A Cell Phone Education by Catherine Madera Even the name was intimidating: Smart Phone. It’s only logical to assume that such a phone requires an intelligent operator. What if I wasn’t smart enough? “Less is more,” I told myself. Eventually I broke down and bought an iPhone (yes, even …
Finding a Horse for the Job by Catherine Madera When I was a girl, the most annoying comment I heard about my physical appearance was this: “You’re tall—you must play basketball!” Apparently, the genes which determined my above average stature automatically gave me talent and a desire for the game, …
My Best Training Tool by Catherine Madera Last month a halter worn by equine superstar Zenyatta sold at auction for over $6,000. Dubbed “The Queen of Racing,” Zenyatta soared to popularity after breaking numerous records on the track. She failed to win the 2010 Breeder’s Cup Classic (placing second), …
Don’t Forget to Enjoy Your Horse By Catherine Madera I have a dream…to do flying lead changes (on purpose). I’m no Martin Luther King Jr., but dreams are for horses, too. My first attempts to teach flying changes occurred in a neighbor’s field when I was about 15. I …
Equine Events for Everyone by Catherine Madera I started my year of equine event attendance early, and with a bang, by attending the National Finals Rodeo in December. The shopping and action are similar, in some ways, to an Expo experience—pumped up on steroids! I saw things in Vegas …
Celebrating a Grand Passion by: Catherine Madera Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and, once it has done so, he will have to admit that …
Senior Horses Enrich Lives By Catherine Madera We are not a culture that values age. Instead, we idolize the youthful, the athletic, and the beautiful. This trickles down to horse ownership: forget the old grey mare, we want the young, black stallion. My most interesting horse growing up was …
Every Season is Special by Catherine Madera As I write this the first rains of fall are soaking my pastures—what happened to summer? Seriously, it pretty much avoided the northwest altogether. A dreaded three-letter word is hovering on my lips: Mud. I was feeling pretty grumpy about it one …
“Health is Wealth” by Catherine Madera This saying is both figurative and literal. Health gives people and horses a full, “wealthy” quality of life while lack-there-of steals joy as well as dollars from our pocket books. The latter scenario became a painful reality when my daughter’s horse, Cowboy, sustained …
by Catherine Madera “Your horse is a little bit spoiled.” I didn’t want to believe the clinician, but his observation was confirmed when he jumped on my horse and immediately got him to perform without complaints (I hate that!). I went home later inspired and ready to make some …