Happy Friday everyone! This week's fitness tip is to get outside! Being outdoors can calm our minds, give us some vitamin D, soothe our souls, and even help us to adapt to weather changes more quickly. Since most of you are fellow equestrians, I would hope that you enjoy being outside since riding requires it! …
Nothing to Prove
I think as riders, especially goal-oriented riders, we have the tendency to feel we must prove ourselves. It makes sense though since there is such a huge emphasis placed on competing in the horse industry. Ribbons and fence height are often used as measures for how "good" a horse or rider is. I think that it is …
Resilience
"Life is rough so you gotta be tough." - Johnny Cash Is that not the truth? In life, we must be tough enough to refuse to give up on our goals and dreams - no matter how impossible they may be. We must have the resilience to pick ourselves up after every fall or failure, …
Simplicity in Healthy Eating
I took this photo at brunch on Sunday. I had an omelet with spinach and fresh herbs, with breakfast potatoes and gluten free toast. I also had a soy chai! This was at a restaurant called Hubbell and Hudson. The meal was simple and delicious, and healthy. Healthy eating is over-complicated these days. There are …
A New Week
Happy Monday, everyone! I am trying this new thing of planning out my week each Monday, and setting intentions and goals for the different areas of my life. Some of my goals for this week include waking up earlier to get my workouts in before I head to the barn, stay organized with my schedule, …
Friday Fitness Tip: Have Fun!
Happy Friday everyone!! As many of you know, fitness is a big passion of mine! I also believe that a consistent fitness routine is part of being a good rider and horse person! Exercise keeps us strong, protects us from injury, keeps us in control over our bodies, and also keeps us in control over …
Wildflowers
"You belong among the wildflowers You belong in a boat out at sea Sail away, kill off the hours You belong somewhere you feel free" ~ Tom Petty ~ Sometimes it's the littlest things like seeing pretty wildflowers while out mowing, or noticing the sunrise in the morning. Whenever life gets to be too much, I …
Rider Weaknesses
We all have weaknesses, as riders. Recognizing our weaknesses can help us to improve them, and work with them. No one is perfect, but being aware of our imperfections in our riding can help us to get better. I would say that my two biggest weaknesses as a rider are that I do not have …
Vegan Stir Fry
Ingredients: *Tempeh* *Mushrooms* *Carrots* *Leeks* *Kale* **Sautéed in olive oil, and seasoned with sea salt, garlic powder, basil, and oregano. Served over brown rice.** I cook the carrots and leeks first. Once the carrots are soft, and the leeks clear, I add the mushrooms. When the mushrooms begin to soften and brown, in goes the …
Trot Jumps
The last couple of weeks, Chance and I have been working on a lot of trot jumps and grids. These exercises are so helpful!! Chance tends to (like many other hunters) just want to barrel around courses all strung out and sloppy. Needless to say, he has never been a huge fan of technical work. …
Laurel Ashton Equestrian 