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Canter Protocol

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I do lots of different kinds of rides, with lots of different kinds of riders. But cantering always has me stumped. I have an established checklist of rules, but not everybody shares my view on this. Here is the short version I do not ride on trail with anybody who is not comfortable cantering their horse (at least in an arena). I don't want their first canter experience to be the spook and bolt when their horse sees a deer. I will occasionally make an exception to this rule for very short and controlled trail rides within proximity to the barn. I do not race. The order we start in, must be maintained until the end. No passing. With some of my trail buddies we will canter side by side, and it is glorious! I do not gallop. I have made a few exceptions to this rule with individuals that I trust, and on a trail I know well. The gallop stretch never lasts very long. I do not canter up ravines or anywhere I do not have a long line of sight. Again, I sometimes make exceptions to this on ...
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The Arctic Winter Riding Handbook

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Annual Trail Rides: 29/200 Here in Quebec, Canada, we have variable weather patterns in winter from springlike sunny days of +10C to arctic freeze of -40C. While winter officially goes from Dec 21 to March 20, we find that it really begins on November 1rst to April 30th. SIX MONTHS OF WINTER! Our other three seasons are much shorter as a result. Aside from the cold, winter also brings a new set of challenges for footing. Deep snow, sheets of ice, crusty snow can bring about dangers to horse and rider and also increase fatigue and injury if not careful. For the truly committed, a set of four winter shoes with studs and plastic snowball inserts, can make a world of difference. Particularly if icy conditions are commonplace and restrict turnouts. I currently keep my horse barefoot, and as a consequence there are a cumulative 2-3 weeks a year where turnout is limited if not impossible and trail riding is off the table. I also benefit from an indoor arena when this happens, so it really is ...
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Come ride with me, in five sections

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I thought I would share some pics and video from our trail system that surrounds our barn. Known as one of the best places to ride in Eastern Canada with 300 square miles of trails in natural woodlands on protected, municipal and private land. Our surrounding land owners contribute to almost 60% of the trail network and we are forever grateful. Q wondering why we are stopping... In the winter time we share the trails with x-country skiers (they have their own trails that intersect ours) and skidoos, and atv bikes and joggers/hikers all year long. The motorized vehicules have their own trails, but they intersect ours. And of course on private land, we might encounter anything from atvs, fat bikes, dog sleds, etc. The network is split into five sections and Ive become familiar with all of them after riding on these trails for almost 30 years. Below is a picture of the trail map. Our barn is smack in the middle of section 2 and where I spend most of my time these days. Section 2 ...
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Gotcha Day

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Four years ago today I made a scary decision of offering to purchase a 3 year old untrained andalusian stallion from Florida, sight unseen. It flew in the face of everything I thought about purchasing a horse. It was all business, and based on the breeders understanding of what I wanted to do with the horse. The breeder had 20 colts and fillies of the same age to sell, and my Q was the least dressage flashy and the most in-your-pocket of the bunch. And his conformation made him well suited for working equitation or western riding. We did fly down to meet Q and the breeder before we had him shipped from Florida to Quebec in the spring. But by then the wire transfers and vet checks were done. It was more like an arranged marriage kind of meeting. It actually turned out to be smart, because once we got there and saw all the other horses, I was in awe of the tremendous beauties also for sale. Had I not already made and executed on my (rational) choice, I might have made a different cho...
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Zoom Zoom Spring

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Had a lovely solo ride in the beautiful woods. The tree leaves were so green from the morning rain that I thought it was neon. Because our trails are mostly sandy loam, they dry up real quick and we don’t have much to worry about in rocks, stumps, or mud.  Q was a great partner and let me know when he wanted to go faster. Nothing obnoxious, but a bit more bounce in his step and his ears would speak volumes. It was lovely to be just the two of us, and he was smooth as silk cantering down the path. A busy week ahead with too much work, and not enough barn time. Happy trails to all.
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