The best part of the 2019 Midwest Horse Fair’s dressage competition was the variety in the ring. In the strangely plush seats of the Coliseum, I watched fancy purebreds and...
The field of 20 is all but set for the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby, "the most exciting two minutes in sports," but the highly anticipated American Triple Crown...
Right now, I am greeted in the barn by a pair cream-colored ears perked through the bars of a stall. The ears belong to Flower, a Gypsy Horse from Feathered...
As a freelance writer and blogger, I’ve interviewed quite a few people over the years, but one of my favorite was with Dr. Tomas Teskey, DVM, a large animal veterinarian...
“What if what we experience close up is real, and what we hear on the news from the mouths of those jockeying for power needs to be questioned? It is...
On Thanksgiving Day, while the turkey roasted and my family gathered, my significant other and I huddled on the couch with shoulders touching and a tiny phone in front of...
#MeToo has been a powerful social media movement that has brought to light just how many women have been sexually abused and sexually harassed. After actress Alyssa Milano asked followers...
There’s been a lot of talk of millennials lately, and most of it isn’t good. Millennials (those born after 1980 but before 1995) have been accused of killing off industries,...
A response to US Equestrian (USEF) President Murray Kessler's letter to members on August 2, 2017. Dear Mr. Kessler, I recently read your letter regarding the US Equestrian Board...
My thoughts about my body and outward appearance and that appearance’s connection to my self-worth is kind of like one of those dangerous see-saws made from old tractor parts. One...
Anyone who has ever participated in a sport, especially competitively, knows that there’s always pressure that goes along with it. In order to be successful and win, you have to...
It’s finally happened. After much coercion and hard work, you finally convinced your husband/wife/significant other/parents to let you buy a horse. Whether it’s your first or your hundred-and-first, the excitement...
I’m fortunate to say that I have now experienced three different perspectives of barn life: that of a boarder, a barn hand, and a boarding barn owner. My facility is...
I started 2017 by attending two big meetings—one which celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA), and one which heralded the start of a new era...
As a long-time horse owner and a former competitor in several equine disciplines, I never thought I would find myself in the position I’m in today—with four "pasture pets." But...
This is a discussion of a very sensitive topic that elicits powerful emotions. Just stay with me 'til the end, it’s important. We’ll get through this together, I promise. We’ve...
It is over. Mostly. Well, except for the part about the 'winning side' gloating for the next year about how they were so right, and the 'losing side' saying it...
The first six months of my riding career were spent with two trainers; one for two months, and the second for about four. Then I started leasing my first horse...
