~Firn's Corner~
Aligning the Bones I cannot stand to be touched. In crowded areas, I contrive to duck and dodge madly whilst keeping my arms pinned tightly to my body and my breath held, lest I brush against the nasty, corrosive skin of another human being. My poor family calls me "
~Firn's Corner~
Groundwork Too Much of a Good Thing? Groundwork is the buzzword in nearly all equestrian circles today. Everyone loves it - from the ammies to the classical horsemen to the cowboys. But is there such a thing as doing too much groundwork? I sure didn't think so a
~Firn's Corner~
For Better or Worse? Nobody likes that person that’s constantly selling their horse and buying a new one, only to repeat the whole experience a few months later. But nobody likes the newbie on the psychotic young horse who is constantly endangering both herself and everyone around her, either.
~Firn's Corner~
Release, Relax, Recite My habit of riding for more or less 40 hours a week is both a blessing and a curse. Obviously the hours upon hours of practice is extremely beneficial in many ways, and I wouldn't have it any other way, but it does make it
~Firn's Corner~
Do's and Don'ts of Your First Event With Arwen and me fresh from our first event - an amazing, terrifying, and exhilarating experience I will gladly repeat - I am left to look back on a weekend that in many ways went horribly wrong, but as
~Firn's Corner~
I can always tell how well a lesson is going by the mobility of the Horse Mutterer while he's teaching. Not being one of those instructors that run after you yelling (I'm guilty), he prefers to find himself a comfy spot next to the arena and
~Firn's Corner~
Are You Sure She's a Thoroughbred? I asked this question with some bewilderment, staring at the quiet creature walking patiently on the other end of the lunging line. "No," said the Horse Mutterer, dryly. "She's a trotter." The mare's only
~Firn's Corner~
Two Levels of Trust What defines the relationship between horse and rider if not trust? What else is more striven for and more desired in horsemanship than the trust of our equine partners? What is the key to success, if not trust? Trust is central to a good relationship between
~Firn's Corner~
Horses Just Wanna Have Fun The horses and I have at last escaped the purgatory of forced rest and we have fervently gone back to work, especially Arwen. If we're going to survive our first graded event this year, we've got some work to do. Not
~Firn's Corner~
The Dangers of Overfeeding As an apprentice horse trainer, I've come to the conclusion that one of the most overlooked but also extremely dangerous things we can ever do is overfeed and underwork our horses. It is the curse of our society, of middle- to upper-class members of
~Firn's Corner~
Barn Rats Rule the World In the world of horses, to be a good rider, you need to attend lessons and read books. To become an outstanding rider, you need to be a barn rat. (Oh, and joining My Virtual Eventing Coach would help, too. Just sayin') We'
~Firn's Corner~
On Attitudes and Goals As we stand on the threshold of 2015, the time for setting goals and dreaming dreams is upon us. We're busy grinding off some rusty edges and working off Christmas Eve dinner (which has such a depressing habit of depositing itself soundly in the
