Puppy’s first trail test

Lessons continue for our Australian Shephard pup, Kip. Next phase of Ride Along Dog training? Hit the trails! [Read past Dog and Horses posts.] Since she’s not entirely savvy about traffic or strangers, I had to work out some safety-related logistics first: We picked […]

“Pick Me!” attitude

With the warmer weather arrival, we’ve been enthusiastically hitting the trails again. Floodwaters be darned. [see facebook photos] It was nice to discover the horses seemingly as eager for the foray as us humans. When I brought out Pep and Shea, Brooke and Jodi seemed […]

Horse, Trailer, Bird

The timing for the Trailer Depot’s recent article on trailer safety and servicing couldn’t have been better. Trips are around the corner. Trailer’s been sittin’ for a few months. It’s nesting season. I found this robin nest on top of my gooseneck trailer’s spare tire. […]

Pasture Plan Foiled

The seasonal transition plan at our farm (one that includes dealing with the mud and staying off fields until they’re ready) hasn’t come without a few glitches. The most distressing? The Big Girl, Shea, came up lame. She went from fine to barely able to […]

Pasture Plan in Theory

The girls and I had a meeting. I explained to them the concept of Delayed Gratification. “You’ll thank me later,” I said. They threw visual daggers at my back, I’m pretty sure, as I walked out of their muddy, stinky paddock. Yes, Grass is back! […]

Ride Along Dog’s Progress

Kip, the Aussie pup, graduated from obedience class with average marks and now is ready for anything. Or, so she says. Thanks to Dr. Cynthia Reynold’s sage advice, my top priority now is making her safe around horses. Then, to make her trail savvy. She’s […]

Back to School

Folks say you can work with a horse, then leave it be. For weeks. Months. Years, even. As long as you left it in a good place and on good terms, it’ll be pretty easy to pick up where you left off. Horsewoman Kyla Pollard […]