Author Archives: John R. Killacky

Early mornings find me at Windswept Farm in Williston, VT where I board my Shetland pony, along with 24 horses. Social distancing requires tight scheduling so that only two or...

My Irish Catholic father was a difficult man—hard working all his life and hard drinking for much of my youth. Gay boys and their daddies often have complicated relationships, and...

Four years ago I was invited to present the daily devotional which I called “Horse Sense for Politicians” drawn from experience working with my Shetland pony that I’ve trained to...

My Shetland pony has been pulling me in a cart for seven years. Neither of us are show quality, we enjoy working together in the indoor arena at the boarding...

The pony and I are having a hard time. She’s been pulling me in a cart for seven years now. Out of nowhere she’s gotten anxious and persnickety, not wanting...

Choreographer and equestrian Paula Josa-Jones has written an intelligently observed, beautifully rendered collection of experiences and inspirations detailing her artist’s journey of learning to be more fully present in the...

I unhitch my Shetland and put her outside in a corral to cool down. As she grazes, I see in her the ancestral Mongolian ponies: compact muscularity, shaggy pelt, round...

We horse people are a curious lot. Joy is found in mundane chores. Every season brings its peculiar challenges of mucking out stalls, feeding, cleaning water buckets, polishing tack, grooming,...

New life is revealing itself between melted snow and budding green. The sun is ever warmer. Snow tires changed. Passover and Easter celebrated. Spring should be here, right? Well, not...

Leaving my overscheduled workday behind, I’m greeted by a whinny. If I linger too long outside, the pony neighs loudly. Nearing her stall, I try to let go of frustrations...

“What happened?” I asked. They replied that I fell out of the cart my pony was pulling, and was knocked unconscious. Minutes later, I asked again, “What happened?” And this...