Things I Learned Riding Side Saddle at Ballyduff & Mount Juliet

Never take the p*ss out of a side saddle instructor online before she gives you a lesson. You will regret it!   If you don’t know much about wine its fair enough to judge and choose a bottle by name – who could say no to a glass of antares?   Always pack muscle gelContinueContinue reading “Things I Learned Riding Side Saddle at Ballyduff & Mount Juliet”

Sometimes Looking Back is the Key to Moving Forward

A friend on an online equestrian forum recently created a thread that invited fellow members to post their earliest and most recent photo of them on their horse. I went searching through my laptop for photos while feeling that aside from trying new disciplines not much else would have changed in terms of my riding.ContinueContinue reading “Sometimes Looking Back is the Key to Moving Forward”

F**k It – I’m Taking Up Chess!

I say this at least once a week. In the past it has been due to a variety of reasons from having a toenail removed by a hoof to getting caught in lashing rain at shows while a pony delightedly refused to load. Last week it was having to traipse around a field to catchContinueContinue reading “F**k It – I’m Taking Up Chess!”

Things I Learned Last Week

– Never underestimate the terror a small pig who is innocently minding his own business can strike into a horse fifty times its size and on the other side of a fence#  – Never try to catch a horse when you are in a hurry. They know, they always bloody know  – Unless you enjoyContinueContinue reading “Things I Learned Last Week”

A Ladies Guide to Preparing to Ride Side Saddle

I was asked earlier today by a rider if there were any exercises she could to prepare for riding in a side saddle lesson. Having only recently converted to the sideways side I thought it was only fair to share my experience and what I learned in those valuable first few weeks.   Phase 1ContinueContinue reading “A Ladies Guide to Preparing to Ride Side Saddle”

Oops….I Did It Again

  I went to the RDS Dublin Horse Show last week which can only mean one thing, well two things. 1. Cups of strawberries covered in chocolate (which ends up with me covered in chocolate) and 2. Shopping. Last week in an attempt to control myself I set myself a very specific short list ofContinueContinue reading “Oops….I Did It Again”

What Women Want – Treat Her Like a Horse!

It really only dawned on me the other day. I’d been told the horse had been shod and had just nodded my head in acknowledgemnt that it had to be paid for (for the sake of not giving the non-horsey readers a heart attack I won’t say how much horse shoes cost but lets justContinueContinue reading “What Women Want – Treat Her Like a Horse!”

A Week of Firsts

  “Feel the fear and do it anyway” isn’t that what they say? Well I can safely say I managed to accomplish that this week. My arms might be two inches longer than they were before (unfortunately not my legs!) but I am still in one piece and haven’t sprained my Jennifer muscle too badly.ContinueContinue reading “A Week of Firsts”

These Are a Few of my Favourite Things

To the tune of the song of the same name! Being greeted by neighing and pricked ears each day The smell of creosote, molassed chaff and hay Dark brown supple leather with subtle bits of bling These are a few of my favourite things  Horses that don’t lean when you’re putting their  studs in AContinueContinue reading “These Are a Few of my Favourite Things”