what to do. However, within only a few minutes she settled down and listened. Good enough for that day.

The following day I went back to work with her again. I figured she would either be like “get away from me you mean lady” or would listen nicely. I was very glad to see that she listened quite well and acted like a lady. She was relatively good for working with her scratches, and she continues to be. She doesn’t like it, but she has not tried to kick me again.

I have since worked with her several more times and she is spot on. Lily is quite smart and willing to work as long as she has her thinking brain on and not her flight brain. (She did break her lead rope spooking at someone wearing a rain slicker. Sigh… We have not gotten to desensitizing with a rain slicker, but it’s on the list.) Today was the first time she had to work while something else was going on around her. A person was bringing horses in while I had her in the outdoor arena. At first she thought it was impossible to focus on me when other things were happening, but it took very little to convince her that she could. Then she tuned into me and didn’t look at the other horses again. I am very impressed with her brain and her willingness. Now only if she can learn to tone down the flight response…

Working with Lily July 14, 2017

Lily surveying her new digs at Windy Oak Farm.

Lily has settled into her new life pretty well. This is the first young horse I have not had living on my property. I didn’t give it much thought at first, but I have quickly come to see how important that is to a young horse – especially a sensitive Arabian. Lily is smart, but very reactive, opinionated and has a strong flight response. She is independent and the sort of Arabian that demands you meet her standards of perfection – not an easy task.

When I had horses on my own farm I was the person handling them 99% of the time. I did everything – turn in, turn out, feed, water, clean, exercise, hold for the vet and farrier, etc. The horses learned I was their person, and they could expect the routine to be the same day in and day out. Everything from the order they go in and out to how they walk through gates and into their stalls. Consistency was key, and it worked especially well for the sensitive ones.

With Lily being boarded, there are 6 people (including myself) that handle her. That’s a lot for a young, impressionable filly. It’s impossible (and an unreasonable thing to ask) to keep things completely consistent across the board and with Lily it shows. Initially I thought working with her 4 days a week would suffice, but I didn’t factor in the fact that I am no longer the person doing everything. I underestimated the value of that crucial aspect. Thus, it’s up to me as a horseperson to figure out how to best educate Lily in her current circumstances so that she is a well-mannered filly. It’s a new challenge and new learning experience for me, but that’s what different horses do. They teach you all sorts of things you didn’t realize you didn’t know.

Introducing Lily May 26, 2017

My blog has been more than inactive. I started it to chronicle my activities with rescue-type horses. The mares Gwen and Bahea both found fabulous homes and I’m happy to report both are loved and doing very well. I’ve had one eye open for another horse, but nothing has fit the bill.

Three years ago I made the decision to breed my first horse – a purebred Arabian intended for racing. I leased a mare named Awesome Blossom from Michelle Morgan at Mandolynn Hill Farm in Texas, selected the stallion Sadeem from Forta Stud in Abu Dhabi, UAE and got lucky. The following year a beautiful bay filly was born. Named Stylized Lily, she has lived the last 2 years with her friends in Texas.

Circumstances worked out such that the timing worked to bring her to Maryland. While I still want to give her time to grow up, it is definitely time to start doing groundwork with her and getting her ready for her future as a race horse or sport horse. So next week she is shipping to Windy Oak Farm in Union Bridge, MD where my mare Nadia (also from Mandolynn Hill Farm) lives.

I thought this was a good reason to bring the blog back – to talk about life with Lily and documenting her education towards becoming a racehorse. Hopefully all will go smoothly, but we all know that horses seldom stick to your plan. I look forward to you joining me in this journey. Hopefully it’s going to be a fun ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Steve Heath.

My First Podcast Interview January 13, 2016

Last fall I had the pleasure of speaking with Paula Slater who interviews all types of people in the equine industry for her podcast “Straight from the Horse’s Mouth”. For this first podcast, I spoke to her about how I got started in writing and my writing process. Later she will be interviewing me about Arabian racing and Arabian Finish Line magazine. But first, please take a listen to this interview. Many thanks to Paula for giving me the opportunity!

http://www.straightfromthehorsesmouthradioshow.com/2016/01/13/075-riding-writer/

 

Gwen in Her New Home November 18, 2015

The time came for Gwen to find her permanent home. Several different people looked at her, but there was one person Debra and I both agreed upon that Gwen liked the best. But the timing wasn’t right. A year later (maybe more – time goes so fast) the situation changed. Gwen still needed a good home and her person was now able to take her. And as fate, or destiny, or whatever you want to call it, would have it, Gwen was available.

On Saturday, November 14, Debra hauled Gwen to her new home in Virginia. There she has other horsey friends and will live her life as a riding horse and spoiled diva princess – which is how it should be. Debra, especially, was sad to see Gwen go. After all, she had spent every day with her since Gwen came into our lives. I just floated in and out as needed. But we feel good in the home that she now has. We both knew it was the right situation. We just had to wait for the right time. Gwen will be loved and cared for and that’s all we can ask for in the end. It was our goal from the very beginning…to take this injured, slaughter-bound majestic creature and give her a chance at another life. I’m very proud to say that we did that. Many thanks to Debra for taking such good care of her the last few years. She deserves the vast majority of the credit. Job well done.

 

Gwen checking out her new surroundings…and making sure there is enough grass to eat.