I haven't been able to ride much over the past few years. It's been sporadic at best. This is the life of a parent though, kids take a lot of attention that may otherwise be used for riding. Now that my kids are old enough to function and do their own taxes, I decided I'm going to make riding work again. I've been detailing it a lot[...]
Horses in other countries fascinate me. Growing up in the US, even in my specific region on the east coast has given me very specific ideas of how horses should be raised. But even in different areas of the USA, which is huge, by the way, horse keeping varies widely. For example, I've seen maybe examples in California of horses being k[...]
Gem Twist was argueably one of the most famous show horses of all time. Even if your non-horsie friends might know him, although not for his show record. They might know him because he was cloned. In a marvel of how far science has come, he was able to be cloned two years after his death in order to continue his incredible bloodline. He[...]
For the 20th (30th? 40th?) time, I see the same post on my feed. "16h perfect horse for sale!! She's great in every way, why won't some one buy her? NO TIRE KICKERS" This is paraphrased on purpose, I'm keeping it vague. I haven't sold many horses, so I'm looking at this from the lens of a purchaser, which I have been many times in m[...]
Poison ivy and I go way back. But, they don't go further back than my horses. I never truly experienced poison ivy until I got horses. The poison ivy problem started with them, and they have been forever linked. It's completely possible this is entirely a me problem. In fact, anyone that I've ever told this too has never experienced it.[...]
The Olympics is in fully swing, with a busy equestrian schedule. This year it's in the incredible Palace of Versailles. As a long time fan of the giant building, I'm also a fan of riding next to it. I'm never going to the Olympics but I can still dream of riding there, maybe there's a trail ride. Something much more low key. But if you[...]
The horse world was shocked when Charlotte Dujardin withdrew from the Olympics, 3 days prior to the start of the games. But even more shocking, the former golden girl was withdrawing because of a video of her abusing a horse. The Charlotte Dujardin?? Of Charlotte and Valegro?? The video was released yesterday, and sure enough, it's Charl[...]
There are about 2,500 Przewalski horses left in the world, making them an endangered species. At one point, there were only 12 horses left, but thanks to captive breeding programs their numbers have increased. Due to their endangered status, they are heavily monitored, and kept only in zoos or their specific areas of reintroduction. [...]
Nosebands are well known. The bridle often doesn't look complete without it. Even non horse people draw nosebands on the horse's head, usually in a very cartoonish way, sometimes adding 2 or 3 of them. They're aware something goes there, even if they aren't sure why or how many. Why are nosebands on bridles? There's a few reasons. T[...]
Reg patted the horse gently. "Easy, easy," he murmured, trying to calm him. The horse had only been in the mines for three weeks, and was not adjusting well. His hooves clattered on the rock ground, as he stepped nervously to one side, bumping against the wall of the shaft. There was very little room to move, and the horse was taking up[...]