New Years is a time to reflect on the previous year and to wipe the slate clean for the new one. New Year Resolutions are an ancient practice dating back nearly 4000 years. Both ancient Babylonian and Roman cultures used the new year to reaffirm their religious faith. The expectation was that in being better people, [...]
Dear Appy, My barn has a lot of windows, they provide great lighting and a way for the breeze to pass through. Unless the weather is really bad, the windows remain open. But I’m wondering if I need to close them. Last spring several birds used the windows to fly in and out of the barn, [...]
Often riders rely on physical/core strength to ride. Yet, is more muscle really what is needed to ride effortlessly? Or rather, is it the coordination of the right amount of muscle that brings fluid, effective riding? Muscle memory is a commonly used term, but an odd term because muscles have no memory – they just do [...]
There are many reasons for the breath to be free while riding. One is that you stay connected to your parasympathic nervous system – that is where calm lives – so not only will you stay in a good place emotionally, but your horse will sense this and stay calm too. Another is that breathing keeps [...]
If riding were easy it wouldn’t be an Olympic sport. Two brains, two personalities, a million moving parts, and gravity – where do you begin to bring it all together so both horse and rider can enjoy balance and comfort? The answer is: your hips. Apart from the fact that that is where your body meets [...]
Dear Appy, I don’t understand what I did wrong. For many years I lived in a small barn in the backyard of a family with three little girls. They would come to the barn and brush me and braid flowers in my mane and kiss my nose. Sometimes they would climb on my back for a [...]
"I told you to get me a Hunter Green blanket!" When your horse disapproves of your color choice, you’ll know it. Choosing colors can be a conundrum--do I want the light blue or indigo pair of jeans? Does this red top go with these orange sandals? There is a great deal of pressure [...]
Dear Appy I have a rather embarrassing question to ask. I love riding and have a terrific horse. She is under 15 hands, just the right height for me. But I can’t get on her. I mean, I CAN get on but it’s a struggle and I don’t do it “the right way”. The way I [...]
I was going to write this post as a “guide” to rats in your horse barn--a few tips to help you determine if you have rats followed by useful suggestions on how to get rid of them. I realized after drafting a rather dry albeit informative piece that none of my carefully crafted points really meant [...]
When you have learned off your horse how your hips and mid-section coordinate you transfer this learning, this improvement, right into the saddle. Do you ever feel stiff and uncoordinated in your riding? Maybe you know what you want your body to do, but you can’t get it to do it. You may be told [...]
