It’s late July as I write this column and I’m preparing to make the eight-hour drive down to the Oregon Horse Center to judge a Working Equitation show. Hurray! It’s the first horse show I’ve been to in 2020. I’m excited to see horses and people in the flesh. I’ll …
Read MoreLearning Continues – A Computer, Wi-Fi, and Imagination Create Opportunity
Training is directing your horse toward something he doesn’t know. – Anna Blake When I was in my late teens, I worked with an older horse trainer I respected a great deal. He didn’t talk a lot, but one of the things he told me was this: “Train a …
Read MoreMaturity Brings Excellence in Horse Training- Move Slowly, Take Your Time, and Take Breaks
My young horse, Gus, turned three years old in May. The years have flown by since I brought him home as a pudgy weanling, and now it’s time to start him under saddle. He’s a typical adolescent—bumbling and silly in one moment, taking my breath away with his athleticism and …
Read MoreHope for the Future – Well-Bred Performance Horses Make Training a Joy
I just wanted to mow the lawn. After weeks of rain the sky finally cleared. My grass was knee deep and I figured I could get a little done after the evening chores. But five minutes into the job one of the tires fell off its rim. Oh bother! There …
Read MoreTack is Useful Art – The Stuff We Need and the Stuff We Love
“What I love about people (and I do love people) is that crises bring out the best in them. And the best people aren’t people, they’re animals.” – Stephen Colbert I’ll admit it, I’ve been rather sad lately. The world seems darker than usual. There’s a lot of bad news …
Showing Offers Opportunity for Growth By Kim Roe I love horse shows. I love arriving on the grounds and seeing all the beautiful, excited horses and happy people. I love the anticipation, the drama, and great performances. I love picnics and peaceful behind-the-barn napping in the shade. But showing involves …
Farm Life is Lived in the Present By Kim Roe So come the storms of winter and then The birds in spring again I have no fear of time For who knows how my love grows? And who knows where the time goes? – Sandy Denny The song …
Read MoreEditor’s Postcard: Who Knows Where the Time Goes?
Over 30 years ago I moved to Whatcom County, Washington. Not long after, I was invited to go watch the International Plowing Match in Lynden. The event is still vivid in my memory. There were draft horses of many breeds (and a few mules) and generations of handlers who walked …
“If dreams were lightning, And thunder was desire, This old house (or barn) would’ve Burned down a long time ago…” Angel from Montgomery by John Prine My first barn was a ramshackle affair. Hand built from bark-covered cedar poles and recycled steel siding, it was a sheep and cow …
Read MoreWho is Inside the Barn is What Matters Most – My Hopes Live in a Barn
We’re smack in the middle of winter with its driving rain, icy cold, and short days. As I’ve thought about writing this month’s editorial, with a focus on the equestrian lifestyle, it’s easy to find myself a wee bit sarcastic about the whole scene. Each day I pull on …
Read MoreLiving with Horses – Horse People can Handle the Realities of the Equestrian Lifestyle
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