The Horsepower Homestead

  I didn't show much as a kid. I did one play day type show at a neighboring barn when I was 12. But my first real show wasn't until I was 15 years old. We went to a county level show. My trainer, a few of his other lesson kids, and myself. My parents came along to help. We brought four horses. Barrister, Chesapeake, Precious, and Nip. I was signed up to ride Ches in a Walk-Trot class and Working equitation. She had never been shown before, and needed the experience. Precious, a veteran in the show ring, was my mount for Hunt seat and Hunter. Barrister, also a show veteran, would be in the English Pleasure and my working equitation class as well, ridden by Alex. Nip was doing a few classes for our under 12 years old age group.   The day started off early. We loaded Nip, Barrister, and Precious without a single issue. But then Ches decided that she didn't want to load. We had practiced a million times. She had been trailered in the past. But today, today she di...

I've always had a thing for pintos. Big colorful messes of fur. Some people love them, some people hate them. Some people think they're wild. Some say the ones with blue eyes are crazy. But in my opinion, a good horse is never a bad color. (That's also the name of a great natural horsemanship book by Mark Rashid  if you're ever looking for an easy read but still solid equestrian piece of literature). My first real riding experience as a kid was on a paint. Her name was Sandy, she was an older mare at a horseback riding camp for kids. She was big and a little lazy. My legs were so short I could hardly kick her into a trot, but I did. I thought she was the best thing ever.  Sandy, Circa 1997   The next paint horse that I got myself involved with was Chesapeake. She was a Registered Paint. Her mom was a QH, she was a palomino named Nip. My dad and my brother rode Nip quite frequently. Chesapeake's brother, Ret, also spent some time at our barn prior to ...