The Stall Street Journal

Oh My Jec, you've once again managed to stir u...

2012-01-11T09:42:40.684-08:00

Oh My Jec, you've once again managed to stir up giggles and laughter as I read another one of your stories. I don't really know how you manage to do it as I'm one of those who rarely "LsOL."

Oh, I can see it all. Thanks for the laugh!

2012-01-10T11:13:16.736-08:00

Oh, I can see it all. Thanks for the laugh!

Picture please! Where is the picture of you in th...

2012-01-10T09:10:22.041-08:00

Picture please! Where is the picture of you in the eggplant chaps? I loved the description, but lament the lack of illustrations!

I recently experienced both the dismay ( a collect...

2011-08-23T17:21:45.290-07:00

I recently experienced both the dismay ( a collection of still photos on fast fire shutter speed) and the quiet relief of a later video which showed me that yes, sitting Bini's passage is really difficult and no, I don't completely suck at riding! I had to seek reassurance from my instructor/photographer in the first case, and felt happily "show off"ish with my sister and her husband's video result.
That's why the mirrors and the eyes on the ground. They save us from self deceit, but reward us as the proprioception and the muscle positioning begin to coincide with numerous tiny corrections and repetition. Until finally, most of the time, what you think your body is doing, it is actually doing!
You're right, Jec, what a thrilling gift!

I recently experienced both the dismay ( a collect...

2011-08-23T17:21:30.249-07:00

I just got your book Equine Fitness and am at leas...

2011-08-10T12:36:04.905-07:00

I just got your book Equine Fitness and am at least half way through. It is chocked full of straight forward information. It spells out things that we horsemen should see as commonsense but sometimes lose sight of when we get working with our animals. And there are many, many things that I just never knew or realized. I am going to start with the exercises for the Preparatory Phase tonight. I am so excited I don't want to stay at work!

So glad I read this today! Not only for a laugh an...

2011-07-19T15:20:10.236-07:00

So glad I read this today! Not only for a laugh and surfacing memories, but to reaffirm that Blue and I are right where we're supposed to be. The trails are calling and we've finally found a trainer who GETS IT!

This is a rich--really rich--piece of writing! Kic...

2011-07-05T17:55:58.722-07:00

This is a rich--really rich--piece of writing! Kick on!

You are sooo right Jec!! I gotta start using this...

2011-05-09T15:23:49.951-07:00

You are sooo right Jec!! I gotta start using this term correctly. I remember executing a canter pirouette using artificial aids (aka large plastic bag flying across arena) in front of a prospective buyer. As I struggled to stay on I managed to think, "This horse is athletic!" Needless to say the buyer wasn't as impressed with all the opportunities this horse could give her using artificial aids. lol!

You are sooo right Jec!! I gotta start using this...

2011-05-09T15:21:55.349-07:00

Great post and advice.

2011-04-20T06:54:12.185-07:00

Great post and advice.

Excellent blog - and you are right - you have put ...

2011-04-13T10:20:10.619-07:00

Excellent blog - and you are right - you have put a name to the thing that drives us to go ride in bad weather, to struggle out to bandage a leg when it is freezing out, and why we haul our asses miles and miles to clinic with a top trainer. Because sometimes we get to just enjoy the moment - and it is GOOD.

Love this post, what a great story/thoughts!

2011-03-16T16:13:25.631-07:00

Love this post, what a great story/thoughts!

after a "work" day of dealing with Urban...

2011-03-13T05:20:26.723-07:00

after a "work" day of dealing with Urban types I find the best time of my day is cleaning the stalls and feeding the horses I take care of. Call it therapy, escaping from the real world or just "getting dirty" it is what keeps me sane. one horse named Hippie is the thinker of the barn. he listens intently to what ever gibberish I tell him then he pauses and wiggles his nose like the Cadbury bunny. Waco is a 34 year old former miserable old retired pacer and he just rubs his head on me for comfort. GI is the freak of the operation. He cares about nothing except getting fed. They are a perfect balance for my emotional well being that i don't need a therapist for.

Anyone who has the mindfulness to notice their own...

2011-03-08T20:43:39.172-08:00

Anyone who has the mindfulness to notice their own deeply contented state is doing just fine! I like weeding, as well as mucking. Zen and the art of mucking--perfect!

Add me to the ranks, too. I'm often grateful t...

2011-03-07T09:44:17.586-08:00

Add me to the ranks, too. I'm often grateful that I have to cut my fingernails short to do massage so that no one can see just how much dirt might've been under them.

I really like your blog! I hope to meet you at the...

2011-02-14T12:51:36.275-08:00

I really like your blog! I hope to meet you at the Sacramento Horse Expo at Cal Expo! I am a first year veterinary student at UC Davis, I have been riding since I was six and just recently started dressage (although I've done H/J, endurance, western, ect.) I currently don't have a horse of my own, but ride everyone else's horse. I grew up wanting to be a horse trainer, but somehow fell in love with science and got through the prerequisite courses and got into vet school. I'm tracking equine and hope to teach vetmed someday. Again, I really enjoy your writing. If you have time/are interested, check out my blog I started about my life in vet school: http://livingmydreamkn.blogspot.com/

I must say, I think I'm going to stay coffeele...

2011-02-03T06:27:38.486-08:00

I must say, I think I'm going to stay coffeeless. I also enjoyed reading your post on the cell phones, I was actually quite surprised with how you ended it, that the text message really wasn't so bad.

Anyways, I found your blog after searching for some books on Amazon. I am considering buying your book, "Equine Fitness". It looks really interesting from what I could see in the couple pages of preview Amazon had and seems to really fit in with some of what I have been studying. I do primarily stock type hunt seat and some western pleasure riding too. However, I have done a fair amount of reading and studying of Classical Dressage.

Amber

made me smile! and made me think i'm not alone...

2011-01-27T08:04:23.499-08:00

made me smile! and made me think i'm not alone....or that you have a camera in my house around dawn LOL!

Very funny post. I still think it's rude to ca...

2011-01-25T20:58:43.265-08:00

Very funny post. I still think it's rude to carry a phone in a lesson though ...

Great fun you had, huh?

2010-12-26T16:31:31.664-08:00

Great fun you had, huh?

I can't wait to see the video about the "...

2010-12-22T08:41:31.934-08:00

I can't wait to see the video about the "FUN of Endurance riding"! Leave it to humans to take a pleasure sport (trail riding) and turn it into an exercise in masochism. I'll stick to the FUN of dressage --I'm too old and impatient to do anything for 5 hours without stopping for tea

So true. The 'descriptions' also seem to a...

2010-12-16T07:55:34.367-08:00

So true. The 'descriptions' also seem to apply for dogs and cats as well.

On the other hand, it's a universal complaint among pet enthusiasts and so makes for a great conversation starter....=P

Hilarious. Hope you're soon feeling better.

2010-12-09T19:37:31.064-08:00

Hilarious. Hope you're soon feeling better.

Oh wow. I'm crying with laughter. It's so...

2010-10-26T20:55:27.025-07:00

Oh wow. I'm crying with laughter. It's so true.

I have a two pronged hay fork that my grandfather used to use. The thing is ancient, the homemade handle flimsy. It's sharp enough that it could find a second career as a weapon, and every time I fork hay around with it I'm worried the metal end will fall off and I'll have to go fish it out of the pen.

I LOVE that thing. My grandfather fed his horses with that fork. I'll probably use it till it breaks and then cry over the pieces, before hauling out the welder and stubbornly piecing it back together.