Never Say Never

by Linda Benson

Horse people are an opinionated bunch, aren't we? Many of us have a preferred breed, preferred sport, certain type of go-to equipment, and we all have training methods that we are sure always (well, mostly) work. I include myself in this bunch. Especially when I was younger, I had pretty strong ideas, not only about horses, but about myself, and my likes and dislikes.

But as I'm becoming a little "long in the tooth," (yes, that's horse-speak for "been around the barn a time or two") I'm realizing how Change is the only Constant in life. And if we're lucky, we will live long enough to see many changes in our lives.

When I was much younger, I believe I spouted off something to the effect that I would "never" try endurance riding. I fancied myself of the cowgirl genre (although I didn't grow up on a ranch, and never owned a cow until I was about 40.) But at that time of my life, I thought people trotting up and down the trails, bouncing up and down on those little spindly-legged Arabs looked ridiculous. Ha! Was the joke ever on me!

The year was 1985. (Notice the permed hair?) To find out why I'm not actually riding Daniel up this famous rock, go here.

I acquired a dark palomino, half-quarter horse, half-mustang gelding that I named Daniel. He was eight years old, had only been sat on a couple of times, but had very hard feet and appeared tough as nails. I started riding him in my favorite Western saddle (which I expounded about right here) and found that one of the greatest joys in my life was watching Daniel get fit underneath me, as we long-trotted up and down mountains, through streams, and across miles and miles of wilderness.

Eventually, I rode Daniel in some 50 miles races, as well as the Tevis Cup, a 100 miles endurance ride. And what a blast we had! (And as the little spindly-legged Arabs passed us handily mile after mile, I learned to never berate another breed of horse, as well as never underestimate what type of riding I might actually enjoy!) For more about Daniel and riding the Tevis Cup, go here.

Do you have something you've said you would Never do? A breed of horse, a sport, or a piece of tack to which you've said "Never!"

Ha! Just remember these important words, kids. "Never Say Never!"

My Favorite Saddle

by Linda Benson

Most of us ride in a saddle of some kind, right? (Unless you're a teenager, extremely athletic, climb up on anything, and stick to a horse like glue.) But for most people, whether you ride English, Western, or one of those teensy little racing saddles, this piece of equipment gives the rider more security on the horse's back, as well as stirrups for comfort.

Here's the saddle I acquired (somewhat serendipitously) and rode for many hundreds of miles and hours and hours and hours. Yes, it's Western.

If it looks a bit broken-in, well, it is. It was a used saddle when I got it, and was thrown in on a deal with a little bay horse I bought years ago. I sold the horse not too long after that, but kept the saddle because it was so darn comfortable. And I kept it and kept it and kept it. I rode all kinds of horses in it, and logged many, many miles training for, and riding my palomino horse in the Tevis Cup 100 mile/one day endurance ride. The wide stirrups that it came with made it exceptionally comfortable for long days in the saddle.

I had a crupper ring stitched into the back of it, and I put on new saddle strings and latigos, but other than that it is exactly as I acquired it decades ago. I have no idea of the maker, either, but it is certainly a well-made saddle. It held up for me, and I will probably never part with it!

What is your favorite saddle to ride? (We know you have a favorite.) Tell us in the comments!

Horses Sneak In

by Linda Benson

When you're a certified horse nut, horses sneak into everything, don't they? When I was younger, a visitor to my house once remarked that every. single. picture. on my walls had a horse in it. Really? I hadn't noticed. That just seemed normal to me.

When I got interested in Jamberry nails (love them, great for outdoor girls like me) one of the first things I looked for was to see if they had a horse design (they do.)

If I'm looking for anything: books, fabric, furniture, clothes, I will always gravitate toward something with a horse theme.

So it's only natural that as a writer, horses tend to sneak into my stories also, even if it's not a horse story.

Case in point: In my very first Cat Tale, called The Winter Kitten, Brianna moves in with her dad in Portland, Oregon, after leaving the horse farm where she lived with her mom, who has died.

Yes, it's true. Horses are mentioned, or are part of the plot, of several of my Cat Tales (a series about Cats!)

My novel Six Degrees of Lost, a coming of age novel told from two different viewpoints, was just re-released after the original publisher closed its doors earlier this year. It's now available under my own imprint, Seven Trails Press, and it features David and Olive, teenagers from different backgrounds, both searching for their place in life. It's filled with rescue dogs and foster animals, and *cough* even a couple of horses.

In this case, the horses that sneak in are not show horses, or a girl's dream ride. No, they are skinny old rescue horses named Shakespeare and Paintball. Here is the scene where Olive (a city girl, staying temporarily with her aunt) attempts to ride one of them. In Olive's own words:

" I feel like a total idiot, sitting up here on Paintball holding onto the saddle horn while Swede leads me around like a baby. David probably thinks I’m a complete chicken.

Paintball acts antsy, shuffling his feet, which rocks me off balance. “What’s he doing?” I ask. “Is he going to run off?”

“Olive, this horse never even flinched when we saddled him,” says Swede. “He’s so old he couldn’t spook if he tried. Nothing to worry about.”

Paintball begins to dance underneath me and turns in the direction of the barn. He raises his head and lets loose a long neigh and his whole body shakes. “Why did he do that?”

“Oh, he’s just missing the other old codger back there,” says Swede. “I’ve got a firm hold on him. He’s not going anywhere.”

“Can I just get off now?” I feel like a baby the minute I ask, but the horse is making me all jittery and nervous.

“Sure,” Swede says, bringing Paintball to a halt. “Let’s walk him back to the barn where he can see his buddy, and you can get off there.”

My insides turn over. “No, I want to get off now.”

“Okay,” says Swede. “No problem. Whoa there, old Paintball.” He takes a firm grip on the horse. “Now swing your right leg back over the cantle, kick your feet out of the stirrups, and let yourself fall to the ground easy.”

I land with a hard thump and almost fall on my butt. I look around to see if David is watching. He is. My face turns pink and I feel about three years old instead of thirteen.

From the barn behind the house, Shakespeare lets out a long plaintive neigh of his own, and Paintball whinnies back. “Whoa there, you old crowbait,” says Swede. He jerks on Paintball’s halter a few times as he walks him back toward the barn. “Behave now.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing you got off when you did,” David says.

“I don’t really know how to ride,” I mumble. I barely know David, and I feel like I just had the most embarrassing moment of my life. "

Here's the link to Six Degrees of Lost, if you'd like to know more: http://www.amazon.com/Six-Degrees-Lost-Linda-Benson-ebook/dp/B00XM2U2L0/

So yes, horses tend to sneak into every aspect of my life, from choices in living situations to decor to thinking, dreaming, and writing.

What about you? Tell us! Whether you are a horse lover, owner, aficionado, rider, writer, reader, or horse admirer, how do horses sneak into your life?

Cats and Horses

by Linda Benson

Ah - the ubiquitous barn cat. Everyone has one, right?

Here is Lucy, our Barn Cat Extraordinaire, who single-pawedly kept our barn mouse-and-rat free for many years. (Now, arthritic and slow in her elderly years, she has moved into the house where she merely keeps the rowdy boy cats in line.)

Horses think cats are cool, right? They like to nuzzle them because they are soft. And cats often like horses, too for the same reasons.

Then there's this very naughty cat (whose video has been going around the internet the last couple of weeks) who thinks a horse's tail is made to swing from. (No seriously, you have to watch this.)




Actually, while this cat is quite bratty (and needs to be put somewhere safe and told to leave the horses alone) I think the owners are worse. Laughing and taking this video when this cat could have had its head kicked open. This dear horse, however, is a saint!

Cats have recently become a huge part of my writing career, though, believe it or not.

I have written five novels in all: two featuring horses (The Girl Who Remembered Horses and The Horse Jar) and three with dogs (Six Degrees of Lost, Walking the Dog, and Finding Chance.)

But most recently I have been writing short fiction called Cat Tales. I've been having a blast doing this and they are selling well. At only $0.99 each as ebooks on Amazon, they are quick, enjoyable reads. And after a lifetime with felines - barn cats, house cats, rescue cats, mama cats, spoiled cats, and feral cats - I find that I have no problem coming up with story lines.

Of course, horses often work their way into these stories, too, as in The Summer Cat. It's a bit of a mystery involving a cat named Spuds, who disappears from the barn, and all signs point to the horseshoer. If you like both horses and cats, I'd suggest you try this one!
http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Cat-Tales-Book-ebook/dp/B00KRPZLVQ/

and if you'd like to see them all, you can find them here:

http://www.amazon.com/Linda-Benson/e/B001K8G0X2/


So tell us about your cats - Do you have barn cats to keep the mouse population in check? Or spoiled house cats? Or both . . .

The Great Burro Turnaround

by Linda Benson

One of the things you may not know about me is that I raised donkeys for a number of years. (Donkeys and burros are the same animal, by the way. Burro is a Spanish word mostly given to the wild donkeys of the western United States.) Donkeys come in several sizes: miniature, standard, large standard, and mammoth. I raised large standard spotted donkeys, and it was some of the most fun I ever had in my life.

Two of the donkey foals that I raised: Jasmine and Buttons.

 

 

After years and years with horses, it was fun to learn another equine mind. Donkeys are not stubborn, they simply choose to think more than horses. They rarely panic and bolt like a horse, but often freeze in a new situation, while they stew on things. Therefore - patience and kindness win the day (and the donkey.) In fact, it is my sincere belief that donkeys were put on this earth in order to teach humans patience. (And also provide them with comic relief.)

 

My very best equine friend in life (I realize most of you will name your favorite horse) was a big dark brown jenny named Josie. I loved her, loved her, loved her. Sadly, she lost her battle with laminitis at one point, and we humanely put her down. I cried a thousand tears.

 

Josie was the mother of Jasmine, spotted foal in top picture.

 

The reason I became so close to Josie is that she was wild as a march hare when we bought her. She busted through several fence panels as we attempted to load her in our stock trailer, and it took me fully one year before I could pick up all of her feet. But as you can see, once I finally gained her trust, she was forever in my pocket. I even taught horsemanship lessons with her, eventually teaching youngsters the correct way to pick up feet (because Josie would patiently hold them up all day.) Amazing, huh?

 

During Josie's last days, I bought another little brown donkey named Chester, as a friend for her. But it wasn't the right fit, and I ended up selling Chester to a lovely woman named Danni. She and I kept in touch through the internet, and Danni ended up with another rather wild donkey (donkeys are catching, be warned) that she named Beau.

 

Chester and Beau

 

Beau eventually settled into a very sweet donkey also. And now my friend Danni has just been chosen to be a participant in the upcoming 2015 Great Burro Turnaround, where contestants will have 100 days to gentle and train a completely wild BLM donkey. Similar to the Mustang Makeovers, the donkeys will then be shown to the public and hopefully find a new home.

 

Danni just found out she was selected, and she'll meet her new donkey tomorrow! It might be one of these:

 

 

I am so excited for Danni. She's going to be blogging about her new donkey adventure right here, if you want to follow along: http://critterfarmgirl.blogspot.com/ and I will be right there with her in spirit.

 

Have you owned a donkey? Ever tamed a wild BLM donkey? Tell us!



What is it About Horses?

by Linda Benson

What is it about horses that stirs us so deeply in our souls? Is it their beauty and grace, coupled with power and sensitivity? Or some intrinsic connection humans have with horses, after so many thousands of years of being together?

While horses have benefited mankind throughout modern history for transportation, warfare, hunting, and farming, today's horses are mainly used for recreation. No other animal, though, wild or domestic, seems to evoke the feeling of power, strength, and vulnerability that we feel in our relationship with horses.

Perhaps this is why horses have been successfully used in prison programs for rehabilitation of inmates, and to lower the rate of recidivism. And in therapeutic programs nationwide to help treat returning soldiers who suffer from PTSD as well as combat injuries.

For those of us who ride horses, there is just nothing like the empowering special connection you feel when you develop a relationship with the animal who responds to your every cue, and seems to understand what you want and are thinking.

But horses have the power to inspire us even from the armchair. Just watching horses gallop or frolic, whether they be jumping, racing, in movies, or even in advertising can stir us in unimaginable ways. Not to mention the joy we get reading about horses.

So even as society is rapidly changing, and our relationship with horses changes also - it amazes me how deeply horses can still inspire us, touch us, and make us feel.

What is it about horses, anyway?