The Low Expectations Strategy

Posted on March 26, 2016 by F.J. THOMAS

LOW EXPECTATIONS…

Springtime is here and show season has begun!

It’s a time to drag and rotate pastures in preparation for summer grass.

It’s also a time to get ready for the first horse show of the year.

It’s also a good time to assess your goals for the year, and your mindset. What are your goals as a rider? What are your goals for your horse? What are you goals for the show season? And, the big question is do all three of those goals align?

I’ll be honest, I’d absolutely love to run down the alley way at the Thomas and Mack arena at the NFR, or run a cow down the rail at the AQHA World, or jump a course at the Longines FEI World Cup. Actually, I’d love to do all three, but if i start my show season off thinking we’ll be hitting that level by the end the year, I’m going to be sorely disappointed!

The pattern at the State finals. Ground was awesome!

Joel Sherlin who trained NBHA World Champion and RFD-TV American Semi-Finalist (2014), Bully By Design, has a saying that goes a long ways when it comes to riding horses and horse shows. Joel, who lives in Athens, Tennessee, is as down to earth as they get even though he’s somewhat of a local legend for his uncanny training ability and funny stories that all come from personal experience of course! His saying is, “Low expectations.”

“Team Blowout”!

You see, just like any great horseman that’s learned from experience, Joel knows you can have the best plans in the world and the biggest dreams, and sometimes things just happen that are out of your control. For instance, you’re riding a colt at a big show and he spooks at the flash on a camera as you’re making your way along the rail and you blow your class. Or maybe you’re riding a horse that’s been hauled a lot but they spook at the second barrel when the wind flaps a banner on the rail. It happens. The key is to not let it deter you from moving forward in your goals.

I’ve hauled with Joel and his wife Nancy quite a bit and I try to learn all I can about this “Low Expectations” strategy. Obviously with their track record and number of great horses they’ve turned out, there’s something to it!

We stayed in the Sherlin’s trailer known as “The Double OO”. It’s famous!

“Low Exepctations” is really a change in mindset that’s usually brought on by the school of hard knocks – sometimes literally – and disappointments. It’s a learning experience.

One thing that I’ve noticed is that when you ride horses that have issues or need some training, you learn very quickly to appreciate the little things. For instance, if you a haul your horse to it’s first show and you stay on, it’s been a good day – never mind you didn’t even place! That’s “Low Expectations” in action right there.

Bubba earned me THE black ribbon for the horse show for his horrendous go in Trail. The following year he won me an All Round for the day!

When you’re starting a new discipline, or your new to riding in general, it’s the same thing. If you get in your class and you remember your pattern, or you make it around all three barrels still in the saddle, then you’ve had a good ride! Again, “Low Expectations”.

By now, you see where I’m going with this.

Sometimes you have to take a step back and look at where you’re at and what your base struggles are. Do you have trouble getting a lead? Does your horse struggle loping small circles? Do your horse spook every time you go into an indoor arena? Those are the simple things you can focus on now. Fixing foundational problems such as these will lead to much bigger successes later on.

The same thing goes for us a riders. What are some of the things that you struggle with as a rider? Maybe you struggle with getting the correct diagonal at the trot, or being in time over a jump. Perhaps it’s getting left behind when you come out of a barrel headed to the next one, or just not being intimidated with speed. When you break it down, all of these things really relate to strength and balance. Just like working on foundational issues with your horse, you can work on the basic issues as a rider and improve your ability over time.

As riders, we always tend to look at the end picture. What we don’t realize is that it’s all the little things that eventually produce the final success, and that’s a side effect of having a “Low Expectations” mentality. Work on those small things a little at time and eventually they all add up.

If you could do anything with your horse, what would it be? What are some simple things you can do today to improve you and your horse, and implement a “Low Expectations” strategy?

Fireman at Ft. Smith futurity year

Little Changes

Posted on April 27, 2015 by F.J. THOMAS

Most of us know that horses react better and learn more when things are broken down into little increments, or changes. It may not seem like you’re getting a whole lot done in short sessions, but training actually progresses quicker that way. They retain more and have a better attitude which allows the training to progress at a faster rate.

Humans are the same way…

Read any article on long-term weight loss and they’ll tell you that when it comes to food it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change. The reasoning behind that is that diets are too strict and unrealistic to maintain. I tend to agree with that, but at the same time changing your whole lifestyle is major upset as well.

If you think about it, a diet is temporary even if it is for a few months. A lifestyle change, on the other hand is permanent. That’s kind of scary – you’re changing your whole life, not just what you put into your body!

The older I get, the more minimalistic I’ve noticed I’m becoming. I ask myself, “What small changes can I make?”

For a person that’s always been impatient and wanted results fast, that’s a pretty big change in itself. I’ve spent decades going on the next greatest diet and going down the scale to get results quickly only to go right back up. I got the results quickly – unfortunately those results were quick in both directions!

Are you getting enough vegetables?

Like everyone else out there, I’m busy and have a full schedule. I already get up at 4am most mornings and my day is stuffed full of things that have to be done. I can’t radically upset that apple cart! Yet, I know I need to make some changes to be healthy.

So how do you make those changes when your day is already full? I’m finding the easiest way is to make small changes, and make them as effortless and enjoyable as possible. If something is too hard, or not enjoyable then it’s too easy to slip back into old habits and schedules.

One small change that I made several months ago is drinking home made green smoothies. I throw in a handful of kale or spinach and then fill the rest with fruit, almond or cashew milk, and vanilla protein powder. It takes maybe 5 minutes to fix. I take the smoothie with me to work and that’s my daily breakfast.

Spinach, banana, strawberry, Raw brand Protein powder.

One of the most important things in drinking a smoothie every day is to make sure I enjoy the taste. If not, I’m not going to be motivated to drink it every day. I add enough fruit to improve the taste of the spinach, and add a protein powder that I truly love. I have to steer clear of soy and whey which made it a little difficult to find a good tasting protein powder but I found a couple of great tasting and affordable protein powders at Swansons Vitamins.

Because the green smoothies are quick and easy to make, and I enjoy the taste, it’s not been all that hard to maintain that one change. As a result, I’ve started drinking smoothies at other times as well. For instance, when I’m either short or time or it’s too late to actually make a meal.

The good thing about having a green smoothie for breakfast is that leaves only two other meals to manage during the day. Even if you bomb those two meals, you’ve at least gotten in one healthy meal for the day! It’s all in how you break it down.

Just like with horses, small changes can make a huge impact long term. What small changes can you make in your life that will make a difference in your health? Maybe it’s making that smoothie for breakfast. Maybe it’s getting an extra fifteen minutes of sleep. Whatever it is, find a way to make it easy and enjoyable to maintain it.

Find YOUR Journey

Posted on April 2, 2015 by F.J. THOMAS

I always try to give a shoutout to those folks that I believe have something special. Zakk Tompkins, owner of On The Edge rodeo apparel is one of those folks. I recently interviewed Zakk for my author blog, Talking In The Barn, and I was quite surprised at how open he was about his struggle with depression. I really believe this young man has a big purpose in life to help others and be a voice that’s not often heard but is all to real. If you get a chance, please check out the interview and his blog, Be Remembered Be Bold.

Cowgirls are known for blazing their own trail but sometimes when it comes to our daily lives we have a tendency to think we should follow the crowd, or listen to the conventional wisdom at the time. If you don’t believe that, just visit a barrel racing forum the first three months of the year – there’s a least two posts a week asking what the best diet or diet supplement is, or what the best exercise is to lose weight. Most of the times, those posts receive more responses than the actual horse posts that the sites are designed for in the first place – that says volumes about our head space!

We’re told by physicians, fitness gurus, and supplement companies what we should be eating and how we should be working out. Yet at the same time it’s interesting that they all often contradict each other, and even more interesting is the fact that recommendations are constantly changing. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the drugs that were originally touted to be harmless and then later have a warning label of horrible side effects.

A few years back, like the majority of women in their 30-40’s, I was on a common low-grade anti-depressant for a few years. I wasn’t sleeping well, I was tired, and basically had some depression. I work in the health care field but am holistic thinking by nature. I wasn’t too keen on taking medication but I had to do something and there were no alternatives. The doctors just said I needed to exercise more – I was already getting an hour’s worth of barn chores in the morning.

One New Year I started off with a bang to get in shape. I joined the gym and went on a diet that included veggies, lean protein, and low-fat dairy – I ate a lot of greek yogurt.

Not long after I started the diet, I developed bronchitis along with a sinus infection. Even with antibiotics and enough Mucinex to kill a horse, I just could not get any better. I was sick for at least two months.

I knew dairy could cause thicker mucous and sinus issues. I also knew that most physicians will tell you that’s hogwash but since everything else had failed to work, I decided to try eliminating dairy. A week later, I was already feeling much better and the bronchitis was gone.

That’s when I first decided to cut back on dairy, against conventional medical wisdom as it supplies calcium and vitamin D. Since making that change, I’ve not had the sinus problems that I’ve had before. Any time I do have sinus trouble, it’s always after I’ve gone on a cheese and ice cream binge!

Around this period of time, I developed a bump and then a sore on my face that wouldn’t go away for over a year. A biopsy and blood work showed inflammation but that was it – the doctor was stumped. After doing some research, I asked my physician about Lupus. Based on the biopsy, blood work, and some joint pain that I was having he said that was a possibility and sent me to a rheumatoid specialist who promptly offered medication as the only solution. The medication made me feel like I had the flu, not to mention it had some horrendous long-term side effects.

Not having any alternatives to the medication, I started doing my own research. One of the things that I found was that the anti-depressant I was on could cause inflammation and auto-immune type symptoms. I also learned that certain foods like gluten and dairy could do the same. Armed with that information, I started on a journey of experimentation to see how my body would react.

Long story short, after going off all the medication, and cutting way back on gluten and dairy, the place on my face went away. By experimentation and paying close attention to how my body reacts to food, I learned that dairy and gluten both affect my breathing, cause joint pain, and causes my skin to develop inflamed bumps.

Did you know tomatoes can cause heart burn & cause Rosacea to flare up?

The ironic thing is that foods that the health industry tell you to eat (whole wheat, non-fat dairy) make me sick. The other irony is that conventional medicine had missed that fact.

I tell you this long story to say this — don’t be afraid to find your own journey when it comes to food and exercise.

In finding your journey when it comes to nutrition and exercise, there’s a few things to consider.

How does you body react to certain foods? Start paying attention to even the very small changes that you see in your body and your thinking when you eat certain foods. Sometimes the changes are extremely small and aren’t noticeable until you start keeping track.
What nutrition packed foods do you truly love that also makes you feel better? If you can’t enjoy the food you’re eating, you’re not going to be able to keep up that way of eating for long. Face it – we love to eat! Find foods that bring you joy that are also packed with nutrition. For instance, I absolutely love mushrooms and red bell peppers. Instead of always eating bland salads that I don’t enjoy, I’ll brown some mushrooms and peppers in garlic and olive oil… I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
What does the bigger picture look like? Finding happiness in life is all about balance. If you feel like your food or exercise is taking a toll on other important areas of your life then it’s time to re-evaluate. It’s ok to compromise and adjust if you have to – it’s YOUR journey, not someone else’s so don’t compare and don’t feel guilty if you’re not putting a million hours into running on the treadmill!
What type of exercise do you enjoy? The more you truly enjoy an activity the more likely you’ll continue doing it. If you don’t enjoy any other form of exercise other than riding, then ride! You can always bump it up and make it more challenging by riding bareback, cantering for longer periods of time, or staying in two point. At least do something and make sure it’s something you enjoy.

I spent a lot of years listening to the “experts” and it got me nowhere. Just because the medical and fitness experts say you should eat a certain food, take a certain supplement. or work out a certain way doesn’t mean that it will work for YOU. We are all different and you can’t compare. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. In the end, this is your life and your journey and you only get to take one ride!

Junk In, Junk Out

Posted on March 10, 2015 by F.J. THOMAS

We’ve all heard the sayings, “You are what you eat”, and “Junk in, junk out.”

For most of my life, I’ve taken that saying with a grain of salt, pun intended. However, over the last few years I’m beginning to think there’s a lot more truth to those sayings than we realize.

After a bout of unanswered questions about my health – that’s another blog post in itself – I started paying very close attention to how my body reacted to certain foods. Now, I’m not talking just gaining or losing weight. I’m talking about how food effects my breathing, my sinus levels, and even my mental status for the day.

After doing some experimentation, I learned that dairy and breads cause me to wheeze – that’s in addition to sinus and stomach issues. I also learned that cokes and sweets cause me to become depressed, and soy will send me into an emotional roller coaster during certain times of the month. In contrast, turkey and other meat cause me to focus and think more clearly.

The same thing could be said about our thought life. When we think negative things, the impact is negative.Those negative thoughts impact our happiness, our confidence, and ultimately our performance and whether or not we pursue dreams.

Recently, I read a great article on thinking like an athlete. The article stated that the main reason athletes are successful is that they see themselves as just that – an athlete.

The article went on to say that when you see yourself as an athlete and get into that mindset, regardless of what your body is like, you start thinking differently in other areas of your life. You start taking training more seriously. What you eat and the amount of sleep you get become more important. Instead of those seeing those things as a means to lose weight, they suddenly become a way for you to train better and be a better athlete.

How many times have you been asked what you do with your horses or what discipline you ride? Probably too many times to count. Your answer has probably been, “I just run barrels” or “I just do a little western pleasure.” That’s the wrong answer!

Today, you might not be running down the alley way at the NFR or doing a sliding stop at the finals at Congress. I get that you don’t want to blow yourself out of proportion, come across arrogant, or give the appearance that you’re competing at a level that you’re not – yet! However, if you keep thinking like you always have, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.

Think about it for a moment…

Do you spend any less money on your horse than a serious competitor? You feed the best feed, supplements and hay. You keep a routine shoeing schedule so your horse can perform well. You take your horse to the vet every time they need it. You make sure your horse is in a safe, happy environment and kept on a schedule.

Do you spend any less time on your horse than a serious competitor? I know a lot of girls that compete locally and not nationally that ride their horses every single day. I also know girls that ride every free minute they can in the midst of working full time to pay the feed bill and mortgage, working second and third jobs, and taking care of families. Is the fact that they don’t get to ride as much any less worthy?

There’s things that you’re probably already doing that aren’t that much different than someone rides and competes on a higher level. Don’t cut yourself short in your thinking!

If you think you’re “junk”, then junk is exactly what you’re going to reap.

What do you think Charmayne James or Congress champion Karen Evans Mundy thought of themselves when they were working up through the ranks? Did they think they were just a barrel racer or just a hunter rider? No! They thought of themselves as champions that just hadn’t gotten there yet. All they had to do was work a little harder and ride a little better – that’s all.

So my question to you is this… If you knew for a fact that you would be running down the alleyway at the NFR, or riding the rail at Congress in two years how would that change your thinking TODAY? Would it make you see yourself differently? Would you have a new purpose every time you rode or worked out?

If you’re like me, you’ve beat yourself up for far too long thinking you’re not good enough and you’re just a barrel racer, etc. That thinking hasn’t gotten either of us very far, has it?

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. It’s time to do something different. It’s time to think different and see what results we get!

In the end, it really doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks. It only matters what you think about yourself.

Something To Learn

Posted on February 21, 2015 by F.J. THOMAS

There’s some good news this week! I’ve been asked to do a podcast interview about Cowgirls With Curves and some of the challenges that real size riders face when it comes to riding and competing. The interview will be in early March and I’m excited to have the chance to spread the word and hopefully make a difference in how cowgirls everywhere see themselves! As soon as I have more information, I’ll post the link here so you can listen and share.

With the RFD-TV American Million Dollar Rodeo semi-finals going on, I think it’s a good opportunity to talk about attitudes. Attitudes towards ourselves and our horses, and attitudes toward other riders and their horses.

Just this week, I saw yet another Facebook post saying that just because a horse and rider doesn’t run 1-D times or win money at every rodeo it doesn’t mean that they’re crap or not worthy. I’m sure the post was the result of something that was said to the poster or perhaps she overhead. Either way, it had an impact.

I’ve seen the woman who posted the statement at many barrel races and ranch clinics since she was a very young teenager. While she may not have the latest greatest tack, truck and trailer, or have the most intimating blood lines, she has done well locally.

Three year old mare at her first ranch clinic fall of 2013.

Now, I’d like to run down the alley way of the NFR just as much as any other barrel racer out there, or push a cow down the fence at mach nine at the ARHA National show. Heck, any national title would make me happy! Because of that, I read about and listen to a lot of national champions in the hopes of learning something and some day being in their shoes. At the same time, there’s something that this young woman has that I think all of us, no matter what level we show at, can learn from.

Horsemanship is very important to this young woman, which is one reason she goes to the ranch clinics. Too often I feel like the horsemanship part gets left out in the pursuit of a title. Horsemanship and the best interest of the horse always needs to stay in the forefront, no matter what.

Trailer load demo at Circle C Cowboy Church colt starting competition and clinic 2011.

This young woman is passionate about barrel racing and she’s one of the hardest workers I know. She’s done the absolute best with what she has and it’s not been easy. Even through the disappointments and the hard times she’s managed to keep the fire lit under her dreams and keep moving in that direction. She’s always had a great attitude.

The last thing is that she dearly loves her horses and she realizes how blessed she is just to have a horse in the first place – any horse! Humility and thankfulness are two things that serve you well no matter where you go. They keep you grounded and they get you through the hard times.

On a side note, when it comes to humility and thankfulness, far too often I’ve seen a sense of entitlement develop with a little bit of ability or winning a title. Just because you have the horse and the ability to win doesn’t mean you’re automatically entitled. When you’re humble and you’re thankful, that sense of entitlement doesn’t rear it’s ugly head.

The sad thing is that every section of the horse industry sees someone like this young woman and thinks they’re a nobody. They’re not appreciated for the qualities that they have, and no one thinks they have anything to offer or learn from because they don’t have a title under their belt. As wise horsemen say, good or bad, every person and every horse has something to teach you. Of course, in order to learn you can’t dismiss them.

I have my judge’s card with the Open Horse Show Association. I would love to get my judge’s cards in several other large associations like ARHA, AQHA, etc. One thing that has kept me from pursuing it quite frankly has been the financial costs but I love judging open shows. The main thing I absolutely love about judging open shows is seeing people who are starting out on their own without any help. Even though they’re a complete novice when it comes to showing horses, I’m always in awe of how they remind me every single time what it’s all about. That keeps my own passion for showing and competing alive. It is also a part of what prompted me to start this site.

Judging at the Reinbow Riders open show at Tri-State arena in Cleveland, Tennessee. Photo courtesy of Christina Simmerman.

Have you ever had an experience where someone has dismissed you as a competitor? How did that make you feel? How did you get past it?

What Makes You Confident?

Posted on February 13, 2015 by F.J. THOMAS

First of all, I want to say “Thank You” to everyone that helped spread the word about Cowgirls With Curves! The response since launching has been overwhelming, which confirmed what I already knew first hand! Let me just say, it’s fulfilling to talk to other women with the same issues and feel like you’re making a difference. So, I can’t say THANK YOU enough!

One of the hot topics among us real size cowgirls is confidence – How do we get it? That’s something we struggle with in and out of the saddle.

I’ll confess, I’m probably more confident in the saddle than I am out of it, mainly just because I like working horses so much! That doesn’t mean however, that I’ve not had times that I’ve had to work for it, and I still do when it comes to barrel racing especially. The one thing that has always made a difference in my riding confidence has been working out and getting strong – notice I didn’t say losing weight. It’s strength that makes the difference.

I’ve always said there’s nothing like having a colt to break, or a young horse to start back in the spring to make a person get strong. Ride a few fresh young horses and you’ll see what I mean!

Where that came from, for me, was that each winter I took a break from everything. No riding, no working out. Then when spring rolled around, I’d get back to riding.

Each year, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed it’s taken me longer to get back to feeling normal and in sync with my horse. With each passing year I’ve had to work harder at it – and if I’ve had a young horse I’ve had to put even more effort.

Most of the time, I’ve done the usual core work like planks and crunches to get my balance back. While that helped tremendously, I’ve found something that works even better!

This year instead of taking the whole winter off, I started working out in early November doing Kettlebell exercises. The difference that it has made in my riding has been amazing, especially considering I was only doing three exercises at 20 reps each. In fact, it made such a difference I made the fastest run I’ve made so far on my horse, and I felt good about it and in control the whole entire time. I’ve been trying to make that silly run for three years!

I took pretty much the whole month of December off, and then didn’t throw a leg over one until the end of January. Even having that much time off and my horse absolutely full of it, I felt like I hadn’t taken any time off at all. To me, that said a lot about the exercises that I’d been doing.

Kettlebellsworkouts.com and PositiveHealthWellness are the websites that I used to find Kettlebell exercises. Kettlebellsworkouts has a list of 52 exercises with videos and they periodically will do a Kettlebell Challenge to keep you motivated.

PositiveHealthWellness has a great list of Kettlebell exercises with instructions that will help you get started. They also have nutrition articles, and an extensive list of exercise ideas if you need to switch up your routine.

I’ve shared the three exercises that I’ve started out with. Since I’m not a personal trainer, I’ve listed the links for each exercise with the proper instructions.

I already had 10 pound dumbbells and two 20 pound weights on hand so that’s what I use instead of a Kettlebell. Since I use different weights for different exercises, this works out well. At some point I might cave in and buy a couple of actual Kettlebells but for the moment, I’ll use the money for my feed bill and entry fees!

The Kettlebell Plank Row is one exercise that I can honestly say is the absolute hardest I’ve ever done! It’s also an exercise that I feel makes a huge difference in how you ride since you’re engaging your core at a high level the entire time.

The Kettlebell Walking Lunge is one that I do with a little variation. Instead of keeping the Kettlebell overhead, I’ll hold the weights out in front of me and raise them overhead which engages the core even more.

The Kettlebell Swing is a great exercise to get your heart rate up very quickly so it’s a great option to use for not only strength but cardio as well. I do this exercise with more weight than I do the other two exercises simply because I’m stronger in that position.

A word of caution on the Kettlebell exercises – the Kettlebell Turkish Getup is a whole lot harder than it looks! I let a teenage student and her two little brothers try it with a 5 pound weight. It was all they could do to get up. So if you want a hard challenge, try it.

Because these exercises elevate your heart rate while working several body parts and engaging the core the whole entire time, you really do get more bang for your buck. Because of that, you can save on time since you don’t have to do as many exercises to work the same amount of muscles.

There’s something about being strong and being in control of your body when riding that has an effect on your mindset and confidence. When you’re strong, you don’t feel out of control or over-powered.

You may be at a point where you’re thinking, “I can’t do these type of exercises!” It doesn’t matter what you can do – what matters is that you start somewhere. If you can do one rep, do one. Then the next day try two reps. Just start at the level you’re at – YOU CAN DO IT.

How confident are you when it comes to riding? Why do you think your confidence level is at the level that it’s at? What is one thing you can do today to improve your confidence?

Let me know how you guys are doing out there! Drop me a line, visit the Cowgirls With Curves facebook page!

Breaking The Mold

Posted on February 4, 2015 by F.J. THOMAS

Welcome to Cowgirls With Curves!

So what is Cowgirls With Curves? It’s a blog that’s aimed at plus size riders that features tips, interviews, and eventually clothing & tack reviews.

There’s a few thing this blog isn’t about….

It’s not about giving up and making excuses for the size you are.

It’s not about telling you need to lose weight, go on a diet, or exercise.

It’s not about bashing women that aren’t plus size.

There’s a few things that this blog IS all about…

It’s about highlighting and encouraging real sized women that love horses and love to ride.

It’s about helping real size women love themselves at the size they are and helping them to become the best rider they can be.

It’s about breaking the molds and stereotypes of plus size riders everywhere.

Let’s face it. The horse world can be an incredibly cruel and judgemental place, especially if you compete. The pressure is real and almost every single plus size rider feels it on some level. If you’re not a certain size and riding at a certain level, even if you’re a good horseman there’s rarely any notability.

But the truth of the matter is that the average American woman wears plus size clothing. The average American woman also fills the majority of the Amateur classes at most horse shows and competitions. So why are they not recognized and appreciated? Why is the majority of the western clothing and tack industry still geared to smaller sized women?

Some of the largest modeling agencies in the world are starting to sign plus size models, which by the way immediately catapults them to super model status. Plus size bloggers are now some of the most popular fashion bloggers out there. Why can’t the horse industry follow suit? I think it’s time it did!

So sit back and enjoy the ride and take a tour of the site. By the way, if you’re a plus size rider that would like to do an interview I’m looking for YOU!

I’m also looking to reach out to clothing and tack companies that cater to plus size riders. You don’t have to be a big name like Wrangler or Cinch -you just have to recognize that some of us gals don’t fit the mold! If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, fill out the contact form and I’ll get back with you!

Check back with us next week — we’re going to be talking about exercises you can do to boost your confidence and balance in the saddle. These are exercises that I personally try to do on a regular basis to maintain and improve my riding.

Cowgirls With Curves

A place for real sized cowgirls to be encouraged!

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