Saddle shopping – to a novice it sounds like fun, but it puts fear into the hearts of all who have undertaken it before. Does it fit me? Does it fit my horse? Will my horse change shape? Does my…
Blog Archives
SmartPakversary
I recently celebrated a work milestone – 10 years working at SmartPak. It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since I started. It feels like a lifetime and five minutes all at the same time. Life before SmartPak happened…
Posted in Stories & Adventures
A Working Vacation
My non-horsey friend: “Where are you going on vacation?” Me: “Florida – can’t wait!” My non-horsey friend: “Cool – beaches or amusement parks?” Me: “Neither – I’m headed to Ocala to help my trainer and ride horses!” My non-horsey friend:…
Posted in Stories & Adventures
#TBT – Growing Up in 4-H
Just down the road from where I grew up, there is a property knows as the Tolland Agricultural Center, or TAC as we called it. Consisting of a handful of buildings and a field in the back with two riding…
Posted in Stories & Adventures
From Co-op to Boarding Barn
Transitioning from a co-op barn where I took care of my own horse to a boarding facility was a necessity, but not one I was really looking forward to. I’m one of those barn rats who loves the barn work…
Posted in Blogs, Stories & Adventures
Things I’ve learned from my horse
I pulled my current horse, Tally, out of a field back in 2012. She was eight years old but had minimal training, and whatever limited human interaction she’d had to that point in her life didn’t enamor her to the…
Posted in Stories & Adventures
Dreams and Journeys
Florida has been a dream of mine for many years. Not the Mickey Mouse, roller-coaster Florida, but the green pastures, miles of fence-line, horses as far as the eye can see Florida. This year, due to the generosity of my…
Posted in Stories & Adventures
Taking on a project horse
I manage a small co-op barn at a private farm with four stalls and two other horse owners. Usually we have all four stalls filled, but recently we lost a horse to a bad leg injury. That empty stall has…
Posted in Stories & Adventures
Keeping your Veterinarian Happy
Several of my good friends happen to be veterinarians, and a lot of the anecdotes they’ve been sharing lately are about how their already long days get drawn out, sometimes crazily so, because of little details that their clients don’t…
Posted in Lists
2014 Take-aways
What a year! I look forward to learning new things each year, especially in my riding. This year has been one of the best ever, despite losing most of the show season due to a lameness issue. Looking back, I’ve…
Posted in Lists, Stories & Adventures
Highs and lows: Part 1
After our fantastic Training Level debut at GMHA Horse Trials in early June, I was extremely excited about our next event, Groton House Farm in Hamilton, MA. This is a historic event, hosting national and championship horse trials since the…
Posted in Stories & Adventures
Moving up – How I knew we were ready
In every equestrian sport there are various levels of competition, and a goal for many riders is moving up to the next level. In Eventing, we have six levels – Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced. I went…
Posted in Stories & Adventures
Getting a horse back in shape for spring
Now that the snow and ice have melted, it’s time to think about getting the horses fit for the upcoming show season. Here in New England, we have a tough time maintaining our horses’ fitness year round due to the…
Posted in Stories & Adventures
Summer Camp Isn’t Just for Kids
Recently, Tally and I went to our first multi-day event up at the Green Mountain Horse Association in Vermont. We competed at our second USEA-recognized event and then stayed for a week of horse camp, which was just about the…
Posted in Stories & Adventures
A Troublesome Wolf Tooth
Tally came into my life a little more than a year ago, and when I first had the dentist out to float her teeth he mentioned that she still had a wolf tooth on the right side of her mouth.…
