“We’re encouraged to ‘lean in’ to the things we care about, the things we fear. But dammit, do not lean into cross country obstacles… Maintain the balance, maintain the distance, and for the love of all things wonderful, sit up and eyes up, keep leg on and wait.” (more…)

“Feeling ashamed or embarrassed can ruin so many good things, and the fear of feeling that way can trap me in a small box of a comfort zone. I can stay there feeling disgruntled and unhappy, or I can push out, push on, keep going and love whatever happens next.” (more…)

“This whole stall rest thing is tough on everyone. It is hard to wait. And it is hard, when progress starts to show, to not go running off the rails.” (more…)

“I’m now a middle-aged, frumpy, gimpy, not-very-good, rider. What am I even thinking??! A sensible person would have quit already.” Libby and Spider head to their first show. (more…)

“So, whether it’s the water, the bank, stall rest, or any of the 2020 shocks that have made it home, there’s always the ability to leave, throw in the towel and limit the scope of life … That said, hard as it might be, usually, the best answer is to go forward.” (more…)

Riding and training horses is full of ups and downs: we can be pleasantly surprised and then we also can be reminded that horses have temper tantrums, too. (more…)

“One way or another… aren’t most of us nutty Thoroughbred folks incidental ‘Cinderella story seekers?’ Many of these horses have stories analogous to gradations of sweeping up the cinders… many find the proverbial glass slippers in their second careers.” (more…)

Dress for the job you want… Or maybe shop for the rider you want to be.  (more…)

“It was like coming out of an odd amnesia, in which I could finally feel the pure sensation of jumping after all these years and LOVED it!” (more…)

2020 seems to be delivering hit after hit — globally, nationally and individually. Blogger Aubrey Graham certainly has not been exempt from this, but that doesn’t keep her from recognizing the silver linings that present themselves. (more…)

As we all grapple with a world turned upside down by COVID-19, competitors like Libby Henderson determine what it means for their training regimen as they work toward the Thoroughbred Makeover while still keeping themselves and their loved ones safe. (more…)

Although Jen Cleere and her horse Louise are reaching the end of their journey together, Jen has examined what her goals as a rider are and and what she wants to get from riding. This self examination has led her to her next horse — meet Ribeye! (more…)

“Like many of us, Boomer now has to deal with a new normal where life is a bit smaller and, often, more stressful.” Boomer has months of stall rest ahead, but Aubrey Graham explores other options as she works toward the Makeover, “come hell or high water.” (more…)

Henri Nouwen said, “True hospitality is welcoming the stranger on her own terms. This kind of hospitality can only be offered by those who’ve found the center of their lives in their own hearts.” Here’s what it looks like in the horse world. (more…)

Every rider has their necessary safety systems — the things they never leave home without. This week Jen discusses hers, those she recommends for others and how those safety nets help her make decisions about the horses she rides. (more…)

On the track a horse’s nutrition is structured to keep them lean and running fast. Becoming a ranch horse, an eventer, a barrel racer, a jumper (or whatever is in store for a horse in its second career) requires time and patience. Brandy discusses how the transition is going with her Makeover horse. (more…)

“For the past couple months, every time I would turn out Boomer, I would watch as he galloped up and down the hills, trotted the flats and meandered happily… There was no discernible lameness, no limping or visible short-step, but something still wasn’t adding up.”

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“He was quiet enough that I also rode him the very first day. I’m not too embarrassed to admit that I cried. To actually get on and have him walk off quietly … after so much time and worry about him, well, my heart was full to bursting.” (more…)

“… if there is a way we can tape a 2020 horse together, train in little bursts and get that sucker both on and off of the trailer in one piece — oh, and survive a pandemic — we just might see you in Kentucky. For now, we’ll be over here in limbo.”

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