“I purchased him sight unseen from pictures—I had fallen in love with his pictures,” Leanne said. “He had been home for four or five weeks, and he just really started to come on. I told my fiancée, Kent, that I might think about sending him to the World Show.”

Softness, he explains, is having the sensitivity we need in order to understand when and if the horse tries to “give.” It is about developing the kind of awareness it takes to know when we are working against our horses, rather than with them. And it is intrinsically linked to the feel and connection we seek on the ground and in the saddle.

A horse has died while being hand-grazed. It’s neck broken after stepping into a lead shank chain which was not being used over the nose but doubled through the halter instead. A Facebook video shows a toddler frolicking in a paddock with a loose pony. The caption is cute, but watching the clip fills me with dread.

“This is a very talented group that we signed this fall,” said Gwin. “They excel in both the ring and in the classroom and I believe they will add depth to the equestrian program and represent SMU well.”

Cleaning, conditioning and protecting leather such as saddles and tack just got easier with the introduction of a new product that does all three steps in one. Lexol 3-in-1 Leather Care got high marks from horse owners who tested the product at home.