You know friends are special people. Annabelle is such a friend–as many of you reading this are–and a true lover of horses to have shared this video with me today. But she shares so many beautiful thoughts about the horse.
But, she does make me jealous too. She and her horses share such wonderful experiences out there just riding as we all want to do, as we all want our characters to do. I truly believe I lived when horses shared our lives.
Annabelle, may you ride on for all of us and thank you.
J
Category: Riding
Great posts here on what to do and not to do while riding a horse. Of course, for us writers who have various characters on horseback and want to make a scene good or bad, this is fodder. Now you know what to do that your character should NOT do but he must do because he’s a character that doesn’t deserve to be on a horse but is so we MUST make him look this bad. Or good because our hero would never do these things…if he’s that hero we dream about.
Have fun.
J
Top 10 Annoying Riding Habits.
via Top 10 Annoying Riding Habits.
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Cowboys do this like quarterbacks throw passes
I can’t throw a foot ball and I can’t rope anything. But I’ve always wondered how this was done. I think the video above is great for getting the idea of how to do this. I bet I didn’t let the ‘tip’ tell me when to toss. And I had no idea that when you rope there were so many parts to it all. So I hope this gives the western writers out there some details for their stories.
In the next video you can see the roping in action as well as some great ideas for contermporary westerns. Cowboys aren’t just in the wagon trail days. So enjoy. I did
Ya all come back now, ya hear,
J
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“LAFAYETTE, N.J. (AP) — Authorities say a fast-moving fire destroyed a barn, killing 22 show horses owned by a noted New Jersey equestrian family and worth tens of thousands of dollars each.
State Police Sgt. Brian Polite says the barn was engulfed in flames when troopers arrived around 2 a.m. Saturday in Lafayette. The blaze was soon extinguished, but all the horses inside were killed.
Polite says the animals were valued at $10,000 to $60,000 apiece.
Betty Hahn, whose family owns the horses, tells a local newspaper that no hay or fuel was stored in the barn, so she’s baffled about how the blaze began. Hahn says her family has competed and won awards in equestrian competitions along the East Coast.”
Man of Integrity…the Big Horse.
Man of Integrity aka 'the big horse'
A horse I owned died in a barn fire like this one. His papers said his name was Man of Integrity. We called him ‘The Big Horse’ because when he put his head up I think it towered over the Eiffel Tower. He was fifteen hands tall, chestnut, an American Saddlebred gelding. But boy could he lift his head to the clouds.
I remember trying to clip the winter hair out of his ears once. Footstool or no, couldn’t reach them. You know that thing race horses wear that covers their face and cups the eyes so they can’t see behind them? Well I had one and for some odd reason I thought about using it that day. Oh, ‘The Big Horse’ let me put it on. No problem…no buzzing clippers. So, I put this racing mask on and had to sit on the ground to clip his ears. Yes, he thought up was down. I’ll never forget that. I still laugh thinking about it.
Before me, most of The Big Horse’s training was in harness. Slap a saddle on the ol’ boy and he was miserable. He loved harness. Even my mother, who feared horses, could drive ‘The Big Horse’. But here’s the thing, Fine-harness show horses are not allowed to break into a canter. They get disqualified in the class for that. So, for at least ten years ‘The Big Horse” was never allowed to canter.
He didn’t make it in the show ring as the Fine Harness , so they clipped his mane and made him a Three-gaited show horse. That meant cantering. He was all screwed up now. And yeah, I bought him…cheap.
He and I struggled with canter leads. He just didn’t know how to break into one. He always hesitated like he would be punished or something–a back lash from his harness days. Once he even reared up and fell over on me . He reared. I lost balance. Over we went. I survived by the grace of God. We both saw stars.
So, I figured out the real problem. You see, one winter I decided to turn the Val and ‘ The Big Horse” out for the winter instead of working them out in the cold. Brilliant idea huh? I brought ‘em in at night, fed ‘em, let ‘em out each morning.
Day One: I let Val out. He took off lickety-split down the lane to the pasture, took the right angle turn like a barrel horse, and off he went kicking and bucking like a spring colt.
I took The Big Horse out. Let him go. He stood there. Didn’t know what to do. Saw Val. Wanted to join him. He wanted to hurry. Tried to canter. His legs were as stiff as toothpicks. He bounced down that lane like a cartoon character. Came to the turn. STOPPED. WALKED AROUND IT. And peg-legged it out to the pasture.
I was totally dumbfounded . He couldn’t remember how to canter!!
Spring: Both horses raced around the right angle turn to the barn at a neck breaking speed like teenagers in a car race. Yeah, The Big Horse had figured out what he had forgotten. And the canter became easier between us.
I had another great moment with him happened in a Three-Gaited Class. Here we were, a girl against a bunch of trainers. Four of them. Three showing and one judging the class. The Big Horse and I had all the applause all through the class and took fourth. Real shocker here isn’t it? The crowd booed first place, second and third, then cheered when I left the arena. hee hee
And then my parents and I sold him to a lady in Chicago. I had decided to marry and move on. And her trainer’s barn went up in smoke. Other horses besides The Big Horse died that night.
You see, horses won’t leave their stalls even if the stall doors are open. Smoke is out there. Flames are out there. Won’t go. That’s why you have to blindfold them. And usually a barn is wood and the floors are covered with straw or wood chips. In some cases, hay is kept in the loft too. So please, keep anything like cigarettes away from a barn, any barn.
It still breaks my heart that I sold The Big Horse. He was a beautiful, wonderful, kind animal with more integrity than most people.
The Big Horse and my dad doing their tricks
I’m in the background
The Big Horse
The Big Horse was… a Man of Integrity
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Native American Horse – Images – Pictures
According to Luigi Gianoli, Horses and Horsemanship through the Ages, about 60 million years ago horses roamed the western plains of the North American continent. They “became extinct in the wake of cosmic upheaval, so that when the Spaniards arrived in the New World, they could find no trace of a horse.” These little guys were about the size of a little dog and ran in herds. Back then, man hunted them for food and drove these little creatures over cliffs. Then, in 1882, professors of Columbia University found the bones of these mini horses “in the Mississippi Basin and at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.” So horses were here.
Then, around the 1600′s, when the Spaniards met the Aztecs, they brought horses with them. When the conquistadors left to return to Spain with the Aztec’s gold, they left their horses behind. Once again, the horses gathered in herds and became the stock of the American mustang.
So, if you are writing a story before the Spaniards arrived in the Americas, remember, the Native Americans did not ride horses back then. Native Americans walked everywhere they went, carrying their belongings or using the domesticated wolf as a pack animal.
Eventually, the Navajo, Pueblo and Apache heard of these “great dogs of the white man” through the trader’s stories or from the few who managed to actually see this animal. By this time the horse had evolved to the size of a large pony and now had a hoof instead of four toes. The Native American tribes had no idea how this curiosity would impact their future.
But the horse did.
From 1600 to today, the horse has been and is revered by all the tribes of the Native Americans. Some came to believe that the sun had herds and blessed earth with them. They were associated with the moon. Or, according to Laverne Harrell Clark in her book ‘They Sang for Horses,” these magnificent creatures have gods riding them or being gods themselves. (I can’t say enough about Ms Clark’s book if you want fantastic details about the coming of the horse to the Native American Indians.)
Young braves soon became adept at stealing horses anywhere he could find them. This theft gave this young men status in the tribe because when they returned home with their prizes, they gave these stolen horses away to tribe members. Imagine a father approached by a successful brave seeking the man’s daughter as his woman. If the young man presented him with many horses, the father would know the young brave could care for his daughter and the father could now give these away as gifts.
The tribes swiftly incorporated the horse into their lives as quickly as we have computers. Horses provided better hunting as well as protection and the tribes could travel farther distances for shelter and food because they ride and could use these ’big dogs’ as pack animals. Needless to say the Native Americans quickly came to love and honor this animal in their ceremonies as well as become experts on riding bareback (No stirrups !) That is until they met the American cowboys and they learned of saddles and such.
Put all this on a time line of American history. By the time of the Westward Expansion and the Civil War–barely two hundred years, the tribes had just mastered horses. Then, the automobile was invented, changing lives for everyone.
You know the history from here. But regardless of whether the truck or car have replaced the necessity of horse, the horse is still revered by the Native Americans. To own one is to have a gift from heaven.
J
Thank you Picturedepot.com for the horse picture.
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Let me introduce you to Claire Ashgrove, a mother, a rider, writer and a lady who is wild about horses. She has also spent a lot of time and money on rescuing these beautiful animals on her farm. As a writer and a rider she knows the challenges of owning, caring for, breeding as well as writing about them. So I hope you enjoy getting to know her and her horse world both in reality and her stories….
Hi, Judy! Thanks for having me on your blog today!
About me, huh? I really hate talking about me. Let’s see, I’m a former sport horse breeder who lives on a small farm in Missouri . I’ve always written, although I didn’t always know I wanted to write professionally. I wrote for entertainment and to live out girlhood fantasies about being a rock star. Even had my own band in my books who I knew by heart – talk about bonding with characters! Now I write romance. All kinds of romance. As Claire Ashgrove I write steamy contemporaries (most often involving horses in some way) for The Wild Rose Press, paranormal romance for Tor, and historical romance. I also write erotic romantic suspense as Tori St. Claire. Why do I write? To answer the question, What if?
What brought me to horses… well, that’s easy. I was not paying attention in Nobel Lit my Junior year of High School and browsing the school’s job listings. A local stable advertised help in exchange for riding time or riding lessons. I was suckered from there. Shortly after I purchased my first horse, an Arabian gelding. And, as with every horse owner, from there it was all downhill! For the first five or six years of my horse involvement I learned about show life for Arabians and Saddlebreds, I went on to compete in jumping and dressage, and I sucked up every bit of knowledge I could find on a lot of other breeds and disciplines. After college and family I began raising and training sport horses, primarily Arabians, Thoroughbreds and Oldenburgs . I still dabble occasionally – this year I have one foal expected any day now – but the business end of horses is pretty much part of my former life.
What’s my favorite? That’s hard. Very hard. I would have to say above and beyond, the Arabian is. However, many of the Arabians I have loved, worked with, and owned weren’t physically able to do some of the sports that are my passion – such as cross country jumping. (In particular, water jumps. And anyone who’s had an Arab ought to understand that remark!) Which pushed me into bigger, more powerful movers, such as the Warmbloods. I’m pretty partial to the Hanoverian breed – and my Oldenburgs are founded on Hanoverian lines.
As to how I incorporate them? Pick a way. Really. I’ve written on the racing lifestyle, on a breeder’s struggles on pursuing the Arabian dream. You won’t see horses so much in the background, but as key elements to the plots in the stories I put them in.
What do I like to see in books with horses… accuracy. Not so much technical accuracy (although that’s important) but behavioral accuracy. For instance, historical romances, where the hero on his mighty stallion goes for an afternoon jaunt with the heroine and her pretty mare. Then, the mare and stallion are tied nose to nose, or wandering around loose. Drives me crazy. It’s very common, but the natural behaviors there aren’t going to allow for the hero/heroine to have an intimate moment under the tree while their horses pretend each other doesn’t exist. Or if a horse is acting up and someone is in danger, that the “savior” comes rushing in yelling, and doing things that puts the possible victim in more danger, because that seems logical to a non-horse person – also drives me crazy. I’m not such a huge stickler on having the appropriate parts of a bridle listed off, but the logical interaction between human character, horse character, and authorial control needs to be logical. Otherwise, I toss the book aside.
Gosh horse books. Honestly, I can’t answer this question. My reading time is so limited that the books with horses that stand out to me are often the ones with bad horse depictions. However, I can say that movie-wise two of my favorite portrayals are in Lord of the Rings – Shadowfax and the Ring Wraith’s horses. Both of those, although fantasy completely, were very awe-inspiring when on the screen / in the text. And Tolkien built the world so believably that Shadowfax and Gandalf’s relationship was completely plausible. Gladiator also has a very powerful, very realistic cavalry scene in the opening.
I have three books, presently, that incorporate horses.
The first: Waiting For Yes, just released on April 20th. This book is very special to me as it was inspired by my former Straight Egyptian stallion’s bloodlines. And he’s on the cover! If you like beautiful horses, I have some very nice critters in the book trailer on my website.
Gabrielle Warrenton gave up everything to pursue her dream of a first-class Egyptian Arabian breeding farm. Her future lies in her new stallion’s success. Though she possesses an exceptional eye for horseflesh, she lacks the training knowledge, and Bahadur Mamoon has a date with the nation’s most affluent show in three weeks. Nothing that would present a problem given his previous credentials. Only, the sellers disguised one critical fact—he’s crazy. Jake Lindsey-Sullivan was once part of an exceptional Arabian training team. Under his mother’s guidance, he developed an instinctual talent, but she was the star, the cornerstone of his life. Until she met a premature death. Grief-stricken and plagued by guilt, Jake abandoned the world of horses. Now an over-the-road truck driver, he evades the memories. When a snowstorm throws two Arabian professionals into close-quarters, they discover an engulfing passion. But will Mamoon rip open emotional scars, or forever seal them shut?
The second: A Christmas To Believe In, released November 2010. This book pulls on the dream of horses that so many of us hold dear to our hearts.
Struggling Thoroughbred breeder, Clint King, hasn’t been home for Christmas in five years. This year, his prize mare’s due to foal any day, and in the wake of his father’s death, Clint can’t stand the idea of returning. Except, Alex is getting married on Christmas Eve, and their mother’s put her foot down. With his mare in tow, Clint prepares to meet a sister he’s never known, and Alex’s unexpected triplets. The one salvation he looks forward to is childhood companion, tomboy Jesse Saurs. Yet when he reunites with Jesse, he uncomfortably discovers she’s become all woman. Jesse Saurs has everything she needs – financial security, a home, and a foster child who’s about to become her son. With Ethan’s final hearing scheduled just before Christmas, her dreams will come true. When she learns Clint and his brothers are returning, she anticipates a holiday reunion that’s sure to entertain Ethan. But on the night of Clint’s return, the ‘brother’ she expected leaves her trembling after a hug. Even worse, Ethan makes it clear Clint’s not welcome. Will Christmas destroy hopes and dreams, or will it become the gift they’ve all been longing for?
The third: Seduction’s Stakes, released October 2009. This was my first book, and is a very unique view on the world of elite horseracing.
McCleery Racing didn’t become a Thoroughbred racing powerhouse by betting on longshots. Maddie McCleery made it a multi-million dollar player through hard work, logical decisions, and a commitment to never involve herself with men who lived on the sport of kings. But when she sets her sights on a two-year-old colt her rival owns, she never imagines the lengths she’ll go to, to bring the future champion home. Riley Jennings wants unobtainable Maddie almost more than the Triple Crown. After his Kentucky Derby win, however, he sees a way to sure-fire victory. His proposed wager stacks the odds in his favor – if her horse wins the Preakness, he’ll accept her terms. If his horse comes in first, they’ll negotiate his way. When the dust settles on the wire, will love claim final victory, or will unexpected tragedy stop them in the gates?
For more information, and the other titles I’ve written with horses – including what’s coming down the pipe – please drop by my website: www.claireashgrove.com
Claire Ashgrove
Dark, Sexy, Timeless RomanceComing To TOR Books January, 2012! — Immortal Knights Templar,Waiting for Yes – April 20, 2011A Christmas To Believe In — OUT NOW!Seduction’s Stakes – 2009 LASR Best Book of the Year Nominee, Night Owl Romance “5 Stars”www.claireashgrove.com
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Oh yeah, I remember the day Pat ran away with me. Pat was a brown pinto mare on my uncle’s farm. Normally, I was lucky to get her to move one step forward at a walk. But one day, my uncle saddled her for me and up I went. But, what the complicated the issue was he had separated her from her foal. I didn’t know that that wasn’t a good idea to not separate a mare from her youngun’. After all, I was only ten and a city slicker with no experience with horses.
Well, the filly got to nickering for her mama and Pat wanted to go to her. She bolted and off we went out the pig lot at a full run, through an open gate to the pasture, along the pasture fence–western saddle slipping sideways. She suddenlhy came to a sliding halt at the corner post…nickered for her baby while I frantically shifted the saddle back up so I could hold onto the horn again.She wheeled around and took off again, galloping back to the pig lot. Another sliding stop and off I jumped ship…or horse. (No I didn’t fall off). Well, she wheeled about and went to bucking rodeo style until the girth broke and the saddle went flying into a mud puddle. And to the barn the mare went. I guess my mom and dad thought I needed riding lessons and so began my riding career.
Yep, horses run away with riders. So, if you want to kill a character in your story, put ‘em on a runaway. If you want your hero to look even more dashing, put your heroine on a runaway and let him save the day.
Horses become runaway for various reasons. For one, they simply want to return to the barn. They’ve had enough of the trek and back they go. This is common with rental horses which could be used in a contemporary stories as well as historicals. Another reason they flee is because something scared them like a falling branch, a loud shot, bang, noise,a sting from a bee or horsefly (they can bite, trust me).In some cases, it can be something imaginary or predatory like smelling a mountain lion. Some horses just like to run off with the rider though. It’s a power thing. The horse knows the rider doesn’t know how to ride and it’s time to scare ‘em. Or it could be circumstantial as it was with Pat and her foal.
But, what do you do with a runaway? I would like to say it was my inborn natural ability that kept me on board but it was the hand of God that kept me from flying off Pat that day. Horses know if you don’t know how to ride. You can tell if someone get into the car’s driverseat and doesn’t know how to drive…they don’t have to say a word. Same thing with horses. Instinct, practice, or body language, but they know. I also think it’s in the touch as how the rider handles the reins, pet their neck. Nerves tremble and they feel it.
Now, some good horses are patient and kind and take care of the rider. Most school horses are like this. But there are those, like people, who are mean, take advantage and are barn runners/runaways, i.e. rental horses. What to do?
Well, keep your knees tight, hold on to the mane or saddle horn, keep a tight grip on the reins. Watch where you’re being taken and watch out for low tree limbs. (Yeah, these limbs are good ways to knock a rider off and kill ‘em or hurt ‘em.) And think…What happened? Is the horse bolting or running? Bolting means he takes off quick, goes a ways, and usually stops as if stunned. This would be a fright as in the sudden noise or sting thing. Running means the rider is going places…likely to the barn but not necessarily.
One choice here is, if you’re going off into somewhere, go with him and keep him running and running and running until really exhausted. This would be if the rider knows the area and how to ride. (for experienced riders and heroes only).
Now of course, you could simply sit back, say whoa, and pull back on the reins. Fat chance that works if he’s a runner. So, here’s something else you can do. I want you to try running forward with your upper body turned to the left or right. Can’t run very well, huh? Neither can a horse if its head is pulled to the side-back toward your knee. The problem with this is two-fold. One: this will be hard because the horse’s neck is very strong. Two: the rein could break while pulling. So pull the other rein and his head/neck toward the other knee. If that breaks too, Pray. And hold on for dear life, keeping your knees tight of course. Watch where you’re going…likely back to the ranch/barn, so all you hve to do is watch for trees and stay low.
And, if the horse is really nasty, he can rear up on his hind legs, buck like a rodeo bronc, wheel about like a top. So, your knees better be very tight in all these cases. If the horse rears, do not lean back but lean forward into the mane to use your weight to press him down. If he bucks, knees tight and hang on. If he wheels, knees tight and hang on.
Now, our heroine’s horse just bolted off with her. She screaming for help, arms flying, trees a’comin’. What’s a hero to do? He races his trusty stallion after her, runs along side her horse, grabs the cheek straps of the bridle or rein, and slows HIS stallion, slowing both horses as he turns in circles. (Now if you want to complicate things more, that nasty horse could back up out of the bridle if there isn’t a neck strap and take off again.) I would recommend the hero to hoist the heroine onto his stallion and led the bratty horse home. (Very convenient for sexual tension here or other things could come up.)
If you want to kill a character off or hurt them, here’s a scenario. First, the horse runs off by some reason you contrive.(see above) The rider loses a stirrup and the horse takes a sudden turn. His knees aren’t tight so off he goes; however, his foot could get caught in the stirrup. Thus, the horse returns to the ranch/barn with a trampled dead body in tow. Or you could ride said character into low branch and knock him silly and off. Concussion time maybe! This could be a minor injury or death as you prefer.
Another way you can hurt or kill your villan or character is to have the horse rear up and fall over on him or her. However, I’m still here even though my walk-trot horse reared up and fell over on me, I don’t recommend trying this for fun. Saw stars, I did. Wheeling like a top simply throws the rider off and is perfect for slipping the foot into the stirrup to be dragged home like a rag.
Carriage horses will also bolt for all the same reasons. So, pulling the team to into a circle isn’t gonna work here. One saving grace could be the runaway is harnessed with a good horse that won’t run. That’s an option to safety. But, horses like to run and sometimes all it takes is one to start it. Call it the herd instinct. Now, in the Celtic days, it is said that a driver could run along the wagon tongue out to the lead horses racing at a full run. But, if there is no wagon tongue, no can’t do. The dynamic stagecoach driver could vault down onto one of the runners and try stopping one animal and drag the team to a halt or he could miss the jump and get run over by the driverless stagecoach. You decide.
I hope by now you have a feel for what to do with a runaway or barn runner in life as well as your books. Remember, the best thing is to keep your knees tight, pay attention, and pray a lot. Or get a trusty horse to start with…unless you want to be saved by the hero.
This is an excellent video on circling a horse
This is an unbelievable horror at a parade…
Otherwise known as mounting a horse or climbing in the saddle. For me,the thought of settling down into a saddle with a live horse beneath it, picking up the reins and fingering them through my fingers is something close to heaven. But getting up there can be everything from grace to a comedy which is what feeds our stories. And mounting has a history of its own.
Prehistoric horses were small, dog-size and over eons grew to the ones we see today. So, once upon a time, mounting wasn’t so difficult. The early rider simply jumped on board by throwing a leg over a bare back. It wasn’t long before he figured out that a blanket held down with a rope, strap or whatever held the blanket in place was a great idea. After all, horses sweat and lather where rubbed as under the rider. But no stirrups were needed or even thought of. Regardless of what you may see in movies of Romans using stirrups did not happen. Yes they had a saddle but no stirrups until the Middle Ages. Until then they vaulted onto the horse or used a mounting block. In fact this feat was part of the schooling of the cavalry. However officers could use a slave or grunt soldier kneel down as a mounting block.
If you’ve ever tried to vault onto a horse, you know this can be tricky. I would recommend starting with a pony. However if you are clutzy like me even that can be difficult. This is the graceful way your hero would mount without a stirrup. While standing at the horse’s shoulder, he would grab a hank of mane, , step back, hop a few times, and in one fail swoop, fling his leg over the horse’s back and voila…he’s on.
Now, for your town mayor, secondary character you want to look like a clutz, when this character tries to mount, his leg will come short of the horse’s back and he will broadside the horse, fall flat on the ground, the horse would panic and bolt, leaving this character very embarrassed because the heroine and a crowd just saw this and can’t restrain the laughter.
Another way to board a horse is to face the horse and simply jump up, lay over the horse’s back, swing your leg over and voila, you are on board. However, your clutzy mayor may attempt this, continue on over to the other side, and land on his head on the ground. And there is every ungraceful moment imaginable between of struggling to keep on board a horse that is intent on turning the wrong way to keep the character off-balance. (Horses do this, you know.)
You may also note that I haven’t mentioned mounting on the left side of the horse. First of all, horses would rather you forget about mounting them at al and leave them grazing in the pasture. They don’t have a preference to left or right. This mounting on the left is a military thing that, I believe, originated or was formalized in the Roman legion. It could date earlier simply because swords were worn long before the legions.
Swords were usually worn on the left side, dangling down the left leg. Now try this….get a yard stick and slide it under a belt you are wearing, find a footstool or chair and try to swing your left leg over the object. Yardstick kinda gets in the way doesn’t it? Now imagine vaulting onto a horse with the left leg. The sword would and could poke the horse, hamper the vault, cause the horse to suddenly move aside and down you go. Don’t move the yardstick sword and try the same movement with the right leg….easy isn’t it. So is mounting. Sword stays out of the way, leg is free to move, horse isn’t poked. Since so much is modeled after the Roman legion I believe this is where mounting a horse on the left side began. But if the horse is always mounted on the left, he comes to prefer it as we do driving on the right or left side of a road.
Now there are other ways to mount as dropping down from a brothel balcony in a form of escape. This is no way for a Cowboy Studly to mount any horse. Think of the horse’s back. ouch. However, if he must escape this way, maybe Cowboy Studly could simply drop down beside his trusty stallion and, as the horse bolts off, he uses the momentum to swing up into the saddle. The trick here is a western saddle though. Thanks to the horn, the cowboy can do this. If, and I repeat, if our Baron von Hero grabs a hank of mane as his trusty stallion bolts off, he may be able to swing up into an English saddle but that’s pushing it. Just think of the plot twists, complications etc that you can drum up for our Baron here.
The traditional and formal way to mount is to gather the reins in the left hand, place the left foot in the stirrup, hop slightly for momentum and step into the stirrup and lift up, swing right leg over, and settle softly in the saddle. That’s the right way to do it. However, what if the horse is tall, the stirrup is long, the horse moves out, you don’t hop right? Oh the fun you can create…
Here’s another one, what if the girth is loose and the saddle comes down to you? Every rider has had this happen many times. And the reaction of your rider/hero can be very character revealing. He explodes on the groom for not tightening the girth enough. He kicks the horse. Or he could laugh at himself and simply undo the saddle, carefully slide the saddle back into place, sliding it from mane toward tail–not heaving the saddle back up the horse’s side and twisting the back hair. Our hero then tightens the girth , knowing the horse has once again taken a deep breath . He waits until the horse breathes and tightens the girth again. Up he goes this time. Or our hero could have the groom hold the far stirrup while he mounts.
Here’s another senario…the Mayor Clutz gathers the reins, places his foot in the stirrup, starts his little hop and the horse steps aside. He has to hop with him, and the horse moves and he hops, and the horse circles and he hops, hangs his foot, slips and falls and the horse stops to stare down at him, eyes gleaming with glee. (Horses do that too.)
And there is the horse that steps backward and Mayor Clutz lands on the horse’s neck that suddenly lowers and our mayor slides to the ground, horse grinning this time (They do that, I swear.) However, if the horse steps forward, the mayor gains a bit momentum and up he may go (if you want him to that is). Or the mayor simply could use a car fender, fence, stump, or the handy-dandy mounting block usually used by the ladies to mount that nag.
Ah yes, the ladies who wish to ride. The lady simply climbs the few steps as the horse is brought along side. She gathers the reins, slides into the side saddle, adjusts her skirts, straightens her bonnet, fixes the whip on her free side and nods to the groom. If this is not the heroine is less pretentious as maybe an Indian princess, Celtic warrioress, etc, she’ll show the hero how to mount a horse like air itself.
So getting on board a horse is an art that offers unlimited choices to the writer to use. Trust me , every combination that you can imagine for your hero or heroine to mount a horse has happened sometime somewhere.
Here’s a video showing the basics
Now for a few odd ways to mount: I read once where horses were trained to lay down and be quiet (probably blindfolded) for a surprise attack somewhere. On signal, the horses would rise up from the ground like specters with riders on board. Would scare me if I saw this. Lots of training going on here. Native American Indians come to mind as well as ancient Egyptians, but I’m sure others did this as well.
The one that makes me grin is when Sir Hangsalot is hoisted up in a tree and hangs there for his page to bring his charger beneath him and then lowers the knight into the saddle because the early medieval armor was just too heavy for any traditional mounting. I can still see him hanging there when an attack suddenly causes the charger to charge off with the page. And the attacking knights arrive with their long lances and just poke Sir Hangsalot until he is swinging and twirling around and around. Poor guy. But I still have to grin at the image that goes through my mind.
So, you see mounting a horse isn’t as simple as it seems. But it sure is worth the effort.
J
Terminology is a bummer. But then, it does make our stories a bit more realistic if you know them.For example, I”ve read where the rider may kick his horse in the ‘flank’ to get him moving. That’s a problem? Do you know where the flank is? If you do, you know that nudging or kicking a horse in the flank is darn near impossible, certainly not in proper form as you have your hero riding now. If you don’t know where a flank is, well, picture a horse and , see where the hindquarters meets the belly. It’s where the rodeo ‘flank’ strap is drawn tight to make the horse buck and kick.(The bull or horse is trying to buck that strap off) So the flank is at least 18-24″ away from the hero’s heel. Nudging that far back puts the rider way out of form, off-balance and likely to fall off because the horse will likely bolt forward. (now some horses won’t move no matter where you kick them) To nudge that old nag forward, just do so with the heel to the belly. That works just fine.
Okay another term…Did you know horses were measured by ‘hands’ from the wither to the ground? Got ya lost? A hand is literally a hand measuring four inches wide–across the knuckles, palm side. The wither is where the neck meets the back. So you start at the ground of the front hoof and go up ’hand over hand’ to the wither–counting. Ponies are 14.2 hands and under, horses are 14.2 hands (a small horse) and over, easily 15-16 hands (an average horse). Draft horses can measure up to 17 hands or more (That’s 68″ or 5’8″ just to the back of the horse…not including head and neck…now that’s big.)
And did you know that there were two kinds of western saddles–one for roping and one for cutting? You can identify them by the pommel of either. (that’s what the horn sits on). A roping pommel will be smooth on the sides so the rope/lasso doesn’t catch when the rope goes tight. A cutting pommel is indented to catch the rider’s knees before he gets tossed off as you could see easily happening in the video on cutting horses back a few blogs. I believe the cutting saddle originated from the Roman army saddle.
Remember the Frisian horse’s mane in the sidesaddle video not main or Maine etc.
Muzzle is the velvety nose he sniffs you with, puffing air gently out of curiosity seconds before he decides to nip or taste you.
A horse’s back should be short for strength. If too long the vertebrae can easily sway thus called swayback.
Legs like humans can be knock-kneed or bowed but are prefered straight.
Hooves can pigeon-toed or splay out but neither are ideal but should point forward.
The pastern or the joint above the hoof should be long for a riding horse, short for a draft. Why? A longer pastern is like a shock absorber thus a riding horse should have a longer pastern for a smoother ride. However, a draft horse should have a short pastern for strength but then he’s not good for riding….think solid rubber tires on a Model A . Yeah, that rough. Exception: a Percheron has a longer pastern and a straight hoof. I believe this draft horse was bred for carrying the knight-in-shining armor.
Terminology is a bummer but is always there so here are a few files that will help clarify. (Thank you Shirley Drew Hardwick for her Stephens Collage manual on Horsemanship, 1965 and Colliers Encyclopedia vol 12, 1967) Hightlight and print as needed….
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- The western saddle and cutting and roping saddles
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- English bridle and bits
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- The English Saddle
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- The necessary points of a horse
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- Parts of the harness
“Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh, over the hills we go, laughing all the way. Bells on bob-tails ring, making spirit bright….la la la la….”
We’ve ridden and now we are riding in high class…in a coach, sleigh a barouch, brougham, calash, chaise, chariot, dray, fiacre, fly gig, hansome, phaeton, victoria wagon, stagecoach…the list is very long indeed. We’ve riddin in style and we’ve ridden rough, but we’ve ridden on something at some time or ‘nother or dreamed about it during the holidays.
I’ll admit that my time driving horses is very limited. However, I did work one of my horses to harness, which he loved. In fact he preferred harness to the saddle. My mother, who kinda avoided the horsey things, loved to drive him about the pasture. It was a wonderful experience. But, if you’ve ever seen the Budweiser Clydesdales, you can easily see that it is an art.
One of my favorite books is God is an Englishman by RF Delderfield. It is a story about a man Adam Swan becoming a rich teamster. One scene that brings tears to my eyes everytime I read it is when a coal mine collapses on a wintery sleety night. The mine was filling quickly with water, miners were trapped and the rescuers needed that pump now.
“Lovel himself backed the first of the horse into the single shafts and a great broadchested Shire the only horse present that would have caught his eyes at an auction. Then, with a volley of shouts, a snapping of leather, and the pleasant jingle of metal, nine other horses were added to the string, so children prancing in the snow forgot their grief and terror of the moment and stared wide-eyed at the cavalcade, seeing a sledge made ready for a winter journey by a warrior king Llewellyn or Arthur himself.” (Carroll & Graf Publisher, NY,p299)
The hitch ended up with twenty-four horses pulling this pump up this steep incline, struggling for footing with each attempt. This scene is one of the most powerful scenes about what a team of horses can do . It’s the beauty, the strength of men and horse working together. Be sure to also read Black Beauty by Anna Sewel, a first-person autobiography of a horse from birth to being retired to pasture.
Of course draft teams ( the big horses) aren’t all that we see harness. There are stagecoaches, wagons, and elegant coaches pulled by lighter breeds of horses. Here is a bit of lingo regarding coaching you may want to use now and again.
A carriage may be open or closed, but the cover is called a head or hood. “Draw the cover, Howard. Its going rain.” The wood or leather fore part of the carriage is the dashboard (and still is in a car and now we know why) An extended side piece is the wing and the step up into the carriage is foot iron or footplate that tears the hem of her most wonderful gown. The driver sits on a box or perch at the front is known as a dickey box and is also for seating for the servants sitting at the back. “You’ll ride in the dickeybox, Clarence,” the coachman ordered from his box. And the footman may use a small platform called a footboard or rumble seat in the rear. ”I’d rather sit in the rumble seat, thank you,” Clarence announced. The underneath is the undergear or undercarriage where the wheel axles will certainly break during a thunderstorm on a lonely muddy road late at night. The driver of a carriage is a coachman. Servant in livery is a footman or piquer. Attendant on horseback is an outrider.
Those heros and heroines rich enough to own a carriage weree referred to as ‘carriage folk or carriage trade’. (If they only knew) They may use a ‘lap robe” to cover their laps or a buffalo robe obviously from the American bison that was backed with fabric. A carriage boot was fur-trimmed winter wear. A carriage horse or roadhorse was an attractive stylish horse used on “Sunday go to meetin’ days” in the park. A dog was a carriage dog or coach dog bred to run along side the carriage or to ride up with the driver. I thank Wikipedia/carriage.
But how about driving these horses…sit back and enjoy this amazing video about what a great coachman can do with
Now enjoy dashing through the wintery wonderland with the Budweiser Clydesdales and Miller Highlife…\
ww.youtube.com/watch?v=sXvAVtwbemE
May your hearth be warm, the food delicious, the family safe and healthy, and may all your dreams come true this new year.
Judy
The Pony Express …A fun video on the Pony Express and Bonanza… Enjoy
Exciting isn’t it? I bet they took off like a blister at a full run…for show. But I guarantee you, they didn’t keep that pace of a full run as seen in pictures, film, and likely books. It was fifteen miles to the next relay station and a horse is only good for barely two miles at a full run. Even the Belmont– the longest race of the Triple Crown is only a mile and a half long . But, at a nice hand gallop (medium speed), a conditioned horse can go for fifteen miles.
My point here is …if our hero hears that the heroine had been taken hostage by the villain in the town’s saloon and our hero bolts from his ranch on his trusty stallion Speedy (that has been his friend on lonely night, spots bad guys before he sees them, carries him everywhere) our hero can not race into town if it’s more than two miles away. If our hero cares anything for his animal, he won’t ride like he may drive a car (as horses sometimes are in books and in Hollywood). What he will do is ride like the pony express rider and go at a gallop and never at a run.
But, let’s just say he does run Speedy into town or should I say toward town. Speedy would try to please the hero but then would collapse and likely die after trying to run past the two miles. This is called ‘running a horse into the ground.” Quite literally. Nothing heroic here. Same thing after fifteen miles at a gallop which explains why the Pony Express relay stations were fifteen miles far apart.
Another issue….conditioning. Is our horse just out of pasture or in condition? Thought:Could you run the Boston Marathon? I can’t run down my driveway much less a mile or a block.
This brings up the next faux pas….As any runner knows, once you come to the finish line you DO NOT stop. You slow down and walk about until your heart rate slows So, this race into town to the saloon, sliding to a dramatic halt, vaulting from the saddle, throwing the reins around a hitching post, and racing into the saloon does not work. This is like driving a car again. A car can just stop; a horse can’t. It likely will kill him via the same heart attack as it could a runner.
But the heroine is about to be raped! The hero does not have time to walk Speedy down. Suggestions…toss the reins to the wind and let Speedy wander the street, or better yet, have a local kid, local bum, passerby yell, “Got ‘em, Hero.” and this person takes care of Speedy while Hero takes care of the villan. But don’t tie Speedy to the hitching post and just leave him. For those writing in Regencys or non Westerns etc, you may have the butler or a groom ready to take Speedy to the barn/stable. It delights me to see a writer not forget to care for their horses. But to dismount, race away, and leave the horse simply parked out front usually in winter or on a cold night makes me think bad fuzzies,bad fuzzies.
Another thing…If the hero does race into town, ties horse to hitching post that has a watering trough for the horse to drink, races into the saloon, saves the heroine and he then walks out with the heroine in his arms to return to the ranch, he’ll find Speedy dead or extremely ill.Again, back to the marathon runner who walks his heart down to normal. He also doesn’t drink anything especially cold for a while. This is too much shock to one hot body. Same for the horse.
Such a scene really sent me over a wall when I read where the hero ran (not galloped) his horse into town, reins flying, horse lathered, slid to a stop at a hitching post with a watering trough, and bolted into the saloon to save the heroine…NOOOOO! Don’t do this to a horse. alive or in fiction.
Please! After working at least a thousand hours with horses, I know (and everyone who works with horses knows) you NEVER let a hot horse drink until cool…which is why this is called ‘cooling down.” (Nice statement for a hero to say I might add ”Stoddard, see that Speedy is cooled down,” Rhett said as he raced up the steps.)
So NEVER run a horse a long distance. If in a hurry, just gallop. NEVER just stop…have some one there to take over the care of this horse. And NEVER -EVER have a watering trough, pond, bucket of water or whatever available to a hot, lathered horse to drink from.
They had someone at Pony Express relay stations to take care of the exhausted horse and so can you. Horse lovers everywhere will send you warm fuzzies if you do.
What is it like to ride side-saddle? Okay, sit sideways at your computer while you read this. That should do it.
While I’m not by any means an expert on this style of riding, I’ve ridden side-saddle a time or two, dressing up in the ‘ladies’ attire and showing in one exhibition class. However, as writers of history, this is something we must know for our heroines and their stories.
Our heroine’s form does not change riding side-saddle:head up, shoulders back…heel down. However, she will most likely ride with a riding crop or whip on the side void of her leg and grip with the horn of the side-saddle with her legs…believe me, she will grip that sucker. It’s fun. It’s elegant. And all else stays the same…
This video of a lady dressage rider riding side-saddle shows how ragal this style of riding can be. (The horse is a Friesian)
“Would you jump side-saddle?” and a bit of side-saddle history ta-boot… ( a fun video with the Dixie Chicks)
For more detail information about the side-saddle, here’s a site for the NEA Side-saddle Association.
http://www.sidesaddleinfo.com/attire.html
Now, I say that women riding side-saddle was a man’s idea…not wanting anything other than himself between a ladies’ legs. His loss tho. Or, it could have been her idea, being able to wear those glorious, gorgeous riding attires. I don’t know, but it sure does feel cock-eyed to me.
Keep writing and riding,
J
So, up to now, we’ve spent time learning what it takes to ride a horse. Hopefully you’ve discovered that the bridle and reins are not as important as how you sit the saddle…knees tight-always, heels down, calves lose and moveable, weight centered under torso, shoulders back, and head up….the ballroom posture. And you’ve learned and hopefully seen how these aids communicate to the horse without a bridle. But let’s face it, the reins/hands definitely have a presence and a use. Held no higher than your belly button. But most of all, remember it’s the gentle touch to the horses’ mouths that matter. Doesn’t take much as seen with the water in the coffee mugs.
But to make all this work in concert…or how to make your horse dance. First thing is you can’t take just any horse out of the pasture and make ‘em dance. It takes hours of patient training and work. Of course our hero and heroine are offered this time since horses are their entertainment (the hunt or morning rides in the mist) or transportation to wherever they go…tis by real horse power.
No matter how or what they ride, they will use the aids I have shared with you: weight being the most influential, legs second, hands being the most obvious, and voice…the weakest of them all. Yes, I haven’t covered the voice aid so here goes…”Whoa. I said WHOA! STOP, DAMN YOU! WHOA!!” Yeah, kinda like talking to a teenager. That’s why it’s the weakest aid. However, the strength of the voice isn’t in the words but the tone of voice. It is said that horses love the Irish brogue…well so do I and can believe this. If our hero speaks, his horse will turn its ears back to listen and will respond to the tone: frantic, calming, assuring, worried.That will communicate down through the horse to the way the hero is sitting: nervous, alert, ready. And horses are amazing at nonverbal communication:your seat in the saddle, your walk, your touch, your voice. They figure that out quickly and adapt.
Again, ballroom dancing comes to play here….the instant the heroine joins a dancer, she knows if her toes are in danger. It’s the way he places his hands on her, the instant he moves to the music, the command he takes as lead. She also knows how to make him look graceful or like a fool…So does a horse. Oh, the options ripe for writers! To make a horse misbehave, think how your heroine can make her dancing partner look foolish on the dance floor. Or how she can cover for his mistakes/flaws if he has any.
Here’s a new ballroom to enjoy…the show arena full of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I”ve seen these guys ride and they are fantastic. I couldn’t believe my father’s stating that “It’s the horses doing that, not the riders.” I almost hit him. Remember, horses would just as well be grazing in a pasture, so they are performing to please the rider.(Note how calm the horse is with the drums pounding on his back and the music…thought I was at a football game.)
Enjoy:
Here’s a second part of the show that shows even more ’gymkana” riding that originated in the Roman Legions cavalry.
Enjoy part two if you have time:
Oh, we’re not done …we have to ride sidesaddle and so much more.
So, if you want to make your heros riding like studs, stay tuned and stop by often.
Keep riding and writing,
J
The cowboy wipes the sweat from his brow with his forearm and then plops his cowboy hat on his head to shade his eyes from the brilliant setting sun. With a heavy sigh, he pats his loyal horse on the shoulder, getting a swish of a tail for an answer. He steps into the stirrup and swings up into the saddle and sit for a while, enjoying the sunset after another long day of branding, and scans the field of grazing cattle. He smiles and picks up the reins.
Sooo, how’d he pick up the reins? With one hand.
If you still have the coffee mugs and extension cord out, we’re going to see how. With one hand, scoop up both cords into your palm and close your fingers over the cords. They should be coming out over the first finger/pointer and dangling down out of your hand from the little finger. That’s it. That’s how he is holding the reins.
Now, move the hand to the right, imagining the cord/rein touching the horse’s neck… now left. That’s neck reining. The touch of the rein to the neck signals the horse to turn left or right. Now, bend your wrist in toward your belly button…that’s stop. This should be very gentle and subtle because of all the other aids we’ve learned. (legs and weight).
So, to turn left, our cowboy nudges one calf/leg into the side of the horse (not in the flank.That is too far back). He shifts his weight back and right in the saddle as if to let the horse go around him. and reins to the left with his hand Wanna go faster…lean forward (Don’t move the hand forward; it will go forward naturally), and gently kick with the heels. Wth hours in the saddle, all this become as natural as breathing to both horse and rider.
Here is a video of bridleless cutting horses. Note the rope around the horses’ neck. The cowboy uses this to ‘neck rein’ the horse toward the cow he wants to separate from the pack. The cow, being a herd animal, will try to get back to the group. It is up to the horse to keep him away…enjoy watching cutting horses at work. It’s fun and hold on….
So, a bit about riding Western… but riding is riding all the same, head up, shoulders back, hips under ya, heels down and hands belly high.
“Let’s go, Scout. Chow’s awaitin’,” the cowboy says. The horse swishes its tail and moves forward as the cowboy tips his hat to you and rides off.
J
Rain- water falling from the sky: Reign-a king’s time on the throne: Rein- part of a horse’s bridle, leather or rope attached to a horse’s bit and is held by the rider…usually. (Don’t make this mistake. Trust me; it happened.)
A heroine can easily tell what kind of lover a man is by how he handles the reins of his horse and thus his horse. That is the Lover’s Touch….
To understand this you will need: two coffee mugs sitting no higher than an end table NOT near your computer, one extension cord or twine or ribbon 5-7 feet long, and two cups of water. Place the mugs 4-6 inches apart on table about three feet from where you are sitting and thread the extension cord through the coffee mug handles. Pour water into the mugs to brimming full.
Mount your mount/your chair or ball facing the mugs. Pick up one fake rein with one hand and lace it…around your ‘pinky’/little finger, take it across your palm and over ‘pointer’s’ /first finger’s first knuckle and hold with your thumb….do this with the other fake rein in your other hand. With the thumb and first finger pull the rein in the opposite hand until there is tension between you and the coffee mugs. Do again with the other rein until you feel contact. (This is how you hold and shorten reins… no kiddin’) Notice the water shaking in the mugs as you do this….this is communication to the horse…he knows you’re about to do something.
Sit up, eyes on the mugs, shoulders back, hips under you. Hands no higher than your waist. The position of the hands are preferably at a 45 degree angle at your wrist…not flat, not vertical, and relaxed. Remember: the mugs are the horse’s mouth and the water is your communication to it.
Now QUICKLY tighten your LEFT ’pinky’ finger. Did water splash, tremble out of the LEFT mug? Did the mug move? Try this with the right ‘pinky’. You are telling the horse to turn left or right. (You knew this…right?)
Now, SUDDENLY grip both reins with both hands…HARD. What did the mugs do? Jerk? Splash? If you wanted to, you know you could jerk those mugs right off the table. Now think…if the bit was in your mouth, how would you like being jerked around like this?
A rider can have soft hands with an easy touch/a lover’s touch, or hard,abusive,hands/a cruel touch. Knowing this, you know how to make a character mean, heartless, cruel, commanding, angry and uncaring. Or, as your hero/heroine will be …soft, gentle, caressing because he or she needs only that touch to say what he or she means.
As for the horse- all horses are born with a ‘soft’ mouth as lover’s hearts…and become hard with hard/cruel use. Ride gently my friends, communicate softly.
Watch the riders in the video and see if you see movement in the legs, weight and hands:
(Trust me, a horse would prefer just grazing in a pasture and moving at will. These horses are doing what is asked.)
But what if your hero is a cowboy,how does he hold his reins…or if there are four reins?….Stay tuned. That’s next
Ever noticed how still a duck is on top of the water but is paddling like crazy below. There’s a saying that goes something like this….but this is much like riding a horse. So let’s see how this is done on horseback.
Since this is interactive, you will need a chair or a large exercise ball (this being the most fun). Straddle it. Okay now, head up, eyes front, shoulders back, arms relaxed at your side, hands no higher than your navel, back straight, hips directly under you. Knees against the ball or chair, heels pointed downward. Take a deep breath, let it out, relax but do not lose your frame/posture. You’ll note that, aside from arm position, this is also the perfect ballroom posture which is why your hero is also good on the dance floor…her too for that matter.
Now slump, and notice how that feels. This is how a town mayor or other minor character may ride if you want to look them to look frumpy. Back to the proper posture…heads up, shoulders back, heels down….wait, we haven’t gotten to the heels yet.
Now the part below water line, the busy part…
There are four aids to riding…voice, hands, weight, legs. We’ll start at the bottom the feet. Heels are down for two reasons. One, the heel acts as a shock absorber and two, it’s to keep your foot from going through the stirrup. If your rider’s foot shoots through the stirrup, he could fall off and be dragged to his death. (A nice option for getting rid of a villain or victim. ) Ideally, unless being used to nudge the horse along, the foot is best positioned slightly behind the knee. Calves are kept slight back but under your hips. Now, grip with your knees and swing your calves back and forth. Press your left calf to the chair leg or ball.Now your right calf. This is how you nudge the horse forward or sideways . On a well-trained horse, it only takes a slight pressure. By the way….your rider will never kick a horse in the flank. The flank is behind the horse’s belly. Your rider will kick or nudge the belly of the horse.
Now, the knees…. They are everything to riding. AT ALL TIMES, they are kept tight, never shall there be sunlight between saddle, horse and the knees, unless you want your rider to fall off. So, grip the ball or sides of chair with your heels…what happens??? Your knees point out, don’t they? This is why your rider falls off if he grips with his heels.
Why tight knees are important? Knees are the connection to the motion of the horse’s center of balance-its shoulders allowing you to feel each movement of the horse. Knees also keep the rider on board regardless of what the horse is doing. Think of a tight bar running through the horse’s shoulder and bolted to each knee. Lose contact here and off you go. Watch a rodeo bronc rider and you’ll see how important his knees are to staying on.
The second aid…your weight. Shift forward on your chair, up on your crotch. Now, sit up. Now, sit down and back on your haunches. Each of these tell the horse to do something. Lean forward…run. Up …slow/relax. Back and down…stop. The Native American Indian would drop his reins, using his legs and weight to maneuver his horse, to shoot an arrow into a charging buffalo.
Amazingly, reins not all that important on a well-trained horse…Watch this video Stacy riding without bridle or saddle and see what I mean.
So, you can see that riding is much like a duck paddling in a pond…still on top and working like crazy below. More on hands and reins in the next blog…
When I was a girl, I visited an elderly lady next door who fascinated me with stories of living on a prairie farm, hitching horses and going to town as if it were nothing more than getting in a car. It was a simple occurance…like chores, slopping pigs, feeding chickens, collecting eggs, and hanging out laundry.
Time has passed, more than I want to admit, and I’ve noticed that we are getting farther and farther from these simple roots. As a writer, you know what I mean. We spend a great deal of time researching little known facts to make our stories come to life as accurately as possible. We want our readers to not only enjoy our stories but live them. True, we may only use ten percent of what we’ve learned but, if what we share gives our readers this true-to-life experience, we are overjoyed.
We want our stories to be as accurate as possible…the right period clothing, the right foods, the right manners…but how about riding a horse correctly? Oh we can find information on basics of horses and horsemanship. But wouldn’t you like to know the touches that could make your riders stand out and shine or look more ridiculous if you wish.
This is my goal. I hope you join me in this interactive journey into the horse world. Now, get ready to ride.
I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do “I Am-Horses”
