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Weekend at the Races
The weekend of July 28th and 29, 2018 was a banner time at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Monmouth County. The local track has a number of amazing family-friendly events throughout the season but nothing quite like the combination of Ladies Day sponsored by Lilly Pulitzer followed by the biggest race in New Jersey, the 2018 Haskell Invitational. Saturday dawned warm and sunny, perfect to reveal the new line at Lilly Pulitzer and bring fashion to the women at the racetrack. Color and hats were the focus of the day, not only in the Secret Cafe but throughout the concourse. Mrs. New Jersey was in attendance showing off her…
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Learn From the Barn Children
Confession: My Children Are Braver Than Me I’m 40-years old. I’ve experienced a lot in life and still have a lot to learn. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t learning from my own three children; especially, when it comes to riding horses. Case in point- I rode bareback for the first time two weeks ago. I was terrified and looked like a sack of potatoes mounting up. I’m not flexible, nor have I ever been graceful. Luckily my pony, Ferrous, is saintly. It took me nine years back in the saddle as an adult to work up the courage to even mount and walk bareback, much…
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Packing for Two Weeks in Mongolia
Packing for Travel to Mongolia is a bit intimidating, especially when attending a 480km endurance horse race with the Gobi Desert Cup. The quiet encompasses me like a blanket, comforting in its embrace. Here, I will have no internet, no connection to the outside world I’ve relied on so long. Instead, I have the stars shining brightly above me, beckoning me with their winking glow. In the distance, a wolf howls, while the Mongolian horses wander off in search of grass. There has been a massive drought and food is scarce. But the people are welcoming and invite us to share in their culture and their hospitality. …
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The Proof is in the Pony
Having a pony after so many years is amazing. It’s better than I ever imagined. Having a pony like Ferrous? Priceless. I know it’s easy to take for granted things in life. Having a horse is not one of them for me. I can’t imagine after 40 years of dreaming of having my own horse, that I will ever take it for granted. My dreams came true. I rode Ferrous, a lesson pony at Lancaster Equestrian Stables, for perhaps two or three months prior to buying him. He was an adjustment after two years spent with the deliciously athletic Delight, whom I love. Delight and I were at an…
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Enzymes: A Natural Alternative to Antibiotics
We all know that fragile, delicate horse. You know the one that unerringly finds the solitary rusted nail along the fence line of a paddock? Or the horse that has no idea how big he is, and cuts his stifle on something he passes by every day? My pony is not accident prone. Quite the opposite, in fact, Ferrous is meticulous. So I was surprised to see a cut on his leg when I went to tack him the other day. It didn’t appear to be deep, but it had scraped off all the hair and left a wound behind. Ferrous’s first injury since I bought him in January.…
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What Would You Confess?
Those of you who are familiar with me, know that I’m frank and honest, especially when it comes to my self-doubt and anxiety. Meeting me in person, you would never know that I struggle from time to time with confidence issues. Of course, that all blew up when I published Confessions of a Timid Rider and it became an Amazon Bestseller! (Shameless plug). But here is the thing…in life I have a lot of confidence, until I don’t. Meeting me at an event or elsewhere I am friendly, positive, and sometimes a little too high energy (aka manic). The latter is because I’m probably nervous and talk…
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Dog Days Return to Red Bank
On Monday, June 25, 2018 the dogs took over Red Bank in the long-awaited return of Red Bank Dog Days. The perfect summer evening in Marine Park rang out with the sound of playful yips and was the sight of dogs big and small touring pet-friendly vendors and meeting new friends. This was my first event since my partnership dissolved, and the first time my new banner went up! Luckily I had a little help from my daughters who came with me to keep me organized and see some dogs. Unfortunately, one of my daughters became quite sick during set up and had to be taken to the…
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Photographing Your Horse
We’ve all been there. Your horse is the cutest horse in the whole wide world and your phone is filled to the brim with photographs of your special equine. But set yourself up for success and follow my basic (and yet often overlooked) do’s and don’ts of getting great photographs. Because I’m brutally honest I will focus on the do not’s because I did every single one of them today. {Insert head smack here.} My favorite equine photographs are candid, not posed. This is a lot more organic and tends to tell the true story of a horse and rider’s personality. In those circumstances, the rider interacts and wrangles their…
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Healthy Hemp for Hip Dysplasia
HempMy Pet is the first certified organic, vertically-integrated hemp-oil production company, growing their hemp on their Colorado farm and having a hand in every aspect. I spoke with one of the co-founders and immediately knew this was a passion; passion for animals and wellness is something I can relate to! As an animal massage therapist, I strive for natural wellness for my dogs and horses whenever possible. My dog Gonzo has shown early signs of hip dysplasia. He’s been receiving regular massage and a few acupuncture sessions but I use a holistic approach. My goal is to have him on a natural anti-inflammatory to reduce swelling and pain. My…
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Introducing The Timid Rider
Welcome to the new home of Bridle & Bone, now known as The Timid Rider! Many of you may ask why the rebrand? There were a lot of reasons. Bridle & Bone began as a blog for my partnership, Bridle & Bone Wellness, to address questions and concerns from our animal massage clients. Sadly that partnership ended earlier this year and I began working independently under my own name. So the question remained whether to keep the blog name or not. After some intense deliberation, a consultation with my lawyer, and the misspelling and mispronunciation of my blog name at the recent BlogPaws conference I decided a rebrand…
Equestrian Author and Podcast Host
