Alberta Equest

 Due to COVID, our local Sport Horse Club has been brainstorming ways to keep upholding our mission to provide educational opportunities to riders in our region and beyond, and as such we are doing several online seminars via Zoom or Microsoft Teams! Everyone is welcome provided you have internet access, and fees are minimal. I'll do my best to post them here so everyone has a chance to join us! Our first Online Seminar is with Amelia Newcomb Dressage on becoming a more effective rider!  This seminar is suited to all english riders, regardless of your level or discipline!  It is taking place on February 21, 2021 at 10:00 AM MST , for 1.5 hours.  Non-Member pricing is $40.00 CND (Members save $5).   To sign up, all you need to do is send your payment to fairviewsporthorsesociety@hotmail.com and send us your e-mail address!

I've been mulling over the idea of doing a post regarding the integrity (or occasional lack of) in the equestrian community for some time, but I couldn't seem to develop a clear vision in my head of how I wanted to piece it together.  I think the reality is, the topic in itself is messy and clouded at best, so I decided to throw all my thoughts out through my fingertips and help myself make sense of all these big feelings I've got swirling around. It's no secret that to some extent, equestrian activities are for the elite. I'm not necessarily talking about those who were born into a Trust Fund or were gifted exceptionally talented horses with easy access to top quality instruction and services but of course, those exist too. I'm talking more so about us - average people.  While you're probably thinking " umm, I'm far from elite and I'm just barely squeeking by * stirs ramen* ", I agree and I hear you when you say you work bloody hard to sup...

 It appears our blissfully beautiful stretch of unseasonably warm weather has finally come to an end, and I'm already grieving for my lack of exercise and fresh air that I've been thoroughly enjoying as of late.  I ordered a vinyl cover for the stroller hoping I can bundle Eowynn and seal some heat in so we can at least walk our short loop on the semi-decent days, but the shipping is estimating to take another 2 weeks. Regardless, I'm sure it will be well used and for $9.99, it seemed like a sound investment to maintain some semblance of sanity. Sierra started on Farriers Choice hoof supplements on Thursday, which has resulted in catching her each day for a little TLC.  Unfortunately it's not economical to feed the entire herd, but thanks to a reader I am going to purchase Biotin from Mad Barn as it's far easier on the pocket book.  She seems to enjoy getting the goods while the rest of the herd watches on with jealousy.  I don't love the pellets because it'...

 Hubby has been an absolute gem at not only keeping an area in the pasture clear for me to work horses on when I have time, but he's also made us several trails to enjoy. As such, Eowynn and I have been taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather lately, because I know it's only a matter of time until it's -40. Plus, this mama needs fresh air and to get back into some form of firmness; I'm tired of feeling soft and flabby.  Sometimes we do a short loop that only takes about 10 minutes, sometimes we take longer routes which takes about 45 minutes. I've even started to add in a bit of jogging, but lawdy am I out of shape.   Aside from that, I've also had some opportunities to play pony as of late, so here's a Wordless Wednesday post featuring some recent outdoor adventures on the farm.

 Over the years this blog has taken several turns; some methodically planned, others unexpected.  This blog was started as a means of tracking my own riding journey. I didn't expect followers but rather, intended to treat it more like a journal of sorts. I thought perhaps if someone stumbled across it and they took solace in reading about my own struggles and victories, that was okay too. I used to hand write all my training adventures down after each day, but it was time consuming and made my hand cramp over time, so I began leaving out pertinent information for sake of getting it over with. It clearly wasn't working, and I decided to type it all instead but became concerned that it would all be for nothing if my computer crashed and I lost it all.  We have access to this wonderful thing called the Internet, so I decided to post it publicly, and subject myself to the trolls and their unsolicited opinions. I'm not your off-the-shelf equestrian, and I thought if 1 per...

 Alright blogosphere, I need your help.  In the past I had fed straight Biotin but the vet no longer carries what I was feeding previously, and the only option now is three times the price.  As you may have noticed in previous posts, Sierra has a honkin' crack in her hoof from an old abscess and while she's already on high quality feed, I don't really know what else to do for her besides ... more?  I know lots of people who have used Farriers Formula but it's very pricey here (maybe everywhere?) for how much you have to feed, and I'm not sure I want to go that route. I've ordered "Farriers Choice" as per a friends rave review, and in speaking to my farrier he suggested Farriers Formula, Farriers Choice or just straight Biotin, but all options are quite expensive.  Biotin is far more economical in comparison in the long run, but I'm interested in other suggestions to better weigh my options.  I'd been pondering the fact that in the past 1.5 year...

 This felt warranted, and it served as a good purpose to remind myself why I love this stupid horse, even if others see her as a dirty and untrustworthy mare because in 3.5 years she got me off.  I'm no stranger to people who don't understand my unexplainable love for Sierra, and I have made peace with the fact that she is very few peoples cup o' tea. That being said, it still occasionally takes me aback when people question my relationship with her, or my sanity if nothing else, but we truly have a remarkable bond where the language between us is nearly non-existent and more often than not, it's like we can read each others minds.  Like an old married couple better off together than apart, we occasionally disagree or get blindsided and hurt by the other.  I intend that entirely without the 'woo'; this isn't a book or a movie and I understand she's an animal and I'm a human but more often than not we are very in-tune with one another.   Did she buck...