One cool thing about living here is that there are plenty of places to ride. A large portion of the island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which means that the beaches here are public, and access can’t be restricted by hotels or homeowners. As taxpayers, we all own the beaches here and… Continue reading Riding My Horse at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Horses will teach you to be confident and assertive, to take charge of a situation, to control your energy and become a trusted leader your horse will want to follow. I’ve written about that here. A donkey will teach you to wait. And wait. And wait some more. Horses and donkeys are similar in many… Continue reading If you want to learn patience, get a donkey…
Remember my little donkey, Rusty? When I moved, he stayed at the barn where he was boarded because a friend of mine has grandchildren who fell in love with him and they wanted him to stay. They’ve been taking care of him since I moved, but he’s a young, rambunctious donkey and he needs a… Continue reading My little donkey is coming back to me…
Every morning at 7:00 am, I go to the barn to feed the horses, and I go back around 6 pm to feed them dinner. To some people that might seem like a real drag, but it’s one of my favorite parts of the day, especially the mornings. Taking care of livestock is more rewarding… Continue reading Taking care of livestock keeps you grounded…
I’ve been thinking about mindfulness lately. Some people call it zen or a flow state. It’s that mental place where you are 100% consumed with whatever is right in front of you. In a podcast I was listening to the other day, the host was talking about getting rid of judgement as a precursor to… Continue reading Improving my horsemanship by getting rid of one thing…
Baron turned 18 this month. I wish he were a little calmer at this stage in his life, but alas, he is and will always be a thoroughbred, which means that he will always be just a bit more excitable than his colder-blooded cousins. Since I’ve moved, I’ve had to ride alone because the other… Continue reading Bridleless riding on my old racehorse…
Ever hear anyone say “Be Here Now?” Ever hear anyone talk about meditation or mindfulness? Have you ever tried to meditate? I have, and I failed miserably. Do you know how hard it is to clear your mind and be still, especially when all of our brains are so hyped up on digital stimulation? Mindfulness… Continue reading If you want to practice mindfulness, get a horse…
This was Baron’s third trip to the beach, and the first time that I rode him for any distance. The first time I took him, I just walked along beside him because I didn’t know how freaked out he would be. He was pretty freaked out about the water. He’s actually still pretty freaked out… Continue reading Baron’s 1st Real Beach Ride
A few years ago I had a really unpredictable mare who had a habit of dumping me when I least expected it. It was not a good experience, to say the least. Previously I had been pretty fearless. I wasn’t particularly skilled, but I was a competent rider. I was always learning and trying to… Continue reading Having Anxiety and Riding Anyway
I’ll be doing a longer post soon about the logistics of owning a horse on an island, but I wanted to share these pictures of Baron’s first time visiting the beach. I trailered about 10 minutes from my barn and walked him over the dune onto the beach. We walked until we found an empty… Continue reading Baron’s 1st Trip to the Beach!
