﻿I live in Central California wth my husband; Bakersfield to be exact. I am 48 years old. I've been an elementary school teacher for 24 years and currently teach 5th grade. My husband works in agri-business. We don't have kids; instead, we have dogs, a black lab named Tobias and a yellow lab named Brienne of Tarth. I board my two horses at a small, private ranch twenty minutes from our house. And that's pretty much it.
My husband and I in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy - June 2016. After riding, traveling is my second favorite thing to do.
I (mostly) write about three things: dressage from an adult amateur's perspective, equine health care, and things I learned while endurance riding.
I have a few endurance miles (more than 3,000 race miles) under my belt, not as many as some folks, but enough to know how to get it done. During my endurance years (16?), I picked up quite a lot of useful information about how the equine body works. Endurance riders, by necessity, have to be pretty knowledgable when it comes to issues of equine health. You can't ride the same horse year after year, mile after mile after mile with no knowledge of how to keep him healthy.
I started exploring dressage in 2010. It looked like the perfect sport for a detailed oriented person like myself. I was growing weary of endurance training, and I needed to try something new. Since then, I have been slowly moving through the dressage levels - all on a purebred Arabian gelding. I write honestly about my experiences: sometimes we do really well, sometimes we miss the mark, but I always keep things in perspective.
My strategy for producing a somewhat balanced dressage rider is to combine my endurance experience with a focus on good equine health practices. And if I can be balanced both in the saddle and in life, all the better.
I really enjoy reading your comments. I particularly like to read about your experiences with your own horses. For those times when you disagree with me, know that I also like to read those comments. And if you want to chat a bit more at length, please feel free to email me.