Heather Wallace's Blog, page 3

Equestrienne: Kathy Palm, PATH Intl.

Therapeutic riding takes a special place in my heart. My eldest daughter has Cerebral Palsy and has been riding in a PATH Intl. program since she was four years old. In addition to the physical and occupational therapy benefits, the level of confidence she has acquired is immeasurable. I’ve watched her struggle with being different, with normal teenage girl drama, and isolating herself when she feels sad. Horses and her therapeutic riding facility have always been the one constant she can rely o...

You Won’t See Me Riding in Videos

Confession: I like to be behind the camera but that isn’t the reason you won’t see me riding. My blog and social media are from my point of view. There are snippets of how I view the world, myself, and my life with horses. I’ve received feedback from a select few that I hide behind the camera. The truth is, I’m doing the opposite of hiding. It’s easy to fake a smile or make it look like life is perfect. The reality is far messier. Social media is a fickle beast. Many people show their highs or a...

Groundwork Basics For Creating Confidence in the Horse and the Rider

Confession: I had never done any type of lunging or ground work until I owned my own horse. In the English disciplines, ground work is relatively uncommon. Occasionally you may see someone lunging their horse for exercise, rehabilitation, or before getting on to ride. Once my lesson horse seemed quite spooky so my trainer lunged him before I got on. I received some tips on lunging and a lesson in the saddle, which I found very interesting. Still, I had no practical knowledge myself. When Ferrous...

Equestrienne: Jamilyn Anthony, Equiconnect

What is your experience with horses? I have loved horses all of my life. In my circles, we call it the sickness and horses are the only cure. I owned a horse as a teenager and paid for all expenses since my parents had no desire to fund this hobby. Then when I went to college, I lost tough of horses for many years. When my teenage daughter got a wild hair that she wanted to go hang out at the mall – I suggested perhaps she could do some volunteer work. She selected a nearby Therapeutic Riding Ce...

Working with the Neurological Horse

Confession: My pony had EPM and now has been diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease. I knew that Ferrous had recovered from Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis or EPM before I bought him and there was the potential for flares since it never truly leaves the body. I always made allowances for that when he showed signs of stiffness or imbalance during exercise but never made any changes to his exercise program or supplements as a result. Then he began to show signs of prolonged neurological issues and...

Equestrienne: Christina Povolotsky

Christina is the founder of Fit Equine, a website dedicated to education for horse owners. Learn how a young woman in Southern California saw a need and is on a mission to help horse owners everywhere! What is your experience with horses? I was always a horse crazy kid. I read books about horses, watched every horse movie, and learned everything I could with the resources available. My parents weren’t into horses, but somehow, there was always something that kept pulling me towards the barn. Whe...

Icelandic Adventures: Horses, Northern Lights, and Iconic Landscapes

Confession: I love to travel and going to Iceland to see the Northern Lights and ride the horses are on the top of my bucket list. My husband and I travel together for our wedding anniversary ever few years. Covid-19 and the pandemic put a little delay in those plans, but despite it all we were able to fulfill my dream of visiting Iceland. Some may think I’m a little crazy for going during the winter but if you’ve followed along at all you may realize by now that I don’t mind the cold as much as...

Equestrienne: Cathy Woods

What is your experience with horses? As a lifelong yogi and long-time horsewoman, it was only natural that I applied yogic principles and practices to my horsemanship from ground to saddle. I’ve been teaching yoga for 31 years and approximately 12 years ago created a program called Body, Mind, Equine. This program teaches how to use the whole of authentic yoga (not just postures) to improve our horsemanship and our lives in a multitude of ways. I offer this program nationwide as clinics, demos, ...

Equestrienne: Cathy Woods Yoga

What is your experience with horses? As a lifelong yogi and long-time horsewoman, it was only natural that I applied yogic principles and practices to my horsemanship from ground to saddle. I’ve been teaching yoga for 31 years and approximately 12 years ago created a program called Body, Mind, Equine. This program teaches how to use the whole of authentic yoga (not just postures) to improve our horsemanship and our lives in a multitude of ways. I offer this program nationwide as clinics, demos, ...

Probiotics for Horses: Do They Really Make a Difference?

I have been dealing with health issues the last few years that took a long time to identify and I am still recovering. I believe in treating the body as a whole (yes, I am addicted to Coca-Cola) but reached out to an integrative doctor for help. The first thing she did after testing me was put me on an intense probiotic. The one I had been taking wasn’t sufficient. Immediately, I recognized a difference in my body. If probiotics are great for humans and health and our immune systems begin in the...