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Making Great Strides
Confidence can be a moving target but we are making great strides forward and really, isn't that all we can ask of ourselves?
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Girl Forward
A Tale of One Woman’s Unlikely Adventure in Mongolia I knew when I heard about the Gobi Desert Cup that I was taking a calculated risk. The adventure was not only worth it but it also taught me a lot about myself. I don’t like to set limitations and yet as the Timid Rider I often find myself doing just that in many aspects of my life. I battle with overcoming this inner monologue and stepping outside of my comfort zone. Mongolia was WAY out of my comfort zone. But is that what my motto #beBold is all about? I’m an incredibly visual person as Debbie Loucks of Horsemanship Radio…
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The Tenets of Timidity: Do You Check Any Boxes?
Confession: I’m not scared to ride horses. Referring to myself as a timid rider results in a few different reactions. Certainly, admitting this to others leaves me open to comments, opinions, and rarely even derision. The most common reaction is others assuming I don’t know how to ride a horse, something which I find incredibly frustrating. I have ridden it all: spooks, bucks, rears, bolts, quick horses, slow and stubborn horses. I have the skills to ride. And yet when I refer to myself as timid the response is an assumption I’m afraid or don’t know how to control a horse. Being timid can actually be a very good thing.…
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Headlight Harness for Horses
Horses aren’t walked in harnesses, unlike dogs, but to an ex-mounted police officer the Headlight Harness for dogs had a lot of equine potential. A chance meeting at a local pet event resulted in the Headlight Harness for Horses, a product perfect for the barn or the trail. Just imagine what it would mean for a police horse to be fitted with a lighted harness and keep their hands free to be able to move quickly protect themselves rather than holding a flashlight to see. So this retired police officer and the Headlight Harness team put their heads together to discuss making a breast collar. After all there were so…
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Stuck in a Rut: How Often Do You Change Your Horse’s Routine?
When I made the decision to move barns to a smaller, private facility I knew there would be an adjustment period. Perhaps, however, I underestimated just how used to a routine we had been.
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Finding Your Herd: Motivation, Inspiration, and Fun
Finding and spending time with your herd, a group of like-minded people, can keep you motivated and inspired. More, you can have fun!
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Top Tips for Over Thinkers when Changing Barns
Confession: I’m moving barns at the end of the month. This was a terrifying decision to make. If I’m being honest, which let’s face it I always am, I love being at my current barn for many reasons. There are so many good things about an equestrian facility. There are 500 acres of trails, multiple barns, generously-sized paddocks, and I have a lot of friends there. However, I have been at Lancaster for eight years. Much of my history is there as well as local equestrian history right on the grounds. I’ve been a newly returning rider, a working student, and a horse owner. In many ways I have grown…
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When Good Horses Become Turds
Confession: Not everyone is perfect, even my pony. It’s hard to admit. But sadly, Ferrous is not perfect. I know, it was shocking to me as well. Alas, it is true. Generally, my pony is an easygoing and forgiving companion. Full of personality and generally a confidence builder for me, he tells me what he is feeling and thinking. More, he knows the difference between interactions with me and with my young daughters. Sometimes he may make a mistake as he did recently breaking into a canter with my Zoe but often he proves himself quite a unicorn. Everyone is entitled to a little leniency. We can’t be good…
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School of Hard Knocks: Children Need to Fall Off Horses
Confession: We’ve all bit knocked down from our pegs a time or two, hopefully, to get up again stronger. It’s a lot harder to watch your children fall. We all know what it is to get knocked down, wipe ourselves off, and get up again. It’s entirely a different story when it is our children. Yet, we need to let our children fall of horses from time-to-time to learn. My daughters all ride horses. All of them. I am both happy to share my passion with them and terrified because it can be all-consuming. More, I know firsthand how riding a horse both elevates me and also takes me down…
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Equestrienne: Sabine Schleese
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting and spending time with Sabine Schleese at the American Horse Publication conference in Hunt Valley, Maryland in 2018. Sabine is the woman behind Schleese Saddlery, which she runs with expert saddle-fitting husband Jochen. Together they moved to Canada from Germany and created a unique saddle company that was the first of its kind to identify a need between the female and male physiology in saddle fit, and also provide a course to teach others how to saddle fit as well. Read on to learn more about Sabine and the strides she is making for females in the equestrian world! Hi Sabine, tell us…
Equestrian Author and Podcast Host
