One Chill Horse

Before turning to the saddle, I had tried various other activities such as swimming, physical therapy, yoga, personal training, belly dancing, pilates - all to no avail. No matter what I tried I was still in pain. There is nothing special about my aches and pains, except my age. I have been dealing with neck and back pain (that then becomes arm and leg pain) since I was in my growth spurt years. As an adult I have been informed that I have degenerative disc disease, which is a fancy way of saying - Oh look, arthritis! I was still hiking and having adventures as best I could, but I felt limited a great deal of the time. Some of the things I have managed to do before I started really feeling better are: 2010 I hiked Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park 2012 I hiked and Snorkeled around St John's and St Thomas 2014 I hiked through El Yunque National Forest and up Mt Britton 2014 I snorkeled in open waters and swam with wild sea turtles 2015 I swam with stingrays on Grand Cayma...

We always hear about how much it costs to have a horse. It is common knowledge that horses are perceived as being expensive, you have to consider such things as Boarding  Lessons Tack  Vet Bills Farrier Bills Emergency Vet Bills Helmets Boots Barn Clothes Show Clothes Show Tack Trailers Trucks Shavings (if not included in boarding) Fencing (if not included in boarding) Feed (if not included in boarding) The list goes on and on and on. All of those things cost money and time. When we talk about budgets and payments, it all sounds like burdens, and is the negative side of the equation. What we don't discuss openly enough is the positive side.  What are you getting for those dollars? Horses give us everything. If you are a horse person, you immediately know what I mean. The sense of peace, calm and rightness that comes with being around horses. The sense of partnership that comes from having your own mount to call your friend. For those ...

Girls love horses - well this girl loves horses! I was about 2 when I learned that I was horse crazy, but it came so naturally that I don't realize my mania until much much later.  This love is like breathing, there is no process - it just is, as if it has always been. The magic of it is not something easily explained, it is an addictive feeling, the need to experience horsey time, it is an urgency in the soul that is not easily quelled. ***First pic of me on a horse, my dad's work horse, 'Yeller' 1983(ish) So in the vein of the American Dream, you would think, awww this girly must have had a pony as a tot. Nope. I had access to a few cow horses, horses you rope from and sort cattle with, or ones you ride through rough country on, but not any sort of calm demure lesson pony.  My access to even these snarky mounts was short lived and riding was a rare treat. Yet, it never lessened my Christmas morning excitement, each and every time I got the chance to be around...