Jessie Haas
Award-winning Children's Author

This blog is a true picture of my life right now--I don't have time to write a blog! Why not? Well, I'm training Robin, a 4-year-old Morgan--and since I haven't ridden in over 2 years, the first rides took courage and creativity. I'm finishing the history of my town, an enormous project; finishing CHICO'S CHALLENGE, (more…)

If you responded to Win A Prize (and I Know Molly did!), please send me your mailing address so I can send you your pin. The glitch here is that this blog--set up by the Authors Guild--doesn't show me your email address, so I can't respond to you directly. I'm not Ms. Technology, so (more…)

Robin and I still have our persistent problem of her biting me, or threatening to. I can't decide if it's compulsive--oral Morgan who must be always doing something with her mouth--or if it's something I'm actually training her to do due to my response (but I feel like I have to respond to protect (more…)

Just back from Clicker Expo in Lexington, KY--a wonderful experience. Imagine being in a resort hotel with 400 animal-lovers and 130 well-behaved dogs of all breeds. Imagine classes all day on the latest scientific breakthroughs and refinements in modern animal training. I learned a lot about keeping cues and training loops clean--which coincidentally is what I (more…)

Okay, here's a challenge for clicker trainers. I've been a bad blogger--look how long it's been. Do I call myself a bad blogger, or do I give myself a tiny treat for getting back into the saddle?
A few excuses; extensive barn renovations, followed by winter, Christmas, more winter...naah, no excuses. Robin is (more…)

Thanks so much for posting a comment, Jane. Fortunately there are a lot of good horse books for your daughter to read, and my pony books have many times been a reluctant reader's gateway into reading.
Send me an email with your address, and I'll send your daughter a homemade Horse Crazy! pin just (more…)

The first three people to post comments on this blog will receive hand-made and autographed Horse Crazy! pins. Why? It's a training exercise. I'm trying to train myself to blog more frequently, plus I want a good reason to play with glue and scissors. I need feedback and reinforcement, and I want to hear (more…)

You write books to learn things. (Though sometimes you fool yourself into thinking you write them to teach.) One of the best things I learned writing Horse Crazy! is how much fun it is to play with decoupage. I use Mod-Podge; you can use other products, or mix white glue and water half and (more…)

The first signing for Horse Crazy! was at the Book Cellar in Brattleboro, Vt, and it was very successful, thanks to the efforts of Kati Knapp at the store, and to my beloved eighth grade teacher, Winnie Vogt, who sent a couple of nice people my way. Everyone went home with their own personal (more…)

I sat on Robin! Three or four times now, for between one and three seconds. It's a big thrill for me. I've had her for a little over a year, and have not been on a horse in about two years. So far so good. I have not asked Robin to take a single (more…)