Author Archives: Heather Malcolm

A pony-tailed girl wiggles in her seat, tapping her tiny pink boots together in anticipation of visiting the stable. A boy laughs and swings his lasso at bales of hay,...

Scrolling on my cell phone, I see exuberant tweets and Facebook posts about riders working with their young horses during the free time created by the COVID-19 pandemic. With so...

Robert Redford’s character in The Horse Whisperer. Teenage Amy Fleming from the popular series Heartland. Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet. Horse trainers are highly romanticized in popular entertainment. The reality,...

I’m lucky to live in an area that hosts rated shows for hunter/jumper enthusiasts. I used to spend the whole year stashing pennies in my savings account, relishing the opportunity...

A tiny brown muzzle and dark, confused eyes are finally visible. The grey mare, flanks slick with sweat, rallies and completes the last push. It’s really happening; your foal is...

“I got a horse you need to try out,” dad said, for seemingly the hundredth time. My go-to response kicked in. “I already have a horse and I don’t need...

"You just have to take lessons from him! He’s THE expert!” said a friend. Simply nobody else would do. As a young teen, dressed in jeans and riding in an...

Each morning, the stable hands halter the horses individually and lead them quietly from their stalls through the sunlit barn aisle. Lead ropes are un-clicked from halters at the paddock...

Unfortunately it’s that time of year again. The days grow shorter, the air whips colder, and our concern for the wellbeing of our equine companions intensifies. Are they warm enough...

Every once in a while we meet a truly remarkable person; a person with a special gift and the ability to carry it out. They are humble, self-deprecating, and like...

Those of us who are around horses long enough will eventually be forced to deal with the inevitability of sickness and injury. Accidents happen, horses colic, bones break. Sometimes, the...