It’s been about 7 years since I sold my first horse, Bella, when I went off to college. I’ve waited and waited (often not so patiently), and the time has finally come for me to buy a new horse! But…

As a longtime hunter rider, it’s been ingrained into my head that everything needs to be perfect. In order to do well, we need to have the perfect pace, the perfect distances, the perfect number of even strides between the jumps of a line. Everything needs to be just right. But when it comes to riding, everything is not going to be perfect every time. In a recent lesson, everything didn’t go “just right,” but in the end, I realized that sometimes it is okay if everything doesn’t go perfectly.

Falkner and I are eagerly waiting spring. I know a lot of people are saying that, but normally I love winter and lots of snow. This winter has just been ridiculously cold, and I’m done with it! I find myself…

Recently I have adopted a new puppy named Tucker. He has been a wonderful puppy and a joy to be around. We think that he is about 7 months old now. It is my dream to be able to take…

Giving up a horse is never an easy task. Our daughters lost interest in riding a couple years ago, which left me with one horse too many. Starlight is a great little horse—the perfect combination of sass and talent. She…

Anyone who has had a horse on stall rest knows how frustrating it can be for both the rider and horse. Whether they are in for a few days due to bad weather or months for stall rest it can…

Oh, what we do for our sport! From getting up at 3am to go to a horse show to wearing a long-sleeve black jacket in 90+ degrees, and from slogging warm water buckets in below-freezing temperatures to cleaning stalls every…

I’ve learned a lot working at SmartPak. As a Supplement Expert, I’ve gone through, and continue to go through, hours and hours of horse health training. But the most amazing thing I have learned since starting at SmartPak would have…

Over the past few weeks the temperatures across the entire country have dropped dramatically. With -23 temps with the wind chill as the norm, there are a few things that I have made sure I had available at the barn…

Valentine’s Day is a day of love and appreciation, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate then explain why my horse, Samurai, makes the best Valentine! He never judges me for eating all the holiday chocolate He’s…

I’m a big fan of ALL the ways you can totally spoil your horse. After all, with three semi-retired ones of my own, I am the first one to feel that my boys have earned every last treat! This Valentine’s…

During the week, you know our life is no mystery: we are here working hard to make you happier and your horse healthier. But what do we do on the weekend, you ask? The mystery is revealed! Read about what SmartPakers did this past month and see if any of our adventures sound similar to yours…

Justin Bieber’s mug shot has been all over the internet this week. And in one of those “you know you’re a rider when…” moments, I instantly thought of my horse’s unruly forelock: Naturally, my next step was seeing how many…

During the week, you know our life is no mystery: we are here working hard to make you happier and your horse healthier. But what do we do on the weekend, you ask? The mystery is revealed! Read about what…