“I think maybe going through an experience like that actually gave me a greater sense of confidence. If I could overcome something like that, maybe my relationship with Max would be even stronger than before, and we would both have a better understanding of each other.”
“Somehow, seeing those white strands helped me to understand that my horse is aging. My beautiful, sassy, occasionally high maintenance dance partner is getting older. I’ll admit, this small seemingly silly realization sent me into a bit of a spiral for a few days.” (more…)
Christy Cashman’s debut novel, The Truth About Horses, is due out on shelves later this month. Here’s her personal essay about her childhood horses and how they helped to inspire her novel. As equestrians, this is something to which many of us can relate. (more…)
“Changing horses is my opportunity to figure out who’s in there – inside the horse – and me.” Ever working to learn more, Candace Wade discusses what it means to change horses. (more…)
Reader Julia Kranz shares this deeply personal story about how her heart horse helped save her life and aid her recovery. She purchased Orion 11 years ago, and his presence has motivated her to stay healthy and build a career helping others. (more…)
Candace Wade takes a trip to New York in order to spend a weekend honing her skills and receiving a new assessment of her riding at Fox Run Farm. (more…)
“I am confident that even at 60 I can match the unbridled enthusiasm (no pun intended) of any 11-year-old horse crazy girl. I may have a few more wrinkles than they do but my equine energy burns just as brightly as theirs!” (more…)
“‘Maybe one thing you should take a look at, kid, is why you always insist on backing the losing horses.’… Maybe I’m just stubborn.” Aubrey Graham wraps up the final part of this series by letting us know what the future holds in store for Juice. (more…)
In the second part of her three-part series, Aubrey Graham discusses the quirks and difficulties of bringing along Juice… and how she grew to love him, even through ulcers, vertical rears and soft tissue injuries. (more…)
In part one of this three-part series, Aubrey Graham tells the origin story of Juice — or at least her origin story with Juice, the lanky redheaded Thoroughbred who stole her heart. (more…)
“Hold on to your hopes and dreams. Horses are one of the best parts of our lives and the great joy we get from our partnership with them is too often tempered by sadness, frustration, anger, or grief.”
Raising a child who is both a good loser and a good winner is hard. Teaching perseverance, determination and good sportsmanship is nuanced and difficult. The conclusion I’ve come to? Don’t be afraid to let your child lose. (more…)
When you have a horse in your life for any length of time, the partnership is sure to evolve as you both grow and mature. This week, Jumper Nation writer Gillian Warner discusses just that. (more…)
“Nothing feels better than going to the barn and just enjoying time with my horse, just the way the little girl who fell in love with horses all those years ago did.”(more…)
“As my riding improved, it contradicted every message that had fueled my eating disorder. My body didn’t have to look perfect to function perfectly. It could be a source of pleasure instead of pain. Exercise could be fun instead of torment.” (more…)
Every horse has something to teach us; my accident-prone mare has made a point to teach me a number of lessons (most of which I was not expecting to learn). (more…)
Horse Nation would like to bid farewell and pay our respects to a legend — Bugsy the one-eyed wonder pony. He passed away Tuesday, apparently quietly and at peace. (more…)
Winter blues got you down? Horse Nation writer Kristen Brennan is no stranger to that feeling, but this year she is approaching the cold season with a glass-half-full mentality. (more…)
When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. And when life (or your poor decision making ability) hands you a tree too big for your house, you get two trees! (more…)
When Casey French first got Joe, she knew he could be competitive at the highest levels of barrel racing. However, a series of mystery ailments and a gut feeling let Casey know that something just wasn’t right. Here’s the second part of Joe’s journey. (more…)
When Casey French first got Packin French Socks (“Joe”), she knew he could be competitive at the highest levels of barrel racing. However, a series of mystery ailments and a gut feeling let Casey know that something just wasn’t right. Read the first part of Joe’s journey. (more…)
Laura Emert recounts the importance of horses — and haircuts! — as she works to stay sane after contracting COVID-19 and dealing with the subsequent lockdown. (more…)
“Rather than wearing umbrage like a shield, and retreating behind our screens and into the barn aisles, let’s try to do better. Let’s try to talk to each other, to listen to each other and to trust each other.” (more…)
