This past weekend Chance and I had the great opportunity to ride in a two-day clinic with Shannon Peters thanks to a $400 grant I received from The Dressage Foundation. It was so much fun! On Saturday Shannon started right off the bat by…

Skijoring



This sport’s usually seen with a horse pulling someone on skis. However I’ve also seen it done on roller blades and snowboards. Races are sometimes held in this sport, but more so in Europe. If someone manages to perfect this one on water-skis, please send me a video; I’d love to see it!



Pair/Synchronized Jumping



It’s basically normal hunters or jumpers except you get to take your friend and her horse out on the course with you. This…

Dressage Canada has recently announced new safety rules in regards to helmets. Riders at the fourth level and below are now required to wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet while mounted on show grounds. See below for the full and complete rule change:



As of May 1st, 2011, the following rule regarding safety headgear will be adopted by Dressage Canada:



1. ASTM/SEI or BSI approved headgear must be worn by all riders showing Fourth Level and below, regardless of age, when…

When I got back to riding after being diagnosed with MS I found that I never knew where my lower legs were.  I would start of riding with my lower legs in the right place, and sometime during the ride my attention would go elsewhere and my lower legs would start drifting along the horse's sides.  My toes were pointing too far out, I was pivoting on my knees, bringing my lower leg too far back, and when I tried to correct this I would put too much weight…

Well, Muffin is coming along.  She was very good last Saturday, and then Sunday, with no martingale on ... lets play throw our head in the air and race around the arena!  At least she was going somewhere...  So, around and around we went, until she gave up and came round. 

Monday, I was trying to give her a light stretchy ride... doesn't work if she's coming in season.  By Wednesday, we had full blown evil child.  When you can't get your horse past a little drip in the arena,…

Finally and at last, the ice on the pond has thawed and birds have returned. It’s our spring break.

My elderly, domestic ducks waddle off to the pond with a very officious gait, business-like in their bathing.  They quack around with wild ducks, exchanging opinions. Mine are easy to tell apart, they swim much lower in the water and act like they own the place.  They return to the yard in late afternoon for dinner- the old gelding shares his with them. It has been a long,…

Emily Winegar is definitely another young rider with a career on fire. At just 15, she has already been crowned AQHYA World Champion in 2009 in addition to two previous reserve champion titles. Her other victories include winning the KRHA Sunflower Slide Futurity Open in 2005, an Open finalist at the NRHA Futurity, named the National Reining Horse Association’s Youth of the Year in 2008 and Palomino Horse Breeders Association Youth World Champion for the last four years. She was also…

If your horse drifts and/or veers after a jump, it can cause numerous problems. You could lose your balance, it could interfere with your preparation for the next jump or you could potential crash into something. So here’s a tip to solve it. Place two pylons a few feet away from a jump and position them so they’re wide enough for your horse to go through. Then canter towards the jump, go over, then aim to keep your horse at a steady pace and go through the pylons. This should help teach you…

Attention eventing enthusiasts! Canadian Eventing Dressage Tests are now available for your your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch on the iTunes Store at http://bit.ly/fGFqcw

Canadian Eventing Dressage Tests include:

• Entry Division Test 1
• Entry Division Test 2
• Pre-Training Division Test 1
• Pre-Training Division Test 2
• Training Division Test 1
• Training Division Test…

The Running Horse 

A Bi-monthly Newsletter from Horse Play

March - April 2011

Horse Play

EIN: 05-0506340

Website:  www.hptrc.org

Email:  horseplayri@msn.com

Message from Aidan – the Alpha Mare

Spring might be coming! Rain, mud – but mud is better than ice - then there…

Welcome to spring!  Horse show season is under way and bathing suit season is just around the corner.  A winter of holiday feasting and reduced activity may have left you with a few souvenir pounds to help you to remember last season.  I was recently asked if I think that counting calories is a good way to lose weight so I…

Author:  Stephanie Doyle

Augusta, KS Meet Jjs Summer Breeze, who holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for horse with the longest tail. Editor Stephanie Doyle “interviewed” Summer (via her owner, Crystal Socha). Summer is a registered American Paint Horse and also is registered with the Pinto Horse Association of America.



Just how long is your tail? Currently my tail is 13’6” long. When it was officially measured for the Guinness…

I finally got around to working my mare with some groundwork Saturday afternoon. First I got her all cleaned up and then took her out to eat some grass. Seems like this spring I am so far behind with what I normally do with her.This winter has been difficult with all the rotten weather. I still work and sometimes finding the time to get out to the barn to work her, gets away from me. I board her at a small farm about 3 miles from home. I do go out almost everyday and help put out or bring in…

Horse Have to be Kept Apart of Trail Rides



On any hack, everyone is careful to keep their horses apart. Mostly out of fear in case one spooks and kicks another or in case personalities don’t mix. Surprisingly horses prefer to be tail to nose on hacks. This gives them a sense of security and reassurance out in the big scary forests. It also has to do with their herd instincts and need for closeness.



Miniature Ponies are Ponies



A few people have…

Ever since I got my first horse, the Anglo-Arab Hat Tricks, I have been trying to ride at as high a level as I can.  I faced repeated frustrations due to my undiagnosed MS as it affected my balance, coordination, and proprioceptive sense (I could not tell where parts of my body were.)  In spite of all this my riding gradually improved, and I got to riding reliably at a low to middle intermediate level in the Forward Seat system.  Even my jumping improved, not that I was ever…

The Brook Hospital for Animals (BHA) is an international organization that offers free veterinary services to animals in need. In addition to treatment, it provides training and programs regarding animal health and well-being. The organization’s primary focus is in Africa, Asia and Latin American.



The BHA was founded 1934 by the wife of a British army major general named Dorothy Brooke following a trip to Egypt. She was horrified by the condition of the horses there. Many were…

Riders know this lesson; if you get bucked off you have to climb back on. That’s the rule. Horse or rider are better for it. They say that the hardest thing about riding is hitting the ground (sigh) but I disagree. The recovery is often more challenging.

I think we are afraid of what we know- more than the unknown. Experience makes it personal. Once we have…