Endurance Riding

If you had told me a year ago that I would be riding a green broke stallion on his first 50 (which turned out to be a 55) while sponsoring not one, but two juniors (one who was riding a mare), I would have thought you were crazy… but that’s exactly what happened on Sunday […]

I don’t have any photos from this last week as I was alone for each training session, and I believe in 100% focus and connection with the horse when I am training. That is probably the single greatest lesson horses have taught me — being fully present in the moment, something I have often struggled […]

I want to tell you about a horse. A little grey half-Arab mare named Dippi. Five and a half years ago, she came into our lives as a gift from my mentor, hoof trimmer, and friend. She immediately became the favorite on our farm with her larger-than-life how-come-I-can’t-just-sit-in-your-lap personality. She was the sweetest mare in […]

Survivor. It’s the word we use to describe a person who copes well with the difficulties of life. In a tragic event, it’s the word we use to describe someone who has survived the tragedy. Survivor. It’s a pretty word. It’s a strong word. It’s easy to say. It sounds good. It makes so much […]

There are so many stories of heroes from the day the Camp Fire roared through our small mountain communities, decimating almost all of Paradise and its neighboring towns. The Camp Fire was terrifying, moving a football field a second, fueled by winds faster than my horses can gallop. It mercilessly destroyed memory-filled homes, family-owned businesses, […]

One of my students, 15-year-old Jenna Asnault, finished her first 50-mile endurance ride back in November at the Gold Rush Shuffle. Last month, she wrote a beautiful testament of her ride and her experience trying out different equestrian disciplines. Her story is both inspiring and wonder-filled. Reading it brought tears to my eyes…   Passing […]

I had never heard the name Sara Ashley Hobbs before. Not before Candy, that is. Candy is a 13.2 hand Quarter pony, short in stature, but stocky and stoic. She tolerates anybody and anything, coming as close to “dead broke” as they come. She has a soft eye, a shiny bay coat, and a quiet, […]

This endurance season didn’t quite start off the way I had planned… I hit a first. The first time I went to a ride and didn’t start. I had been working out and training hard. My head was finally back in the game. I had dreams of riding through the night with my son, and […]

I usually give myself a few days after any event — happy or sad — to formulate my words and process. Usually, when I sit down to write immediately, the words that come out are much more suited for my journal, because what comes out are choppy sentences, irrational phrases, and often I don’t even […]

I will never look at the madrone tree in our field the same way again. While it has always been my favorite tree, I suddenly have a new appreciation for it. It towers above the black walnut tree, reaching the sky almost as high as one of our tallest pines. Its orange-red bark so smooth, […]