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 …
Tag: An Equestrian
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 …
Flat Work for the Hunter Ring
Chance has never taken his flat work very seriously. Flat work is very important for jumping disciplines, but he just doesn't buy it. He simply likes to plop around like a plow horse, until I point him toward a jump. Then he takes life seriously and goes to work. After only flatting for over a month at …
Show Horse Life
Yesterday, Chance and I finally made it to a show! He has managed to injure himself before every show so far this year. Not yesterday though, so maybe that streak is over! We went to simply school and hang out. If you have been following this blog for a while, you know that we have had some serious …
It’s Not Just About Height
I notice a common theme among riders, myself included, that the perception of success in the hunter jumper world directly relates to how high we jump. Obviously, grand prix riders - as well as high level hunter riders - are extremely skilled at the sport. However, jumping lower does not mean that we are not skilled …
Healing Trust Issues
Trust is absolutely key to a horse and rider relationship. When it is lost or broken - whether by horse or by rider - it is very difficult to repair. However, I am learning that healing trust issues is possible. Many of you know of the major struggles I have had with Chance; many bad …
Farm Life
As I stooped to pick up yet another pile of sticks while cleaning up the trails my dad has been cutting through the woods on our property, I thought to myself, "this is what being a horse person is all about." Horses and farms are glamorized in movies and books. I am constantly posting pretty pictures of …
A Little Height
Chance has been back to full work for a while now. We have even been jumping 3' again over the past few days, and he has rocked it! It has been a while since we have jumped any sort of height. With working on his behavior all fall and winter, him having time off with …
Having Fun
I find that I often get so caught up in my goals and ambitions that I forget to actually enjoy riding. Horse riding is, in fact, pretty fun. Yet, getting so caught up in perfection can really suck the life out of the sport. A bad ride becomes the end of the world. A head toss is absolutely devastating. Sounds pretty dramatic …
Laurel Ashton Equestrian 