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In my weekly blog, “Amateur Equestrian Confessions,” I share the passion and the pain of one of the most endearing pursuits in the world, horseback riding.

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Green Breeches
Last winter I rode in thick breeches sometimes adding a liner underneath if it was windy. The bathroom scales and the fact that I could add an extra layer gave me a false sense of what and where my body fat was. Saturday was warm so I pulled out a pair of my favorite summer riding pants and paired them with a silky green hoodie. The riding pants are green with grey trim, have a problematic zipper and a tight fit - but they look adorable! As Captain and I transitioned fro
JoAnn Shannon
Jun 2


The stories we tell ourselves
The trip to the barn takes less than twenty minutes. It’s always a pleasant drive because I’m anticipating seeing Captain, excited about lessons and looking forward to seeing the other riders. So, I was thrown off last weekend over an incident that happened on the way. I was driving slowly (because of the Michigan potholes) and had to move over to the right for oncoming traffic. It was a truck towing a horse trailer which is a common occurrence on these roads. A dark SU
JoAnn Shannon
May 19


Pep Talk
Recently, I caught a snippet of advice on NPR about how to deal with situations in which you feel overwhelmed or weak. For instance, you might feel particularly vulnerable when you are negotiating a new car purchase or performing in front of an audience. The clinical phycologist suggested that when we are feeling weak our spirit may continue to deteriorate unless we take a pause and step away. The thing we need to do next is give ourselves a pep talk. I thought this was gr
JoAnn Shannon
May 5
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