In today’s world, our schooling togs and accessories are just as fancy as our show ones. In my day, however, the idea of high-end schooling gear had yet to be...
Things have changed on the rider accessory front of the horse world since I was a kid. I speak of a time long before rhinestones glinted in barn aisles and...
Today, safety reigns supreme. Forty years ago, however, it took a backseat to fashion, and more importantly, tradition. Obviously, I will never turn my nose up at doing the smart...
Show coats. I mean seriously. I can’t even. If you thought us antique riders struggled with our fancy leather boots, wait until you hear about our riding jackets. We were...
I bought a new pair of breeches last year, and I was struck by how things had changed. Not necessarily for the better, but that’s just my opinion. As I...
Do you remember when leather riding boots came with the warning label, “Wear at your own peril!”? That was an era when riders had a strong constitution. There was no...
There are a few moments in Olympic equestrian history that have stuck with me throughout my life. Three moments in fact. How I recall this first one is a mystery...
If I had a dollar every time I uttered “Huh, I didn’t know that,” while researching stuff I’d be a very rich woman indeed. Hopefully, what I present to you...
When I think of summer Olympic sports, I think of track and field, swimming, gymnastics, equestrian and a few other staples. But now because I have successfully made it to...
There was a time when only amateurs were allowed to compete in the Olympics. It seems strange now thinking back on it, especially given how many boxes of Wheaties have...
Nearly every athlete, young or old, dreams of winning an Olympic medal. Considered the highest achievement an athlete can attain, a medal from The Games signifies sacrifice, prowess and above...
For more than 1,500 years the world was void of the Olympic Games. That void was thanks to Roman Emperor Theodosius I who was so hell-bent on promoting Christianity, that...
If you've read my previous Olympic-themed posts, you know that women were not allowed to attend or participate in the Ancient Games. And for the most part that was true....
Horses have been a part of the Olympics from close to the start. There is no way our four-legged friends, who helped shape humanity on multiple levels, could be left...
It’s an Olympic year, and boy oh boy do I love the Games! From July 26–August 11, 2024, you best believe I’ll be shirking my duties to watch the world’s...
Sometimes forced dismounts are met with laughter and other times tears and ambulances. I think it’s fair to say that 99.9% of the time we’re jettisoned from the saddle it’s...
If you turn to page 1 of the 1976 Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship you will find instructions on how to dismount. Page one. That’s how important this is. I’m...
A friend of mine texted me the other day, “Why are they called field boots, dress boots and paddock boots?” Fair question. Why are they called field boots? And so,...
