Me and Izzy doing our first ever dressage bought Izzy as a 9 year old horse, that had been passed onto a riding school for re-schooling, then passed onto us when we origionally rang up about a much more experienced horse. Izzy had been left in a field at her previous owners yard for a year, without any riding, grooming or handling. As you can imagine there was alot to teach her. Although i had been riding for 5 years at this point, it was very shocking how much i didnt know about owning a horse, let alone one that was so inexperienced. We had a very rough first year, i lost my confidence jumping her, cantering out on rides, and catching her. The second year she became lame for 2 months, then when i was able to ride again, had two very nasty falls, and lost all my confidence. I wont go into what happened, but it was nasty. This third year however we have clicked. I dont know what happened, but we suddenly are the perfect match for eachother. I am so glad i never gave up on her, she has taught me so so much, more than i ever would of learnt if i bought the horse i rang up about origionally. I am forever greatful to you Izzy, thankyou for never giving up on me, even when i gave up on you. Thankyou for letting me slowly trust you again even though i did it all wrong.
buying first horse what equipment will i need?
will tack come with the horse?
any advice?
this is my girl addycat star. i call her addy. she is a 16 hand gray dapple thoroughbred. she is an ex racehorse but she is a dream to ride 
just like many girls i’ve wanted a horse bad enough to where i would do almost anything to get one. but we never had the money, space or the time to get one. then we moved to a hose that had basically a horses heaven. once we moved in we began to look for horses everywhere. then my friend by a mirecle trusted me enough to give me her horse. GIVE. this horse had way more training then i have and had a great bloodline. addy was not the type of horse i was looking for. infact she turned out to be more then what i was expecting. shes concidered a push button horse (shes a racer, jumper, dressage, trail, and just a little barral). this was pretty much a dream come true. but owning a horse is a lot of work especially when you raise one alone, but never give up. one of these days you will regret never riding again, or just quiting. when it comes to horses “no excuses just ride”
Image taken on 2005-12-25 03:07:26 by gtmcknight.
Gazette.Net: Bowie horse farm saddles up young riders for first weeklong camp
Jack, who has lived at the Merkel family farm in Bowie for more than a decade, is old, wise and reliable and he’s also a horse.
Read more on Gazette.net
Indiana first state to require drug tests for job training
A new Indiana rule requiring drug tests for unemployed people participating in state-funded job training programs reflects a hard stance that many states are taking regarding public assistance as they struggle with limited financial resources.
Read more on Louisville Courier-Journal
Owning a horse can be a great joy for children and adults, but knowing what it takes is essential for a rewarding and enjoyable experience. This instructional video was developed by Purdue University to educate new and prospective horse owners about the costs and responsibilities of owning a horse. This video discusses basic health care of horses. Purdue University invites you to view three selected sections of their video and encourages you to obtain the full version by visiting www.extension.purdue.edu You can also find more information about horse ownership at www.eXtension.org
I am 13 years old and going to go to my first riding lesson on Saturday. I was just wondering what to expect to be learning and doing. I am taking this lesson because to get into their horse camp you have to take one lesson with them. I am suppose to come early and tack up (i thinks that’s what you call putting the saddle on.) and stay late to clean the horse. What should I expect and will they tell me how to do this stuff?
Image taken on 2008-04-30 15:18:07 by sirwiseowl.