Equestrian Life
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Saddle Box Surprises in a Subscription Box
Nothing says an amazing birthday gift than a subscription box from Saddle Box! This month I turned 40, and I was very excited to receive this beautiful blue box in the mail just a week or so before. Much of the excitement is not knowing what items are included for you and your horse. Saddle Box is a family-owned equestrian subscription box company based in the United States. Their circulation is growing every month and is quite a popular gift option for horse lovers. This is an overview of the September Saddle Box. Better Shedder Grooming Tool This handy tool plays double duty. Not only does it help to…
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Saddle Seeks Horse: An Interview with Susan Friedland-Smith
Susan Friedland-Smith may not be aware (yet) but she has been a bit of a mentor to me as an equestrian writer and blogger. I fell in love first with her Instagram and there a was a lot that struck a chord with me. An adult equestrian with horse show anxiety, loving her OTTB and also working a full time job. I can relate! It was through Susan’s social media that I first learned of BlogPaws pet blogger network and subsequently through our interaction she recommended American Horse Publications. Both of which I since joined and have had wonderful experiences. In many ways, she has been an inspiration to…
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When You Are At Odds with Your Horse
Confession of a Timid Rider: Delight and I are out of sync since my injury. Hmmm. I know I only took about three weeks off riding but boy did I backslide. I never realized just how much my physical fitness affected my communication with my horse. We’re completely out of sync. My first ride back was great with the exception of my being ridiculously out of shape and unable to lift my saddle onto Delight’s back easily. But I did it. My second and third rides? A mess. Delight regressed into an adolescent little brat. I would try to transition from walk to trot and he would stop, pinning his…
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The Ultimate Guide to Phytocannabinoids for Horses
Last night I had trouble sleeping. I had so many thoughts running through my brain. The focus of my thoughts was, unsurprisingly, horses and how to best keep them calm. Yes, I realize the irony. A few of my equestrian friends around the world have been dealing with kissing spine, stall rest, and pent-up horses. Others have been dealing with trailering problems. Even the most bombproof horse has their moments. The bottom line is that equestrians are looking for safe and natural ways to reduce anxiety, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain in their animals. As an equine massage therapist, I suggest sports massage relieves tension, reduce toxins, and stimulate endorphin…
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Horse Show Mom
Confessions of a Timid Rider: I Became a “Horse Show Mom” My youngest daughters, age 6, had their first horse show. They’ve been riding horses for three months, and were so excited to have their first schooling show at our barn. I confess I was a little nervous for them. After all, I get terrible show nerves. Do these look like nervous riders to you? I’ve technically been a horse show mom a few times with my oldest daughter. She is my hero, strong, courageous, and cool as a cucumber. The twins are another story. They are much more high maintenance and one of them struggles with…
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Rider Safety: Education and High Visibility Clothing
There has been a growing movement in the UK to raise awareness for rider safety with motorists. How often have you ridden on trails, woods, or roads and asked a car, cyclist, or runner to slow down because they were going too fast or passing too close? I have. And I’ve been the motorist that has stopped for a horse and been thanked by the rider for being the only motorist to slow. All equestrians can agree there is an inherent risk to riding horses. Fortunately, educating non-equestrians about horse safety can greatly reduce this risk. A personal example: My husband runs in the woods. We’ve been together 14…
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Origins of an Equestrian Writer
I remember it clearly. The two-sided push from both my client and my business partner while chatting during a massage session on day last fall that created the origins of an equestrian writer. “You should write a blog!” The idea had niggled at the back of my mind for awhile. I’ve been writing, privately, since I was a young girl. Of all things that I loved as a child, it was horses and writing. But I held myself back. Very few people have ever read my writing. I was unwilling to take criticism, which I expected in truckloads. Eventually, I let self doubt stop me from even trying anymore.…
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Getting Back in the Saddle
Confession of a Timid Rider: It’s not easy coming back from a bad fall. Who could blame me for being rigid in the saddle after three weeks bed rest due to severely bruised ribs? I don’t. Delight is a large horse after all, and I landed ribs first on the packed earth coming around a corner. WHAM! That will teach me to be too far forward coming uphill at the canter. I’m still cleaning the dirt out of my field boots. After endless weeks of anti-inflammatory medication, ice packs, and sleeping upright I finally made it back to the barn! I experienced zero anxiety, which for me was…
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Concussion Awareness for Equestrians
I recently had a bad fall from a very large horse. I bruised many ribs but thankfully fell in such a way that I avoided breaking anything. My helmet was largely untouched except for the dirty area where I had laid my head trying to catching my breathe. It took me a long time to get my bearings and get up again. I kept thinking, “I’m so glad I didn’t hit my head.”. Equestrians know that accidents happen in an instant. September 16th – September 17th is International Helmet Awareness Day. Please read on for the important information from riders4helmets. Would you know if someone was…
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An Interview with Carly Kade, Equestrian Author
Put your spurs on and get excited because equestrian author, Carly Kade, was lovely enough to do an interview with me for Bridle & Bone. You may have heard of Carly, who is the award-winning author of In the Reins. If you haven’t read it, go out and do so today. You won’t want to put it down! Chatting with Carly Kade about Horses and Writing Q: How long have you been writing? A: I have always enjoyed creative writing, but I never set out to be an author of equestrian fiction. It just kind of happened when cowboy/horse trainer McKennon Kelly showed up as a poem.…
