If you live in the USA, maybe you’ve heard of National Avocado Day, Radio Day and Flashlight Day? Well here’s another day to add to the ridiculously long list of lesser-known recognition days. It’s Buy A Horse Book Day this Friday, May 10th, 2024. I sometimes do an eye roll when these national day notices pop up. But you know what? I like this one! If you are a horse lover, hopefully you will too. Fact or fiction, there’s likely a horse book out there that will tickle your fancy. Why not plan to buy it on May 10th? Remember that The Backyard Horse Blog does affiliate marketing for Trafalgar S ..read more

I hoped to present a more exciting riding update for April. But no. I stayed in tiny riding territory for yet another month. It’s better than no riding. That’s for sure. But disappointing nonetheless. I know that those of you who crave time in the saddle and continually have your plans thwarted will understand. I enjoyed my eclipse day ride in the round pen. And a couple of weeks later, I was thrilled to ride in my pasture for the first time this year. But that was it for April. Once again, the weather got the best of me. We’ve experienced an unusual amount of rain in my area this month. And ..read more

This cutie is available for adoption at the Four Corners Equine Rescue in Aztec, New Mexico. If you missed last week’s post about my recent trip to New Mexico, I will clarify the nuts and bolts for you. Basically, I love New Mexico. I used to live in New Mexico. I want to move back to New Mexico. And I’d feel especially charmed if I could move back to New Mexico with my horses. The hitch for me as a backyard horse owner is the affordability factor. In general, it is cheaper to keep horses in the Midwest than in the Southwest. The two biggies are the cost of horse property and the cost of hay ..read more

I fell in love with New Mexico the first time I visited. It’s strange how a place you weren’t born and raised can still feel like home. The landscape, the low humidity, the mix of cultures, the food. Nearly everything about the place suits me. But in the past, I did more than visit. My husband and I lived there during much of my twenties. Most of my major adult milestones took place in New Mexico, giving me links to the State that go beyond just a preference for the place. Unfortunately, my husband and I struggled to make a living or buy property in the Southwest. So we pursued further educat ..read more

It’s not often that you get a front-row seat to a special celestial event in your own backyard. But today, that’s exactly what happened. I witnessed the April 8th, 2024 total solar eclipse right from my horse pasture. It rained yesterday, and it is forecasted to rain tomorrow. But hot diggity dog, we experienced clear skies for today’s event! In true horsewoman style, I completed a brief ride beforehand. My husband and I accompanied both horses to the round pen as that was the only dry ground available. This made Piper very happy as he didn’t get left behind by himself in the paddock. My husb ..read more

It’s no joke! The March weather played an early April Fools’ trick on me. Spring seemed to come early in February but then played hide and seek the following month. The temps seesawed. The amount of sun varied. And we saw more rain (and thus had worse footing) in March than in February. I got in exactly ONE ride in March. Better than no rides. But not nearly as many as I was hoping for based on February’s weather. Such is horse life when you live in a notoriously poor climate area without an indoor arena. The most exciting thing I did horse-wise was to bring my horse trailer out of winter stor ..read more

I am out of town today. Soon to return from a long weekend trip. My husband is on horse duty while I am away. He’s kindly taking care of the horses, Piper and Shiloh, as well as the barn cats, Asa and Saul. Fun fact here. My husband and I haven’t taken an out-of-town trip together since 2004. Someone always has to stay behind to take care of all the critters, house, and property. Finding and/or paying for a farm sitter to take over those duties has proven elusive. Maybe someday we will have better fortune. But for the last twenty years, it’s been separate trips for us. This particular jaunt i ..read more

For horse people, is there anything more synonymous with spring than horse hair? Lots and lots of it! After several winter months of mostly no-touch equine care, I’m slowly getting back into the habit of regular horse grooming. As is typical for shedding season, both Piper and Shiloh feel itchy. They seem to welcome the extra attention this time of year. As the temperatures continue to see-saw, we’ve experienced wind, rain and a severe storm with nickel-sized hail. But there have been some days warm enough that I can stand to take my gloves off! After months of staying wrapped up and covered ..read more

I’m finally done with my equestrian winter reading challenge. Time is likely better spent actually being around horses rather than reading about them. But for many of us, circumstances do not allow for as much direct involvement as we would otherwise like. Even if you have horses in your backyard like I do, you can feel prevented from doing as much as you would like with them due to weather, finances, etc . . . Reading is a worthy substitute that can help us maintain some kind of connection to the horse world. It can increase our knowledge, impart practical ideas, and spark our imagination. I ..read more

Since my first bareback ride of 2024 in February, I fit in two more short rides. I even broke out the tack for the third one. I felt excited to dust off the cover after not using the saddle since November. I’m still wowed by the fact that I rode in my backyard during the second month of the year. Most years, I don’t even take a first ride until late March or April. But in 2024, the unusually high temperatures and lower rainfall totals have allowed me to get started sooner. Everything becomes covered in shedding horse hair, but that’s part of the charm. This time of year, “short and sweet” is ..read more