Western Dressage Magazine

10/11/2025

“Good riding is good riding. It’s not about the tack.” Ida Norris Western Dressage

Great session yesterday with Ida Norris at !

20/09/2025

This arena was filled with equal parts grit and magic this week. What a profound event to witness. The respect and excitement here was abundant. Incredible horses and riders. And shout out to the judges! Western Dressage has the best!

🧡🤎

20/09/2025

The warmth felt in the arena today would make anyone emotional in the best way. The judge kept saying “Have a great ride!” and so many riders said “Thank you!” with a huge smile. So many different horses and riders have come together to celebrate Western Dressage this week.

🧡🤎

16/08/2025

New article out today:
The Postpartum Horsewoman 🧡

When I was a girl, I would often get to witness mares foaling. I always left these experiences completely amazed, having witnessed a mare's superhero power. Each one, to me, was a queen, and I learned so much of a mother...

14/08/2025

8/23-24 Naomi Strong Clinic, Dalby, Australia

8/31 Lynn Newton Clinic in Virginia

9/6-20 The WDAA’s World Championships

Sep & Oct Canadian Ntl Championships are wrapping up

10/10-12 Colonel Richard L. Porter, MD 3 Day WD Show with USEF Big R Judges, Las Vegas, Nevada

10/26 Show with Anne Moss, Blue Goose Stables, Pennsylvania

11/1 Steve Thake Clinic, Wolvi, Australia

11/6-9 Ida Norris will be teaching at
Equine Affaire Massachusetts

11/8-11 Winning Ways Show & Clinics, with Lynn Palm and Cyril Pittion-Rossillon, Ocala, Florida

13/08/2025

WDM has always been orange 🥕🧡😍 We’re down for a good shimmer.

of horsemanship

14/07/2025

💔

One thing you probably won’t hear mentioned in the tragic Grand Canyon Fire is the loss of this little gem, a statue of Brighty the Donkey.

Brighty was a donkey who lived in the Grand Canyon in the early 1900s. His owner left him behind, as many miners did when they gave up. Shortly thereafter, the Grand Canyon was established as a national park, and Brighty hung around the tourists and park workers. Sometimes he would help them carry water from the springs. He was quite legendary, and probably met Teddy Roosevelt and Buffalo Bill.

Brighty met an unfortunate death that I won’t discuss here. But years later, an author named Marguerite Henry happened to hear about his story and became fascinated by it. She visited the North Rim to find out more, and ends up writing a kids book called Brighty of the Grand Canyon.

The book was later turned into a movie. For the movie promotion, they made a statue of Brighty. Later, the film studio donated the statue to the National park. It was at the South Rim for awhile, but was later moved to the North Rim because Brighty loved at the North Rim.

It sat at the entry of the amazing sun room in the Grand Canyon Lodge. It was often overlooked by visitors, but visited enough that his nose had that shine from being touched often.

Now, Brighty has sadly died a second death.

I wrote and recorded an entire 15 minute audio guide chapter about Brighty to go with our North Rim itinerary guide, and now I’m quite heartbroken that the lodge, and Brighty’s statue, are possibly gone.

PS: Several people have mentioned that the statue might survive the fire due to the fact bronze can withstand higher temperatures. We have no idea right now the state of the statue.

06/07/2025

A Nod Goodbye to a Horsewoman

A Nod Goodbye to a Horsewoman.

26/06/2025

They’re just going to get thrown anyway.

17/11/2024

What a phenomenal man. It was the honor of a lifetime to get to visit with him, and to live in a natural horsemanship world he helped to create. Sending his family so much love. ❤️🙏🏼

Dearest friends and colleagues, we wanted to let you know that Dr. Miller passed away peacefully this morning at his home, surrounded by his family and holding onto the reins of his favorite mule. Horses were just one of his passions; he loved and lived life to the very fullest, up until the end, and he will be greatly missed. Thank you for your support and friendship, and please join us in ensuring his legacy continues. We will be announcing two equine memorial scholarships in his honor in the near future. With love, Debby, Mark, and Laurel