Info & Education

"Yet when all the books have been read and reread, it boils down to the horse, his human companion, and what goes on between them." -Walter Farley

Oct 29, 20242 min read

The Dreamer

by: Stacy Blackhall Originally printed in the Riding 4 Life 'Round Up' newsletter in June 200 6 Before the days of lessons and before the...

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May 30, 20233 min read

What horses can teach us about ourselves... A summer blog series

When I started, I wanted something I never got, so I started offering things I've never actually gotten or done.

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Jun 17, 20192 min read

What is Hippotherapy?

"Hippo what? Does that mean you have a hippopotamus at the barn?" The answer is in a way - yes! Hippo is actually the Greek word for...

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Jul 13, 20152 min read

Three reasons why mounting blocks are meant for everyone

While mounting blocks are absolute musts for some of us (myself included considering I'm only 5'2 and two of my ponies are 16hh), they...

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Mar 20, 20152 min read

How young is too young to ride a horse?

I often say that I was born on a horse when I describe my life long horsemanship education. And yes, there are several pictures of me as...

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Aug 28, 20142 min read

Ground Work - the building blocks for confidence

Compared to her mare Sugar, Hannah is kinda small. But size doesn't seem to matter too much for Hannah now that she's learning all about...

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Jul 15, 20141 min read

How much does a horse cost anyway?

Many of my clients have considered if and when they should purchase their own horse. They also wonder why riding lessons can be so...

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Jul 11, 20142 min read

Wondering if you're headed in the right direction?

The other day I was talking to one of my clients about the progress she's made since she started learning how to ride just over a year...

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Jun 29, 20142 min read

Benefits of Horsemanship

There's no doubt that horses can be a lot of fun. But did you know that riding can also improve your physical and mental well-being? ...

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Jun 25, 20142 min read

Equine Assisted Learning and/or Therapy

Therapy in disguise - that's what my horse habit is really all about. Many of my nutty horsey friends will agree too. Instead of...

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Jun 20, 20141 min read

What exactly is Therapeutic Riding?

Whenever I tell people that Riding 4 Life offers therapeutic riding most folks assume that many of my clients use wheelchairs or have...

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Jun 15, 20142 min read

What can I expect at my first lesson?

Most riding lessons geared toward beginners aim to teach more than just how to do the actual riding. As your instructor, I want to make...

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Jun 5, 20142 min read

What gear do I need to safely ride a horse?

While it's true that riding horses can be dangerous and does carry some risks, it is still a relatively safe sport as long as you have...

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