With the holiday season quickly approaching this is probably the most inconsistent time of the season for me in terms of how frequently I’ve gotten to work my boy, Mr. Indiana Jones otherwise known by…
Browsing Category OTTB Tales
Stories and tails from adventures with my off track thoroughbred, Sure Prize.
[VIDEO] Happy Race-iversary, Sure Prize!
I read somewhere once upon a time that of the tens of thousands of thoroughbreds born and raised to race in the United States only about half will make it to the track and from…
Week 8: Indy Update! Group Lesson, Framing & Collection
After two, very long, painful, and rather boring weeks being injured, I am FINALLY back in the saddle. A few weeks ago I managed to clip my foot in a lawnmower and you can guess…
Being Productive While Dealing With Setbacks and Injuries
As everyone knows, accidents happen and they’re often a game of inches. Inches between safety and catshrophe and sometimes you might happen to be on the receiving end of those incidents. This week it wasn’t…
Week 5: Our First Solo Ride and Indy’s First Group Lesson!
This week we’ve been super busy preparing for a big clinic we host semi-annually at the farm for the National Mounted Police Services. It’s a super cool confidence building and de-spooking clinic but it requires…
My First Ride On An OTTB
Holy sh*t folks, we’ve arrived. I’ll be honest. I wasn’t expecting to ride an ex-racehorse today… but I did. And you want to know something? He was a perfect gentleman about it. It’s been one…
Learning From Past Mistakes
The first horse I ever met was a workhorse. I was born and raised in New York’s North Country (it’s a thing) right on the the northern border of New York and Canada (no, I’m…
Maybe He Should Have Been A Clydesdale?
Indy Update! He’s cute. He’s quirky. He’s also a giant baby who’s earned the nickname Orchid after presenting some blown up legs after what can only be described as an allergic reaction to dirt and/or…
Exit With Caution
I had an oops moment. And in that moment I realized how lucky I was. It was really just a mental lapse but one thing’s certain with horses: mental lapses can turn into accidents in…
Meet “Sure Prize” aka Indy
When the trailer rumbled down the driveway I’ll admit, it felt every bit as awesome as Christmas morning as a kid. Only this time, Santa’s sleigh was dragging AN ACTUAL FREAKING PONY FOR ME this…
Are We Really About To Buy A Horse Off Facebook?
Whenever you have to retire a horse before you expect to you’re in for a long haul. It’s an emotionally taxing time at the very least. Being the first horse I’ve had to go down…