I recently had the very distinct pleasure of meeting Templeton Thompson and attending a fantastic acoustic concert at the Thoroughbred Theater with her and her husband Sam Gay. If you (like I unfortunately wasn’t) aren’t familiar with Templeton and her music, you NEED to read on, listen, and get to know this wonderful horsewoman and country music artist.
Templeton is a country singer and songwriter. Besides writing and performing her own music, she has also written and sung back-up vocals for country greats like Reba McIntyre, Jo Dee Messina, and Little …

It’s no secret in the equestrian world that riders of different disciplines tend to not get along. We all think our own way of riding is the best, which automatically makes all others the worst. Western pleasure riders think us hunter jumpers and dressage queens are royally stuck up, and we think that western pleasure is too easy and boring. I could go on – and I’m sure you could add to – about all the different perceptions we have of each other.
What we tend to overlook is that we …

Of all the things I have to be thankful for in my life, one that sits at the top of my list is having a mom who loves horses too. To be more accurate, it’s having a mom who loved horses first – and shared that love with me.
My mom started riding horses when she was 8-years-old, the only equestrian in a family who was happy to humor their youngest member. She grew up riding huntseat and jumping, got her first pony when she was 12 and then her thoroughbred …

I’m not usually big into surveys, but this is a fun horsey one that’s been making its way around the horse blogs lately. I’ve had so much fun reading On The Bit, Glenshee Equestrian, Grey Horse Matters, and others’ answers that I realized you might enjoy reading mine too. If you have any fun stories of your own for any of these questions, please do share in the comments!
(Hey mom, feel free to correct any of the early riding answers, as you probably remember better than I do!)
1. How old …

I am extremely to fortunate to have grown up with a non-horsey horse dad and now live with a non-horsey horse husband who both have supported my horse habit. I don’t know that they completely understand it, but they have at least managed to live with it.
Horse are a huge commitment. They’re expensive. They take a lot of time. And they also have a huge chunk of our hearts.
Our guys handle our horse passions in many different ways. Unfortunately, there are some who completely resent it; the time, money, and …

I’ve known my husband for six and a half years and we’ve now been married for over half of that. In that time, I’ve trained him to …

bring his Nalgene water bottle home from work (most of the time)
kiss me goodnight
get up and run to bed real fast so that I get stuck locking the door and turning out the lights.

I’ve had my horse for five and a half months and already I’ve trained him to …

lunge
walk/trot under saddle
lower his head when I put my hand on his poll
pick his …

For many of us horse women (and even some of you men) losing one of our horses can be like losing a family member. It’s definitely losing a best friend, even if she’s got four legs, fur, and a tail. We tend to pour our hearts, time, and resources into our horses. That’s a big investment on an emotional level.
I’ve recently said goodbye to horses who have been very important in my life. The first was Classic, a thoroughbred mare whom I’ve known for nearly four years. She was one …