Category Archives: Opinion

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...

I can teach you a lot of things, but I can’t teach you how to be a horse person. At the end of the day, no matter how much information...

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...

It is every young horse lover’s dream to attend a riding camp where they get to ride all day, learn from top industry professionals, prove themselves in the show ring,...

I wonder if enough people in the horse show industry set goals for themselves. If they are, are the goals being set revolving primarily around qualifying for something? Pony finals,...

From being called entitled and lazy to being accused of ruining the horse industry, Millennials tend to get a pretty bad rap. It's said they want more and more in...

If you are considered a young professional in the horse industry you may have quite a challenge in front of you. I am constantly looking around and wondering what hands...

Barbara Clarke is the Director of DreamCatcher Wild Horse and Burro Sanctuary. Laura Leigh is the founder of Wild Horse Education. Here, they respond to recent headlines regarding the BLM Advisory Board's...

I often hear show grooms say that they're going to give up grooming and get a "real job." Most of us don't seem to consider it a career. Why? I...

Nervous horses are hard to ride horses. Hard to ride in that they are too reactive. They may not stand quietly to be mounted. They may not walk calmly. They...