Unbridled Creativity Prompts

Unbridled Creativity Mentor Texts

Here are models from the book that might help stimulate your own fresh thinking.

#3 Brainstorm a list of 10 horse show or horse racing names you would like to name 10 horses. Go!

1. Tuxedo Junction
2. Ew, David!
3. Reagan Ranch
4. In the Mood
5. Fly with Me
6. Highclere
7. Exuberant
8. Felicitous
9. Soul Town
10. Banner

#17 What is the scariest fall you’ve ever experienced on horseback? Funniest fall? Write about one or both.

The scariest fall I have ever experienced was the time my horse’s bit got caught on my stirrup iron and he panicked and spun like a top. Read this blog post that went viral on Facebook after my accident, Avoid this Dangerous Donut in the Saddle. And please, don’t ever let your horse nibble on your stirrup iron and don’t treat your horse from the saddle.

35. Barn Time

A clock with no hands boldly proclaims the truth that time with horses can carry us away into another realm–a place where joy reigns supreme and the mundane parts of life disappear. Riding on the back of my tall, dark Thoroughbred, I am no longer constrained by my gait, that of mere mortals. I grow swifter, stronger as we partner together dancing in an arena or scouting out new paths beyond the barn boundaries.

Five hours with my horse feel like 30 minutes. A simple task such as grooming which could be accomplished swiftly with several flicks of a brush, grows into 30 minutes. The shine of his coat and the sweet smell of his skin make me feel proud. He is beautiful and he is mine. Every moment is a gift. The best times of my life have been barn times.

55. Horses are expensive, there’s no getting around it. What has been your best bargain hunting experience? What did you get, and how did you swing such a deal?

My absolute BEST bargain hunting shopping experience occurred when my friend and I visited Middleburg, Virginia to go fox hunting one fall. People from the area told us, “You HAVE to go to Middleburg Tack Exchange,” and so on our tack shop crawl through the mid-Atlantic, we made it a key destination. I hit the riding wear jackpot and scored a medium weight black wool hunt coat, a vintage navy wool Pytchley with fox head buttons, a Joules barn jacket and a brown plaid puffy vest with detachable hood for under $250! Read about our riding with Old Dominion Hounds and all the misadventures in this blog post: Equestrian Vacation: Fox Hunting in Virginia Part II.

59. Helmets or no helmets? Do you always wear a helmet when you ride? Explain your rationale for or against helmets.

Every ride, every time. I believe helmets should always be worn when in the saddle. Why? I had a fall from a halt. Yes, you read that correctly. I fell off when my horse was standing still. I was wearing a helmet and STILL got a concussion. How much worse would it have been if I had been helmetless.

Please read this important blog post 7 Reasons to Always Wear a Helmet When you Ride for a more comprehensive look at the necessariness (I just made up that word) of helmets. I’m such a fan, I even have a cowboy hat riding helmet.

One last thing: a friend of a friend passed away in 2020 as a result of a riding accident. She was not wearing a helmet when her saddle slipped and she got caught underneath her horse. She was a very accomplished rider (actually had been a trainer).

You wear a seatbelt, right? Why not try a helmet. They exist and there are so many pretty options. Thank you for listening to my TED Talk. 🙂

79. If there was one horse-related invention that you could bring to the world (even if you don’t have the technical expertise or budget to do so) what would it be?

A horse-related invention that needs to be brought to market is a robotic arena drag. I have owned a Roomba robot vacuum for years and it rocks! The robot vacuum cruises around my house digesting dust bunnies and dog hair along the way. With a simple touch of button, I can vacuum while I run errands. How freeing is that?

I’ve also seen robotic lawn mowers. The first time I drove past one outside a doctor’s office, diligently mowing the grass, I couldn’t believe it. It was remarkable.

This brings me to the invention the horse world needs: a ginormous Roomba-like harrow that will smooth out arena divots and fluff the footing. It will need to be easy-to-use–perhaps have an app so the barn owner can set the robotic drag to do its job from her phone. I believe the technology exists to free up barn staff and trainers alike. Now let’s go on Shark Tank!

87. Acrostic. Did you ever have to write an acrostic with your first name in elementary school? Well this time around, you’re going to write an acrostic with the name of a horse. If your horse has a really short name (like my heart horse DC) use their show name, registered name or perhaps the name of a different horse you know who has a longer name.

Tethered to the ground, he stands patiently for grooming

I don’t know who trained Knight to ground tie

Zippy he gets on brisk winter days

 

A throwback to his racing career

 

Kind eyes, kind heart

Needs to crib, like an addiction

I cried when I first saw his photograph when horse shopping

Gelding of my heart

He carries me through sorrow and joy

Thoroughbred, thoroughly loved

101. What is your horse story? Who do you think needs to hear it and where can you share it? (I would love to read it! Tag me on social media @saddleseekshorse.)

Extra Horse Writing Prompts

1. List your favorite horse brands and businesses. What makes them your favorite? 
2. If your horse (or the horse you ride) were an ice cream flavor, what flavor would he or she be and why?
3. If you had a friend with no horse riding experience interested in starting up riding lessons, what type of lessons would you recommend, Western or English? Why would you select the one you would recommend?
4. List as many circumstance you can think of where it would be totally appropriate to bring a horse into a house.
5. Crops and whips–training tools or unnecessary artificial aids? How do you view them? Justify your response.