Guest Author | Equestrian Barns & Architecture: Start Living the Dream

Equestrian Superstitions and Good Luck Charms

11:12 pm

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You probably know by now: 2014 is the Chinese Year of the Horse —

a year that Chinese legend tells us is filled with prosperity and good luck. It’s a good year to travel, so if you’re planning on doing a lot of horse shows this year, you’re in luck! You have ancient Chinese astrology on your side.

The equestrian world is full of good luck charms, superstitions, and folk lore, and as equestrians, we aren’t shy about cherry-picking where our good luck comes from! Every culture is fair game in our search for […]

Being a Foster Parent

5:46 pm

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Guest Author Farmgirl, Misc.

When watching friends foster pets in the past, be it horses, dogs or cats, I always knew that was one thing I would NEVER do.

I couldn’t understand how you could have an animal you have cared for, be taken from you. My pets have a home for life with me; I couldn’t imagine having to give them away.

Well, just like Sean Connery learned when accepting the role to reprise his James Bond character in ‘Never Say Never Again‘, I can no longer, ever, say never. Devon and Bubba both came into my life a […]

Finding the Perfect Paddock Fencing

11:54 pm

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Guest Author Farmgirl, Products

Mission: Impossible?

If you have read my blog on finding the perfect horse fencing, https://equinefacilitydesign.com/2012/07, you’ll remember that I successfully found the perfect perimeter/pasture fencing as part of my overall horse farm plan for my facility.

While I am exceptionally happy with it for my pastures, I wanted something different for my paddocks. So my next fencing dilemma was to search for the perfect paddock fence. And like Don Quixote’s ongoing quest of tilting at windmills, I once again began my search; would I find a solution? Poor Don only had […]

Fashion-Forward Fillies: Three Equestrian Designers Taking Country To Town

8:44 pm

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Guest Author, Misc.

It’s that time of year again! I’m talking about boot season, when every department store heaps their shoe displays with odd (to our eyes) takes on riding boots.

This year Macy’s looks like it has been devoted to bring back the hunt top as a show-ring statement — except that none of us would dare put one of those fashion-only boots in a stirrup.

As equestrians, we’re always looking for something beautiful and authentic to display our traditional sensibilities, in and out of the saddle. You already have the boots, of course. So […]

TEA-CHER, T.E.A.C.H.E.R., TEA-CHER

3:37 pm

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Guest Author Farmgirl, Misc.

“No one can teach riding as well as a horse.” CS Lewis

It’s time to tell Treasure’s story. If you read my blog entitled Analogies and the Wizard of Oz, (http://www.equinefacilitydesign.com/blog/post/Analogies-and-The-Wizard-of-Oz.aspx), I allude to Helen Keller when describing Treasure:

Treasure, what can I say about Treasure? The horse of every little girls dream – golden palomino, flaxen mane and tail, the color of straw. Yep, Treasure was my Scarecrow, a gorgeous animal and the smallest horse in the barn with the […]

Magazine Review: Equestrian Quarterly – Celebrating Country Life

2:04 am

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Facility Planning & Design, Guest Author Farmgirl, Misc.

Magazine Review: Equestrian Quarterly

Do you ever find yourself thinking you signed up for the “Town and Country” life, but ended up with Green Acres (and speaking for myself, with a little Minnie Pearl vibe) instead? Do you imagine yourself with shiny, perfectly groomed, well bred steeds in the fanciest of stables but when you walk out to the barn you find sweaty, dirty and frankly backyard bred (albeit beloved) mutts living in what could hardly be referred to as a ‘stable‘? And like me, do you think of yourself as leading a Ralph […]

Hay Fever Season

7:25 am

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Guest Author Farmgirl, Misc.

This time of year I get hay fever.

Oh, not the coughing and sneezing kind. More like the delirious “I’ve got to get my hay in” kind of feverish rant that always hits me right around June 1, like winter is coming imminently and I need to store up for a long, hard one.

It is an interesting phenomenon how close I feel to farming this time of year. I am not a farmer. Oh, I have a few acres I refer to as my farm. But I have no delusions that I am one. Regardless, I […]

Arena Grooming

2:07 am

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Guest Author Farmgirl, Misc.

One of the benefits of blogging for an equine architecture firm, besides having access to an architect for my barn and home (Equine Facility Design does both), is the access it also provides to new products they know about (and I don’t).

Such was the case recently when I was introduced to Chuck Baker of Eco-Terr Distributing Inc. who has created the Thunder-Groom arena groomer, a beautiful piece of design and innovation engineered to take arena grooming into the 21st century.

I already have an arena grooming device that I call a harrow, and that […]