Jayne is an avid writer, equestrian, riding instructor. She's thankful for all the horses she's had the opportunity to partner with throughout her lifetime so far to make her the person she is today.
“So hard to find my way, now that I'm all on my own...” Van Morrison “Jayne, you could have let Peaches graze beside the barn after your ride, like you used to let Sportie,” my co-stablehand commented as I put the strawberry roan back in her clean b...
“I didn’t have a plan ‘B.’” –Waiting to Exhale This old Whitney Houston movie is a story about how to go on in your life without the love of your life. Love is supposed to be forever but we all know it has a physical expiration date which is mention...
“I'll keep a part of you with me, and everywhere I am there you'll be.” Diane Warren “Why are you going to the stables this morning? You should take a break,” my daughter commented, knowing how badly I was missing my Sportie who had passed on two da...
Dedicated to my Sportie, and also to the four-legged friends who were the innocent victims of Hurricane Harvey's devastation "Holding you, I held everything," from 'The Dance' by Tony Arata I have been so grateful for this website to be an outlet o...
“A horse starts by hearing with his ears, then the eyes, eventually by moving his feet in response, and finally hearing with his heart!” Lew Sterrett, Author and Horse Trainer After a ride I usually let Sportie graze beside the stables. He is on the...
Last month I was looking for extra assistance with my horseback riding, so I subscribed to an online video tutorial. I watched as the instructor helped a girl with a runaway horse eventually get under control, but at first, she was in panic mode and ...
"If you're lucky enough to find anything in life that gives you five seconds let alone an hour of relief from life, you should try to do it forever." Jack Antonoff, Musician, Songwriter, Producer When I returned from my summer break with my far-away...
"Think rhythm. All good things for horses happen rhythmically: chewing, walking, breathing. All bad things come with a break in rhythm: bucking, bolting, spooking." Anna Blake, Equestrian and Author My summer vacation this year was spent returning t...
"I don’t know anyone who wants the things below the surface of their psyches to be revealed publicly. Surprise! Around horses, it all comes to the surface." Buck Brannaman Horse trainer Warwick Schiller talks often about the importance of taking the...
"Time seemed to say 'Forget the world and all its weight. And here I just want to stay ...'" "Amazing Day," Coldplay Mary and I both work and ride at our stables together on Saturdays, but our "stable" time doesn't usually match up at any other time...
When I go pick Sportie out of the picturesque lineup of horses grazing in the pasture on a warm summer evening, I want him to feel like it's a privilege, not a burden to be borne. I make sure the other horses, who have pretty much put Senior Sportie ...
“There will always be something your horse fears more than you. But when he trusts you, he will ask you what to do when he is afraid.” Horseman Scott Purdum I try not to put my riding time on the clock, but we all know in the heat and humidity that ...
"What I notice is that no matter how much I give to animals, I always get more back." Anna Blake, Author and Equestrian Over the past year, my co-worker Mary at the stables has been trying to help me get Sportie off his forehand and make more use of...
“In order to become a more advanced rider, you have to find a way to do less, do it sooner, smaller, and confidently…” – Anna Blake, Author and Equestrian I am always trying to advance my riding skills. This is not for the benefit of anyone who migh...
"When I am on her back, all the bleak things and crazy things and wounding things go away, and there is only harmony, and partnership, and trust, and love." Tania Kindersley, Author and Equestrian Since Bill O’Reilly’s dismissal from Fox News, ther...
"Riding well requires that we put the horse first." Anna Blake, Author and Equestrian Reminder: Horses are not bicycles. Mounting up for a trail ride is not the same as jumping on a dirt bike and taking off solely for your own enjoyment. Every horse...
"Make the wrong thing hard and right thing easy." Ray Hunt I had been working with Sportie on his gate addiction in the arena with little success. I get it: why wouldn’t he want to stand at the gate instead of working on his trot to canter transitio...
"Calm is contagious." -Commander Rorke T. Denver Have you ever made a glowstick glow? When the outer container is flexed, the inner container breaks. Lately, I've been working on Sportie's flexion, since both of us are getting up in years, and a lit...
"Horses are the best teachers for learning to grow trust and honesty, it’s their first language. Plus, they can lift you up and carry you to a better place, in more ways than you can imagine." Anna Blake, Barn Dance Relationships don’t last long wit...
“Your forearm should basically be an extension of the reins in a direct line to the horse’s mouth at all times.” – John O’Leary, Horse Trainer While I am presently between trainers, I am blessed to work at the stables with Mary, a retired riding ins...
Hello, my name is Jayne and I am a Bookaholic. I try to control my addiction by forcing myself to stop choosing one-click-shopping on Amazon and instead of clicking on the option that's almost hidden at the bottom right-hand corner of my laptop screen...
“In riding a horse we borrow freedom.” – Helen Thomson Parents of adopted children, and sometimes of pets, often choose to celebrate their “Gotcha!” Day, as in “the day I got you." Mine and Sportie’s is December 27. I searched long and hard for just...
“Heaven is high and earth wide. If you ride three feet higher above ground than other men, you will know what that means.” - Rudolf C. Binding I love Sundays this time of year for 3 reasons: church, horseback riding and football. Last week after ano...
'The nicest thing you can do for your horse is to be clear and consistent.' Karen Rohlf, Equestrian, Author and Trainer Okay, so I was wr…wr…wr… (sigh) WRONG. A few weeks ago I wrote a sad blog bemoaning the fact that Sportie’s owner, Kate, told me...
“I always, whether I’m on a young horse or on a grand prix horse, ALWAYS count down (to the canter): 3 -2-1 pop!” Natasha Althoff, Equestrian and Author. Picture this: you're out for a leisurely walk, enjoying the scenery with your significant other...
“Rubbing his eyes on soft cotton (shirts) feels good; he would do this to another horse…” Rick Gore, Horse Trainer, Think Like a Horse “This is your space, this is my space; see if you can enforce that…” Warwick Schiller, Horse Trainer, Warwick Schi...
“Events + Response = Outcome” –Jack Canfield, cocreator of Chicken Soup for the Soul series and author of The Success Principles In other words, attitude really is everything. Now that the deer flies and mosquitoes have disappeared along with the h...
“Unplugging from technology, practicing focus, and doing single task activities are all good for brain health. Perhaps good barn time is good brain time.” Susan Friedland-Smith – Writer, Teacher and Equestrian When I am at the stables I am off the g...
“Horses are the great equalizer; you can’t buy the ride. Or the other priceless things: freedom, friendship, and self-esteem.” Anna Blake, Author and Equestrian Here’s a newsflash - horses cannot be bribed into giving you the perfect performance on ...
“Dogs, in my opinion, don’t care about the past or the future; they focus on the now.” Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer I have watched a lot of Cesar’s shows, and during one stables visit to help with a cattle dog he said that he just worked with do...
“Whatever doubt you may have, we’re just going to close the chapter on that book.” YouTube channel -Meditation Relaxation Affirmation I have made some great progress towards leaving my problems and uncertainties at the arena gate when I have my prec...
“Horsemanship and life are lessons in lightness. You can get serious results without being so serious.” Karen Rohlf, Author and Equestrian If you are in between trainers as I am at the moment, allow me to introduce you to my virtual YouTube trainers...
“Ask for a tiny piece of the work and wait for the answer. If he gives you even a part answer, get happy and hand out praise like it’s free.” Anna Blake, Author and Equestrian I love watching celebrities come out of their comfort zone on the TV show...
I know I’m dating myself here, but this past Saturday I was reminded of the classic Wendy’s commercial from the eighties with the “Where’s the beef?” line. To me the more memorable line is when the old lady complaining to her friends at the fast-food...
'If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.’ A teenage girl came out to the stables Saturday who usually rides different hours than I do, so we hadn’t met previously. I introduced myself as I groomed Sportie, t...
The Golden Rule for horses is ‘treat your horse as you would like to be treated.’ Linda Tellington-Jones, Animal Behaviorist and Founder of Tellington TTouch Training When I first started riding Sportie two years ago, he had excellent ground manners...
“(I) could take a lean on an old horse soaking in the sun and try to remember why (I) didn’t name him Prozac 25 years ago.” Anna Blake, Author and Equestrian I love leaning on Sportie, both emotionally and physically. He is definitely nature’s subst...
'It doesn't matter who hurt you, or broke you down, what matters is who made you smile again.' - Unknown A horseback ride always makes me smile. During the summer when our stable does night turnout, my morning mucking time also makes me smile becaus...
In honor of the NFL being back in session, let’s take a horse’s-eye view at the book the New England Patriots' Tom Brady says “is kind of a mantra for my life.” Love him or hate him, Brady has chosen wisely with The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide...
“Fourteen years and three books later (after buying the first horse), I feel as if I’ve just barely scratched the surface of the wisdom these four-legged professors embody.” Linda Kohanov, Way of the Horse It’s been too hot to really work Sportie th...
“I don’t ever want to look back on a ride and think I wish I'd enjoyed that more.” -Anna Blake, Equestrian and Author There are dozens of distractions that could keep me from truly enjoying my riding time. Last Saturday it was the flies. Those huge...
'All five of our senses exist only in the present. Right now, where you are, is all there is.' Gloria Steinem I drag myself out of my comfy bed and climate-controlled room, when I could sleep in. I walk by my laptop. I could drop into my easy chair...
“Frustration feels like a grudge to an animal - our body language speaks it loud and clear, even if we don’t verbalize it.” Anna Blake, Equestrian and Author I talk to Sportie a lot. I tell him about my day, tell him how handsome he looks, tell him ...
“You can judge a man's true character by the way he treats his fellow animals.” Paul McCartney Hillary is one of my favorite girls at the stables. She’s sweet and soft-spoken, and she’s 18: the age many girls quit their horse addiction in favor of b...
Fleece cinch cover = $20 Fly spray = $25 Hoof vitamins = $50 Being welcomed with a friendly, “Barry White” nicker = Priceless I am cheap. Garth Brooks, with his millions, told an interviewer that his mom often warned him, “The poor house is just ...
'Always smile when you are riding because it changes your intent.' - James Shaw My younger sister has no wrinkles other than two frown lines between her eyes. I asked her one day, "How do you have frown lines? You are the sweetest person alive. I ne...
Paula and I were doing our normal Saturday morning routine, enjoying a warm-up on our horses in the ring before going out for a trail ride. I was concentrating on getting Sportie to lift his feet more by walking over ground poles, since he had had a ...
I used to hate working out until I discovered Zumba. Dancing is much more fun and mentally refreshing than running like a hamster on a treadmill. I recently discovered that my Sportie agrees with me. I often ride in the arena with another friend o...
My Saturday mornings are always the same but in no way monotonous. I get to the stables at 9 am and work until 11 am, then groom, ride and just hang out with Sportie until 1 pm. I've worked in barns over the years with girls who just enjoyed being a...
“You rose into my life like a promised sunrise, brightening my days with the light in your eyes. I’ve never been so strong, now I’m where I belong.” – Maya Angelou Parents of adopted children, and sometimes of pets, often choose to celebrate their “...
"The body language of someone 'putting on a happy face' is incongruent with the rise in blood pressure, muscle tension, and emotional intensity transmitted unconsciously by an individual who's actually afraid, frustrated, or angry." - Linda Kohanov, ...
"There are many daughters walking around with a hole in their heart in the shape of their father." - H. Norman Wright Hello, my name is Jayne and I am an emotional eater. There. I've said it. I have a majorly addictive personality and my drug of c...
I am a Twitter fanatic and one of the feeds I follow is @CatFoodBreath, the daily 'journal' of a rescue cat from the Humane Society of Chittenden County, Vermont. In addition to sharing his daily rituals of marathon napping and knocking over knick-knacks...
A trail ride can be a calming and peaceful outing, but don't mistake it for a time of meditation. As a prey animal, your horse is always paying attention to his surroundings and if your aren't, he will pay attention for you. I've known this for years...
"Before you can control the horse, you need to be in control of you." -Mark Rashid I love so many things about horseback riding but one of the most beneficial things to me is the necessity of being in the moment. My day job is administrative; I plan...
Carla, who owns and manages the stables where I work, has never met a rescue she didn't love. That's one of the many reasons I hope to work there forever. In early July, I showed up for chores and noticed that Carla's one vacant stall was now taken ...
"Horses require us to work, whether in caring for them or working with them. In an era when immediate gratification and the 'easy way' are the norm, horses require people to be engaged in physical and mental work to be successful, a valuable lesson in...
Once a year, I help out at a two-week ranch retreat for adults suffering from brain injuries. I started out volunteering for after-hour riding privileges, but this retreat fills my soul up so completely that by the time it's over I feel I should be paying...
When a horse is content, he has a soft, almost mystical look in his eyes of inward focus -part dreaminess, part deep sigh, all beautiful. -Cherry Hill The same can be said of the horse’s rider. When I wake up knowing I get to go to the stables that ...
When I was 20, I read a Bob Hope quote that made me jealous of 60-year olds: “When I was 20, I worried about what people thought of me. When I turned 40, I didn't care what people thought of me. When I turned 60, I realized that they weren't thinking...
The attendants in the nursing home knew that my husband’s brother, Jamie, was fading fast. At the young age of 55 and after 8 years of fighting Multiple Sclerosis with every possible weapon, the MS had shut his organs down. Last Sunday night, we hugged...
The older I get, the more I value a safe ride above all else. With so many variable conditions on any given day – me, the horse, the weather, the trail - I need all the help I can get. I’ve been reading books by horse trainer, Craig Cameron lately and...
My Sport and I were out with my good friend Lisette and her horse Riley for a trail ride on a beautiful sunny day. Lisette is on a work-to-ride lease at our stables as am I, but she’s been there much longer and has been riding Riley for more than seven...
When I heard my daughter Janette talk about the problems she was having with the two underprivileged third-graders she was mentoring, I invited her to bring them out to the ranch where I work. “Well, they’re scared of my golden retriever so they’ll ...
I had the great honor of interviewing one of my favorite authors, Joe Camp, last week. Camp went from writing, directing and producing the successful Benji movies to becoming a horse whisperer and writing many horse-keeping books, including the national...
Kim Meeder runs Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, the “Ranch of Rescued Dreams,” with her husband Troy. It’s a ministry for hurting children and rescued horses located in Bend, OR that has also mentored other such ministries throughout Canada and the USA. I...
I know firsthand the healing power of horses. Nothing has healed my heart like they can, over and over again from the bruises left by life’s school of hard knocks. I believe God made their eyes and ears extra big so they can take in everything about ...
When you are on a work-to-ride lease, that ride is the end of the rainbow, the carrot at the end of the stick. I muck stalls, lug water buckets, measure out feed, spread shavings, and throw hay for two hours. The time flies and my back never hurts because...
My middle son Craig left last week for a 6-month college internship. He's now a 12-hour drive away so when we said goodbye, we weren't sure if I would be seeing him again until August. I didn't want him to feel anything but positivity, so I held it together...
My fellow barn worker Lois, is a tough cowgirl of the strong and silent variety. The first day we worked together, I wanted so badly to appear tough too because there are few things worse than a co-worker who can’t carry her own weight. Lois quickly...
My 23-year-old daughter went to a teacher's seminar last week. She teaches Grade 3 Math in a Title 1 school and is grateful for any guidance she can find in getting and keeping the attention of her easily distracted students. "The instructor was so ...
“A horse can remind you that you can conquer your fears. They do it every time you ask them for something new.” – Elizabeth Pearl The stables where I worked in 2013 were a little further than I wanted to drive. But when I first made my way down the...
One of the charities my husband Peter and I support is Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon. I fully believe in the healing power of horses, and the results owners Kim and Troy Meeder have produced speak for themselves. They pair up rescued horses with...
One of my favorite authors, Nancy Shulins, wrote in "Falling for Eli" that a horse lover never has an excuse for not being with a horse. If you cannot afford your own, there is always some stable somewhere needing workers. For the past ten years I have...
“Jayne, your arms will never be empty!” laughed my best friend Jewel as she watched Craig, one of my four preschoolers, tug at my pant leg. He was crying from a slight booboo that needed a quick kiss. I had just put Baby Paul in his highchair while ...
I never lost my love for horses, but as an adult raising four children my own, interests took a back seat. Once the kids were all in school, I began to volunteer at a nearby ranch. I had never taken lessons other than my teenage friend giving me a few...
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