Happy first day of summer everyone! Today is the longest day of the year, and it is a full moon tonight - a "strawberry moon" apparently! As we head into the summer months, we must remember to adjust our horses' care for the heat so that we can enjoy plenty of summer fun with them 🙂 …
Category: Writing
My Horse Show Dad
With Father's Day this Sunday, I figured I would brag about my dad today! Most non-rider horse show dads act bored, confused, and oftentimes just plain uninterested at horse shows. Not mine. He can watch the hunter ring for hours, not only without a complaint, but with interest and knowledge of what is going on. He …
Reaction
Chance has been quiet as can be the past couple of weeks since summer kicked in. That changed a little bit today. It actually was not too terribly hot this morning, there was a nice breeze. I guess he got a little excited about it. He started out lazy on the flat, and over the …
When Things Don’t Work Out
"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." - Randy Pausch All of us ambitious types set goals for ourselves. We plan and work hard to achieve the things we desire; and oftentimes we do achieve them. But what about when no matter how hard we try, things just don't work …
A Perfect Ride and Terrible Weather
Yesterday was one of those perfectly magical rides that I never wanted to end. Even with thunder rumbling in the distance when we started jumping, Chance was quiet and we were completely in sync. My eye is improving at the bigger jumps, and he is not building quite so much throughout our courses. We only …
Calming the Spook
Horses are very sensitive animals. As prey animals, they instinctively are very aware of their surroundings. They know when something is different, and they can sense things we may not be able to see. This often leads to spooking. Horses are called "dumb" or "crazy" for spooking at some invisible phantom, or for peeking at a new …
Making Time to Ride
A few years ago, when I first began working as a real estate agent, people would often ask me if I still found time to ride. I always replied, "yes of course," as if that could even be a question I would think to myself. I have ridden for nearly fifteen years. For a few …
Bad Horses
I have always loved bad horses. Not dangerously crazy horses, but the horses with a little sass that make you work for their respect. The horses that won't pack you around, but demand the same level of focus and accuracy that you desire from them. The horses that are just a little hard. That has …
Endless Possibilities
As an ambitious, goal-oriented person with big dreams I have always had a hard time with not moving forward at the pace I would like. I often think about how far I have to go to get where I want. I am also extremely hard on myself, as well as very critical of my every …
Earth Day for Equestrians
Happy Earth Day everyone! Between doing outdoor chores, meeting with a barn builder, riding, and running I spent this earth day entirely outside; and I would never want it any other way. But earth day is not just about playing outside. It is a day that we can use to raise awareness about the importance …
Laurel Ashton Equestrian 