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In the Heart and Head of Author MJ Evans
I had the honor of meeting young adult author MJ Evans at the Equus Film Festival. We very quickly hit it off and she quickly became one of my favorite people ever. I’m planning a trip to visit her in Colorado! As a Christmas gift, I bought my daughter the entire “Mist” trilogy, which she has been loving. I am waiting for her to finish so it can be my turn. But I have read, “In the Heart of a Mustang” and frankly it moved me so much. I quickly became entrenched in Hunter’s store and felt the intense connection between him and his mustang mare. Horses have a way…
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Ride Report: Framing Up (Properly)
No matter your riding discipline there a few major tenets of riding that every equestrian should follow, namely: keep your horse straight, balanced, and using impulsion from the hind end. Basically all things that my little Ferrous has trouble with doing properly. Don’t get me wrong, he can get there and he’s a champion hunter. Cute as a button and he frames up beautifully. Take a look at this photo of him and another rider before I bought him. Cute frame on the front end, but not really coming underneath him in the hind as well as he could. A true frame is incredibly hard for…
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Phys-phys-physio
At the start of 2018, I’d had enough of avoiding dressage like the plague. I’d tried to kid myself for some time that if I preferred jumping, that I didn’t need dressage anyway. Of course, I was deluding myself. I knew as well as the next person that every stride you take between fences is flatwork, so the better our flatwork, the better our rhythm, suppleness, canter, and so on. My loan mare, Flora, is a 15.3hh bay Thoroughbred mare. Originally bred and trained for racing, she never made the track in the end. She was sold off as a happy hacker for a number of years, despite her…
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Empower Yourself with Kerrits Power Sculpt Breech
I’m in love with the new Kerrits Power Sculpt Breech. One of my favorite brands to wear, this is a perfect marriage between a riding breech and stylish support. When I’m comfortable I feel more confident, especially in the saddle. I don’t consider myself fancy. I like to get glammed up with the best of them for special occasions, like the Nose-to-Nose Awards for which Bridle & Bone was recently a finalist. I feel more comfortable in jeans and boots. When I’m comfortable I feel more confident as well. Since I always strive to be more confident in the saddle, you can imagine that my comfort and that of my…
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Endings and New Beginnings but Always Making Strides
Confession: I’ve been missing in action from the barn for a good reason. Ferrous has been mine for three full months and sometimes I feel like I’m failing at being a horse owner. For those of you who know me you may be unsurprised at my attitude. To new readers, welcome! I’ll explain- I’m passionate about horses. As a result I’m extremely hard on myself. I hold myself to an extremely high standard that I can never measure up to in life. Can you relate? I know that I’m being harsh. Truthfully, Ferrous is happy, healthy, and living the good life at his barn on luscious property. But between snow,…
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KeriCure Wound Care for Equines
Do you have a horse prone to injury? KeriCure, Inc. Champion Seal is an easy to apply, and organic liquid bandage that keeps wounds clean while your horse recovers. *This is a sponsored post. I may receive products or monetary compensation in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own. We all know someone with an accident prone horse. You know the one who gets hurt in the paddock by just looking at the fencing? Or the pony who is constantly covered in scratches and bite marks from playing with his friends in the paddock. There’s at least one in every barn. As an equine…
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Locating Your Brave Pants
After my post the other week where my cob Aladdin and I successfully jumped a 90cm fence I started wondering how on earth did we do it after being stuck at 50cm for so long. What gave us the confidence to take the ‘leap’ and just go for it? My whole life I have watched other riders in awe and dreamt about jumping ‘actual jumps’ but never thought I would be able to ride myself into one the bigger fences without forgetting to breath or just bailing off the side in disbelief. Aladdin and I started off our journey fairly slowly. Some days I would get on…
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The Power of Holistic Wellness
What is holistic wellness and why should it be widely available to all? The term is rather straightforward. Holistic meaning treating the “whole” body. Holistic veterinarians and health providers alike account for mental and social factors, rather than just the physical symptoms of a disease to treat their patients. These techniques are humane, non-invasive, and centered on stress reduction and compassion. Some of these techniques may include laser therapy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal medicine, osteopathy, massage and more. Overview Often the perception of a “holistic veterinarian” is one that thinks outside the box of conventional medicine and chooses instead to focus on natural treatments, or alternative therapies. As of a studied…
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Vet Chat Episode 2- Limping and Hip Pain in Your Dog
My dog Gonzo injured himself again. Recently he presented with a significant limp in his right hind. He will occasionally overdo it and strain a muscle. Last July, he pulled both hips out of alignment requiring anti-inflammatories, chiropractic work, and acupuncture. Well, he did it again. * This posts contains affiliate links. If you click the link I may receive a small commission at no cost to you, to help keep my pups in dog treats. All opinions are my own. Luckily my friend and colleague Dr. Kendra Pope was there to help! Gonzo loves the vet. My dogs are the opposite of afraid, and so I brought him to…
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Providing Laminitis Pain Relief with Equine Massage Therapy
One of the major physical conditions that affects horses is laminitis.It is believed that the diet of a horse has a lot to do with it. But you can provide pain relief naturally with the therapeutic benefits of equine massage therapy. Meaning of Laminitis Laminitis is considered as one of the most painful conditions of the horse hoof’s sensitive laminae. In this condition, what happens is that the attachments or bonds inside the laminae tend to become weak and start to break down rapidly. This results in excruciating pain and leave the horse restless. The visible characteristics of this condition are sole getting very tender, horses finding…
Equestrian Author and Podcast Host
