Category: Riding Tips

  • How To Know If A Trainer Is Any Good

    How To Know If A Trainer Is Any Good

    The number one thing I can tell you about determining if a trainer is any good is about how they treat you, the client. Oh sure, there are other things to consider: that your horse is fed and watered and sheltered. Those are givens. And that your horse is progressing in their training. Those things…

  • 5 Things You Can Learn From Your Competitors

    5 Things You Can Learn From Your Competitors

    [social_warfare]When I first started showing, I would get really nervous and run a constant loop of my shortcomings: too slow in my circles, too timid in my lead changes, too stiff in my stops. I would compare all of my faults to what I imagined were my competitors glorious strengths . I’ve improved somewhat in…

  • Shout Out To The Broke Rider!

    Shout Out To The Broke Rider!

    [social_warfare]Show season is starting, and even though I’m not showing this year, I still think about what I want to accomplish with riding and how far I’ve come. Thinking about my riding made me think back to my only “show” as a youth. As the youngest of five kids, the fact that I even got…

  • Five Useful Barn Gifts For Under $5 Each

    Five Useful Barn Gifts For Under $5 Each

    [social_warfare]I saw a post last week on one of the horse forums I follow discussing gifts to buy for fellow boarders. I thought it was a great idea, but it could get expensive fast. I like doing nice things for people, but I can’t do Oprah style giveaways on a Jerry Springer budget. And like…

  • Holiday Gift Review & Giveaway

    You guys! There are only five weeks left until Christmas. I cannot believe it. Anyway, for a little holiday cheer I am reviewing (and giving away!) the Arctic Horse Tongass rain skirt, the Georgia Horseback Weekender Tote and my favorite earrings to wear in and out of the arena from Adornable.U. Who doesn’t love free…

  • No Stirrup November is No Joke: How It’s Kicking My Ass & Can Kick Yours Too

    No Stirrup November is No Joke: How It’s Kicking My Ass & Can Kick Yours Too

    I’ve never been much of one for trends. I dismissed trends like a hipster before the term hipster even existed. If something was trendy, I would purposefully avoid it. Pretentious? Absolutely. But this little personality quirk of mine saved me from several terrible fads: the flippy mini skirt, wearing (or even owning) Ugg boots with…

  • 5 Tips For Finding Horseback Riding Lessons For Your Child

    5 Tips For Finding Horseback Riding Lessons For Your Child

    My brother and his family recently relocated to a new state and my sister-in-law found an equestrian center close to their new home. She wanted to sign my niece up for lessons and asked me what she should look for when seeking out a barn where her daughter could take lessons. I realized this is…

  • How To Tell If A Horse Sale Ad Is Actually Full Of Horse Shit

    How To Tell If A Horse Sale Ad Is Actually Full Of Horse Shit

    [social_warfare]I like looking at horses for sale, I like to see what’s out there and I like to see the differences in prices and breeds by the different regions. After a while of looking at so many ads, I have to tell you, I feel like someone should write a Horse Buying For Dummies book,…

  • Three Ways To Help You Ride Through Fear

    Three Ways To Help You Ride Through Fear

    I’ve been thinking a lot about fear lately. I read a post by Lauren Mauldin who writes a blog called She Moved To Texas and she was talking about the trust bank, a term I’d never heard before, and it resonated with me. The idea behind the trust bank is that for every positive ride…

  • To Improve in Horseback Riding, Take Progress Over Perfection

    To Improve in Horseback Riding, Take Progress Over Perfection

    Remember that post I wrote in March discussing the value of showing and that my satisfaction must come from progress not ribbons? Yeah, that advice is crap. A big steaming pile of horse manure. Not because it isn’t true, but because it’s damn hard to recall and abide by in the stress of the moment.…