On the loose

One in the saddle, one on the ground

horseback riding

  • Down by the river

    My friends and I rode together again this weekend, twice, after the ponies received their monthly pedicure. We also mock camped in my friends yard, as it’s been over a year since we camped together and it’s always nice to just in up to the house when you forget something. On the way to our… Read more

  • A few words

    It feels odd to have such a good day, a few days after my grandpa passed at home. I have no real words to encompass all that, or who he was, to me and to others, not yet. Instead, and maybe because of him, I took a step out of my depression and had a… Read more

  • Nerves versus hope

    I haven’t been camping with my horse since last year, and that one…still hurts. I’m scheduled to leave for Quinn Meadows early this Friday, to participate in an Oregon Equestrian Trail’s work party, clearing trails from their winter slumber. I find myself ping ponging between confidence as I build my packing checklists, and deep worry… Read more

  • Always an adventure

    My closest friends and I have worked out a routine this spring; I haul Tarma up to Adriane’s farm one Thursday a month for pony pedicure day, and then we stay the weekend and ride. My friends horses take turns keeping Tarma company in her side pasture or a stall and I get to ride… Read more

  • Contrasts

    Tarma chose this week to show me both the highs and lows of attempting to build a relationship with a horse, especially an opinionated one. Earlier this week I was feeling pretty shitty and down. I took my guilt and sadness and just sat in her stall, and instead of eating or offering tricks for… Read more

  • A ride, a fall and a bath

    I know such glooms and blahs as I wrote about in my last post don’t lift easily, so I’m taking the steps to shake them off, little pushes forward towards the habits I used to have. On Saturday my friends and I were finally able to meet up at Hardy Creek, a trailhead I’ve ridden… Read more

  • gear checkpoint

    Now that Tarma and I are starting to get in some serious rides, it’s a good time to do a tack and gear check point and see how it’ll evolve over our time together (which will hopefully be years to come!) I never really did this with Flash, as I inherited most of his gear… Read more

  • This is how legends are made

    I have recently, reluctantly, discovered TikTok, and this blog title is the name of a popular song on The TikTok. It also sums up today’s ride, Tarma and I’s first solo adventure. I heard my best friend’s voice in my head, “Just ride the horse!” I’ll let the photos and videos speak for themselves. My… Read more

  • Seize the afternoon

    After spending Monday in a slump due to a long day fixing a big mistake at work, I craved the sunshine that was taunting me outside my window. I took a chance on work not exploding for three hours and dashed out to the barn to hook up the trailer. I tried not to have… Read more

  • A winner

    Today was a good day. I won a gift certificate for Trafelgar Square Books from the Backyard Horse Blog (thank you so much!) I promptly ordered three ebooks, “Know Better Do Better”, by Denny Emerson; “What Horses Really Want”, by Lynn Acton; and “Distant Skies”, by Melissa Chapman. I also ordered a hard copy of… Read more