These are a couple of the first pictures I took of Chance!! He had not been working consistently at his previous home, so he was a little thinner and far less muscular than he is now. He actually almost looked like a thoroughbred back then. Today, however, he looks like the typical giant warmblood hunter …
Tag: equestrianathlete
The Ride You Give
Yesterday, I read a post from Horse Collaborative called "The Horse Feels What He Feels", by Denny Emerson. Denny Emerson was name "One of the 50 most influential horsemen of he Twentieth Century" by Chronicle of the Horse, and was elected to the USEA Hall of Fame in 2005. He is also the only rider to win a …
An Equestrian’s Other Best Friend
Whenever I am at a horse show I can't help but notice that there are always about as many dogs as there are horses. Every trainer has their trusty companion(s) by their side, or by their stalls, or in their golf carts, or right smack dab in the middle of everything getting in everyone's way. …
Hunter Land
"Ambition. It's either in people or it isn't. That's the first quality of a good rider" - George Morris In the world of equestrian sports, the hunter discipline gets a lot of flack for being "unfair," "political," or "too subjective." I know many people who have said they started competing in the jumpers because of …
Riding a Slug
Chance has been so lazy the past couple of weeks. My usual wild child of a horse has been a slug! Today, I had to borrow a crop from the lady I was riding with to wake him enough to jump. On the bright side, I was able to jump a jump off of a …
Shark Week and Horses
Shark Week starts this Sunday!! Who else will be watching?! I love Shark Week, although I am often at the beach when it is on, so I do not always watch it - otherwise I will be too scared to get in the ocean. I am a total nature and wildlife junkie, though, and I …
Keep Going
Today, a little more than halfway through by run I was hot, sweaty, tired, and I wanted desperately to stop. "Why did I sign up for a half marathon this year?" I asked myself. "Maybe I will just back out, I can't do this," I thought. Then something happened. I kept going. Sometimes the moment …
Being Present
"Wherever you are, be all there." - Jim Elliot Riding brings us into the present moment. It is very difficult to focus on a jump course if we are thinking about work, or school, or all the groceries we need. Even just being around horses on the ground requires a certain level of focus. Riding has always been my …
A Little Monday Inspiration
"I didn't have talent, but I had great Ambition, and still have great Ambition." - George Morris Well according to the king of the hunter jumper world, ambition is all we really need to be great. I believe this to be true. Natural talent is rather useless without the desire and drive to achieve. And …
Off Days
Yesterday, I had the day off of work. After a crazy busy week last week, and a crazy past few months, I felt that taking a Tuesday off of work was a fabulous idea. So, how did I begin my day? Like most equestrians, I rode. I was up at 6am to get out to …
Laurel Ashton Equestrian 