The Horsepower Homestead

For my birthday this year I was in Florida. But I couldn't imagine spending the day without at least seeing some horses. So I found a family friendly trail ride. The whole family tagged along, including my little brother, who is autistic, and we all had a fantastic time. The place I found for us is to ride was horse rescue. And all the money they collect goes back into the care of the animals. I thought it was a great sentiment. The trail ride was beautiful. They took us through trees, around the lake, along the swamp, and down some trails. I saw plenty of volunteers and the horses seemed very content.  For those that are interested, it's called DreamCatcher Horse Ranch and Rescue in Clermont, Florida.  This is Faith. I rode her during the trail ride. She was fun. She had a peppy step and leg yielded great. She is 17 and has lived at the rescue for a few years. She came from a neglect situation in which she was alone (no human or animal contact) for years. She was nea...

My Trainer took me out to an auction house when I was 15 years old. My dad came too. We were there to help my trainer find a new lesson horse. His mare was getting old, and needed to retire. My trainer was also my coach, my lesson instructor, and a dear family friend. We affectionately called him Mr. Bee, as his last name started with a B, and was challenging to pronounce and spell. There were horses crammed into pens. A small round pen surrounded by bleachers and a single wide trailer served as the office. I wandered the pens, trying to find any good options. And there he was. He looked like a giraffe. In a sea of hides and horses, crammed into pens together, his long red neck extended like a flag pole. His head held high above all the other ranch horses, I swear it felt like he was looking right at me. That's the one. That's the one I want I told Mr. Bee. He nodded. He went into the Auction house office and ten minutes later he came back, paperwork ...

I remember the first time I got back in the saddle. May 1st, 2016. I hadn't ridden a horse since 2010. Maybe late 2009.  Previously, I had ridden horses for what felt like my whole life. It doesn't really sound like that much time now. Six, maybe seven years.  But for me, it was like not breathing. I had stopped doing something I loved because it became too hard. Life was busy. I was injured. I was in college. I let life get in the way. Then one day, when I was sad and watching my relationship with my boyfriend fall to pieces in slow motion, I knew I had to go back.   I scoured Craigslist, I called stables, I researched lesson prices, I called all my old friends. I pulled my saddles out of storage to clean and oil them. I bought a new Troxel helmet. I cleaned my paddock boots. I tried on my breeches. Which to my surprise still fit. But at the end of the day, all I had to show for it was a guest bedroom that looked more like a tack ...