Category Archives: Life

You know what I’m talking about. It’s murmured in dark aisles and unlit corners of tack shops. One female rider sidles up to another and whispers the horrid word. Chafing....

When I was a small child I earned the nickname "Ramrod". My beloved Uncle Bob would giggle as he watched my evil pony attempt to unmount me time and time...

It's a big week in the tech world as Apple unveiled the new iPhone 7 on Wednesday. As expected, this baby is loaded with new features to keep you thoroughly distracted...

I first started riding at a fancy stable in Connecticut when I was 11-years old. As I walked into the barn to sign up for my first lesson, I had...

When I was a kid, I regularly told people that the Tom Petty’s classic “Free Fallin’” perfectly defined my life. In response, those very same people would rightly point out...

Horse owners get a lot of questions from curious "outsiders" about horse ownership, horses themselves, and the “bond” between horse and rider. I am frequently asked if my horses are...

Dear Clinton, I have been a fan of yours for years now. As a horseman, your consistency, and the way you teach the importance of pressure and release is something...

No matter where you live, what your discipline, or how fancy your stable is, one thing is for certain: barn friendships are the best kinds of friendships, and they're pretty much all...

Let's start by saying that we know its not possible for every little kid to grow up with her or his own horse. Boarding horses is expensive and, let's face it, not everyone can...

I can remember the woman striding towards me down the cement aisle way, the heels of her paddock boots clinking with each step. Her bright blue eyes squinting into the...

Sir Paul McCartney is a living legend. He's spent 50 years on the music scene pumping out a seemingly endless stream of hit songs, whether it be as a member...

While the summer sun beats the West Coast into wilted submission, let's take a walk back in time to Winter 2016, when the place to be was HITS Desert Horse...

If you’re ever hired or volunteer (God bless you) for horse show jump crew duty, there are certain things you should know in advance. Your days will start early. Very early. You'll...

Horse people know we aren't exactly rational when it comes to our animals. Actually, we may not know, but if we do, we definitely don't care. How do you know...

What's the best thing about a barn friend? To start, let's just say it's great to have pals at the place where you spend most of your time. Friends who understand...

Let's be clear, I acknowledge this is a first world problem. It’s even an upper echelon first world problem. I have a horse, Rose, that I bought as a not inexpensive...

When you get there in the morning, do you feel like you're home? When you look around at the grooms, riders, and trainers do you think "This is my crew,...

B is for boots Splint boots. Open fronts. Bell boots. Shipping boots. Grooms need to know their boots. Some poor saps even have to polish those of their riders. C...

I was emailed by the United States Equestrian Federation last week with an inquiry. Someone had filed a complaint into my amateur status and they were asking for a rebuttal....

Today, for the first time in my life as a riding instructor, I asked my students to consider what should be the most fundamental question: What does your horse need...