On the Fourth Day Of Christmas: 4 Custom Shoes

A while back I asked my blacksmith what constituted a good client: Someone with many horses and therefore much business? Someone whose horses have difficult but expensive shoes? Easy but low-paying shoes? Someone whose horses behave? All my horses learn to stand for the blacksmith, load on trailers, ground-tie for grooming, etc. I was hopingContinue reading “On the Fourth Day Of Christmas: 4 Custom Shoes”

On the Second Day Of Christmas: 2 Talking Steeds

“You hold on with your knees,” said the Horse. “That’s the secret of good riding. Grip my body between your knees as hard as you like; sit straight up, straight as a poker; keep your elbows in.” Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis [HarperCollins 1954] p. 15 Heretofore, my instructors had explicitly told meContinue reading “On the Second Day Of Christmas: 2 Talking Steeds”

Rodney’s Mommy?

Is a bay mare in in Tennessee. I am not. I prefer boss. As in: Yes, Boss. Right away, Boss. Is this high enough, Boss? I utterly reject and despise referring to human women as horse mommies. Not crazy about “pet parents” either. My aversion to this usage dates back to my first leased horseContinue reading “Rodney’s Mommy?”