I was 5 years old when I first told my parents I wanted to be a veterinarian. As the third of three kids, there were not nearly as many photos of me as there were of my older brother and sister. Nevertheless, nearly every photo of me included an animal of some kind… dogs, horses, […]
Horse Emergency Preparedness: ID Tags That Save Lives Read More »
Alan and I rode to Odessa Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park three years ago. In fact, we rode a little past Odessa to take a peek at Fern Lake. The Cameron Peak Fire had caused significant wildfire damage around Fern Lake. I wrote about our first foray to Odessa Lake. It is a very
Odessa Lake Take-Two… A FREEZING COLD and WINDY Ride Read More »
I regularly see posts on Facebook from people inquiring about horse identification options. In my opinion, not nearly enough people are proactive about having identification on their horses. As a retired veterinarian, I am passionate about good animal husbandry practices. Therefore, I am always glad to see someone inquire about what types of identification are
Horse Identification… What is Safe, Stable, and First Responder Approved? Read More »
Finally, I am literally and figuratively back in the saddle. After a several month hiatus from blogging, and an even longer hiatus from riding, I am so happy to be able to share our recent trail rides with you! We enjoyed our first ride of the year in Comanche Peak Wilderness. My blog series about
Comanche Peak Wilderness, a Forest Rebounding From Fire Read More »
I grew up in Indiana and attended Purdue University for my veterinary degree. We learned about diseases that affected animals all across the country, including fungal diseases. Histoplasmosis was more of a concern in the Midwest than Valley Fever. In fact, a staff member at my first job was tested for histoplasmosis when she gave
Planning to Visit the Southwest? Do You Know About Valley Fever? Read More »
I raised a daughter whose mantra has always been, “Whatever happens, happens.” She had a rough beginning in life and did not join my family until she was a toddler. Between her early childhood trauma and her genetics, she has decided that she has little to no control over how her life unfolds. If she
No Decision IS a Decision Read More »
I first encountered the term risk tolerance as it applied to questions our financial advisor asked my husband Alan and me. Our advisor wanted to know how safe we wanted to be when it came to deciding how to invest our funds. If we risked more, we could potentially make more, but we could also
What is Your Risk Tolerance? Read More »
Your ISS (Injury Severity Score), SBP (Systolic Blood Pressure), GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale), and LOS (Length of Stay) are all measures of how broken you are if you are injured while riding or interacting with your horse. Recently, this article appeared in my Facebook newsfeed multiple times as it was shared amongst my many horse
ISS, GCS, SBP, and LOS… How Do They Relate to Horseback Riding? Read More »
A recent Horse & Rider poll stated that 71% of respondents indicated they were fearful in the saddle “sometimes” or “often”. I had no idea that so many people had such mixed emotions when they were riding. That revelation resulted in a blog series about this interesting topic. (Part One and Part Two.) I am
Fearful in the Saddle? (Part 3) Read More »
Straddle Your Steed With Self-Confidence! I spent an enjoyable couple of months sewing very girlie hobby horses for 3 of my granddaughters. The stick horses came complete with a matching Western cowgirl vest with a heart applique. The older two have already been on a horse, mine among others. My daughter called me recently and
Fearful in the Saddle? (Part 2) Read More »
I recently read the results of a poll taken by Horse & Rider magazine. Apparently, 71% of respondents reported being fearful in the saddle “sometimes” or “often”. I was shocked! Are there really that many of us astride our equine companions who consistently ride with fear in our hearts? A quick Google search turns up
Fearful in the Saddle? Read More »
We had just returned from a 9-mile ride. I was in the trailer preparing to head to the mess hall for lunch. Suddenly, a deafening noise interrupted the usual sounds of horses whinnying for missing stablemates. I rushed out of the trailer in time to see a Lifeline helicopter landing in the open space a
LifeLine Helicopter is NOT the Preferred Way to Leave Camp Read More »
Pushing cows around can sure be a lot of fun! The last opportunity that Kadeen and I had to herd cattle was about 8 years ago. We don’t know much of anything about it, but we sure do have fun! He LOVES being the boss and makin’ those doggies move! Alan and I drove from
Daniel Boone Days in Virginia Read More »
I was prepared to write about something else this week… but then this amazing article appeared in my inbox. Two weeks ago, I wrote about Fire in My Backyard! As of this writing, firefighters have zero containment of the Cameron Peak fire. Briefly, a second fire threatened our safety. Fortunately, they got that one extinguished. However,
What Should You Do if Faced With an Advancing Fire? Read More »
It is very scary to awaken to the smell of smoke. Colorado had more than average snowfall last winter, but the summer has been very dry. As I write this, a forest fire burns a mere 35 miles from our location on Storm Mountain. This photo shows smoke in the sky, as viewed from our
Forest Fire in My Backyard!!! (And Rattlesnakes Too!) Read More »
Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans! That was my thought when I read a post on the AHI Facebook page this past week. I know there will be ladies here who can relate to my latest (mis)adventure? while trail riding a week ago. I came off my steady Eddy Ace,
It Will Never Happen to Me… Read More »
Geronimo was a revered and respected chief and medicine man in the Apache tribe. He was born in 1829 and died in 1909. Did you know that he died as a result of falling off his horse? How many of us who ride horses have watched movies about the relationship the Indians had with their
How Did Geronimo Die? Read More »
I have written many posts about my animals and friends and the experiences of this past year. I thought perhaps I would provide an update to some of those stories… Kara the Puppy In April, I wrote about the addition of Kara the Border collie to my household. She joined my family when she was
Last week, I blogged about Finn, a half-Arabian, half-Quarter horse/Thoroughbred that I have owned for 2 years. I described how I have struggled for that entire time to convert a horse bred to be a show pony into a confident, comfortable trail mount. My awesome gray Arabian, Kadeen, was a show horse when I bought
When to Hold and When to Fold Part Two Read More »
My 7-year-old gelding, Finn, has been the topic of numerous blogs. In this post, I even declared that Finn’s objectionable behavior was improving! Perhaps my mindset was “fake it ’til you make it?” I have put two years of work into this horse. Sadly, last week while camping at 4-J Big Piney, I realized Finn
When to Hold and When to Fold Read More »
I recently returned from a trip to Florida. On the plane home, I visited with a young lady who was born and raised in Florida. She lamented about the hassle of having to board up her windows every year during hurricane season. Actually, she was planning on moving out of the state. As we spoke,
Are We Ruining Our Planet? Read More »
In my previous two blogs, I discussed some of the logistics associated with evacuating large animals in the face of a natural disaster. Part One discusses having current vaccination and identification information on all of your horses. Additionally, it discusses the need for a working trailer and an effective method of communicating with neighbors and
Emergency Evacuations with Small Animals Read More »
As I write this, it is hotter than Hades here in Kansas. I am really missing the crisp, cool air of over 7000 feet elevation in Colorado. Very few bugs, incredible scenery, and a multi-sensory experience. You can SEE the beauty, HEAR the water and the hooves on the rocks, FEEL the movement of your
The Last Ride in the Rockies Read More »
I have the amazing pleasure of riding the Rocky Mountains this week. I spent two summer living here, the year before the flood and the year after the flood. Last year, Alan and I spent a week in Colorado camping and riding, and it was Finn’s first time in the mountains. I wrote about that
Rocky Mountain Trails and Trials! Read More »
Last January, I wrote a blog about how Life is What Happens when you are busy making other plans. I wrote about a couple of things that happened to me over the course of a few days. Things that reminded me of how little control we have sometimes over how things unfold. In this blog,
Do You Know What You Don’t Know? Read More »
In Part One of this series, I discussed several suggestions about how to stay safe while riding. A Facebook group, Aging Horsewomen, provided most of that material. That group boasts nearly 50,000 members from all over the world. Recently, I posted a question asking the ladies how much they thought about their safety when riding?
Wisdom From the Aged Part Two Read More »
I am a member of many equine-related Facebook groups. There are groups for absolutely every passion a person might have. For instance, nearly every state has it’s own horse group, and many of the larger states have multiple options. There are groups for rescue, and groups for English, Western, trail riding and nearly every other
Wisdom From the Aged… The Ladies Speak! Read More »
I met my friend Sandy last summer when my boyfriend Alan and I spent a week riding and camping at Grand Lake, Colorado. She’s a California gal, quite an accomplished rider. She fox hunts and rides dressage. She and her friend Sandra leased the campground trailer which provided access to more distant trailheads. They invited
Bad Things Happen to Good People Read More »
Animals provide incredible enrichment to our lives, but we need to be able to live together safely.
Human Safety Comes First Read More »
When computers first came on the scene for the average consumer in the ’90s, I had absolutely no idea what to do with one. Fast forward a few years and I was confident enough to rebuild the hard drive when the thing crashed. I LOVE computers! And I love my mobile phone. So much so
Equestrian Apps… Technology Rocks! Read More »
Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. Have you ever heard that saying? John Lennon used that phrase in his song “Beautiful Boy”, but the quote is said to have originated before that. I have certainly found that to be true in my life. Recently I had a client who experienced
Life is What Happens… Read More »
In Part One of this story, I wrote about riding in Estes Park in the summer of 2013, before the great flood that occurred that fall. I spent a great deal of time that first summer riding in Homestead Meadows, often by myself with just my dogs for company. Usually, I ran into at least a
Riding the Rockies AFTER the Flood Read More »
Anyone who has ever been on the back of a horse has had one (or more) of those “Uh-Oh!” moments when you really aren’t sure how things are going to unfold… Perhaps if you are a trainer or a lifelong rider, you don’t have those moments anymore. I have been riding since I was about
Pushed to My Limit! Read More »
Apparently, the blog The Crisis in California struck quite a nerve with many people. A few people asked questions about how to help, and hopefully, I can provide a little information about that in this blog. I was grateful that no one assumed (or at least commented) that I had ulterior motives in writing that blog.
More on the California Wildfires Read More »
When we engage in the practice of attaching our bodies to those of our horses, we are adding variables to our “safety sphere”. The truth is, we do the same thing when we get in the car, on a motorcycle, in a boat or on a bicycle. In the United States, automobile seat belts are
Horseback Riding Injury Prevention Read More »
Several years ago at a Horse Expo, I had the privilege of listening to Scot Hansen present a workshop on self-defense while trail riding. I often ride alone and I learned some valuable lessons from that seminar. I learned my instinctive responses were the wrong responses. For instance, if someone grabs your leg, your first
Self Defense for Trail Riding Read More »
Nearly every time I have gone for a week or more of horse camping, I hear a sad story. A horse and rider parted ways, and the horse was lost in the woods. What a nightmare that would be… worrying about broken legs, snagged bridles, and rolling saddles. I would be worried to death about
Don’t Let Your Horse Be Lost Without ID! Read More »
