Montana gal crafts what we crave

Here’s the thing about jewelry and women like us (smart, lively, and outdoors-y): We appreciate style, but will choose no-fuss over fashion. We enjoy earrings and necklaces, but not if they get in the way or cost too much. We especially like products and companies […]

Sleek Leek is Solid Gold

Three safety items you’ve got to have if you’re working with horses, out on the trail, or both: Knife. Phone. Belt. Read about those essentials here. This summer at the Outdoor Retailer, we met several knife company representatives and brought them one tiny complaint: Can’t […]

Trouble on the trail reveals holes in training

All rides can’t be golden. When things go sideways, the goal may be simply getting everyone home safe and sound, with nothing too traumatic to remember. If you look at those rides with a big lens, you’ll see they are blessings in disguise, for they […]

Great sharing features for rides and riders

As summer wraps up, the time is ripe for celebrating the season’s great rides, checking off some from the To Do list and make plans for bigger and better ones. Redmond Equine has a great way to share and get inspired with their new FaveRide […]

Horse Skeleton offers nightmares, but no answers

For nights after discovering this skeleton, I had trouble sleeping. Couldn’t get the image out of my head. Instead, I extrapolated back to this horse’s final days – it died a pointless and likely painful, drawn-out death, getting tangled in branches by its blankets. Ridiculously, […]

Comeuppance in Equine Terms

Sticking it to the man: Performing an act of civil disobedience in order to oppose established power hierarchy. Horses do it. Mules do it, too. No, we’re not anthropomorphizing. We’re just using this slang term to help describe how horses lower in the herd rank […]

Saddlebag Gotta-Haves

No doubt moving makes you appreciate what’s left behind. Sure, I love Utah. But where’s my Slipstream granola and Eco Lips lip balm? Two great products for day packs and saddlebags. I stumbled across both Iowa products while cruising farmer’s markets and reading local papers […]

First Trail Ride, Part II

The first trail ride with the mule proceeded after she gave me a few bucks and raced towards trees and our fence. (Thank you, trees and fence for stopping us.) Read Part I. Steve and Comet were crucial riding partners. They rode ahead and blocked […]

First Trail Ride, Part One

It is too early to start talking Resolutions? Along with a new exercise resolve, I’ve picked up a horsemanship resolution. This time, it came from the strangest place. Michael Pollan was talking about his new book, “Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation.” He mentioned a […]

Open Space Called

Nothing made sense. Moving again after only a year in Iowa? Buying a house in need of much renovation? Living further from, not closer to family? But when the prospect of moving west became real, we weighed those significant financial and logistical burdens against one […]