All Blog Posts (4,786)

A Foal Called Tommy - A Tale from Marrakech

You always know when something awful is happening in our animal hospital in Marrakech.

There is a sudden kerfuffle, perhaps with a certain amount of yelling – then some histrionics – usually involving grown men and women weeping copiously.

So it was last night just as darkness began to descend. Oh, but I forgot to say, at the same time as the histrionics our team goes into overdrive, while at the same time depicting a stony-faced… Continue

Added by SPANA on October 12, 2009 at 8:17am — 3 Comments

End Of An Era

This is hard for me to write, No doubt about it. I’m walking around in an insomniatic sate with tears in my eyes and a huge lump in my stomach. I didn’t know it was possible to cry as much as I have been these last few days.

I have received many words of comfort and many hugs, and even tho I do appreciate it, they will not help until I’ve gone trough the entire process. The worst part of all this is to have to wait for the day.… Continue

Added by Hannah on October 11, 2009 at 4:38pm — 3 Comments

The Forward Seat Position for Slow Equitation

This description of the Forward Seat for Slow Equitation is from Vladimir S. Littauer's "The Forward Seat" (1935) p.34-36, with additional comments from "Common Sense Horsemanship" (1951, 1974) by the same author p. 61.

I have gotten questions about the Forward Seat position. This is probably the best description of the American System of Forward Riding. In the next two weeks I will write about the position for fast equitation and the jumping position.

This…

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Added by Jackie Cochran on October 11, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Student Dies in Fall from Polo Pony

Ariel Shaker, an artist, environmentalist and avid horse enthusiast dies from fall while exercising a Harvard polo team horse

Ariel Shaker, a 2006 graduate of Palo Alto High School and a horse enthusiast since she was 8, was pronounced dead Wednesday night from injuries from a "freak" accident while exercising a horse for the Harvard University polo team Oct. 1.

Shaker, 21, in her senior year at Harvard, had just made the team a month ago. She was in Harvard's visual and… Continue

Added by Andrea Wetzel on October 10, 2009 at 5:21pm — No Comments

Ups and downs

I didn’t win! So I left the BHS Young Instructor of the Year final quite disappointed. Having said that, it was a great experience and I did learn a lot, so overall I am pleased that I entered. It was good to meet other people of my own age, following similar paths and also the judges who were all Fellows of the BHS. It is a fabulous opportunity to take part in such a competition and I will be going back next year for another try.

Last Saturday I visited Oldencraig EC in Surrey to… Continue

Added by Anna Trinder on October 10, 2009 at 10:30am — 5 Comments

2009 - What a Year It's Been (endurance wise)

Just looking back over my 2009 season and all I can say is "Wow, what a year it has been!"

First off I would like to thank the Graber Family in Indiana who purchased my matched pair of Hackney Horse fillies last October thus giving me the funds to make 2009 possible. Also to Leigh Gowdy-King for letting me pair up with Bask N Coins+ (aka Loosi). Many more thanks to my pit crew Vivianne Macdonald and Art King and all the others who have helped along the way.

I started off… Continue

Added by Diana on October 10, 2009 at 10:24am — No Comments

Equine Science: Weekly News and Trivia Question - October 9, 2009

Hello everyone. As we near the end of yet another week, here’s another edition of the Equine Science News blog. This week I’ll be talking about worms, genetics and how you can get involved in an equine welfare survey.

Every horse owner knows how much of a nightmare worms can be for their horses. Worryingly vets are now concerned that such parasites may becoming resistant to traditional worming treatments.

Back in May this year, the Equine Cyathostomins [aka redworms]… Continue

Added by Chloé Sharrocks on October 9, 2009 at 11:51am — No Comments

My Top Tips: Part 4

Please enjoy these final tips. I hope they have been useful for you and your horse!

31. Don’t come in to the grid too fast in an effort to clear a bigger jump at the end of it. The secret is to maintain a rhythm throughout.

32. If you attack the first fence and then try to shorten the stride, you will confuse your horse and he will resist, and that may cost you a fence. Be disciplined in your approach to the first fence and establish the rhythm you want to…

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Added by Tim Stockdale on October 9, 2009 at 10:00am — 1 Comment

Manage Horseback Riding Fear By Staying In The Moment

Fear is a very real issue for many horseback riders. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, it would be surprising if you never felt afraid when riding. After all, you're dealing with an animal that greatly outweighs you.

In addition to their size, horses are not always predictable. After all, they've survived all this time because of their flight instinct. The fact that they’re reactive creatures rather than logical ones can be scary.

So what do you do…

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Added by Jane Savoie on October 9, 2009 at 10:00am — 2 Comments

A Fantasy Horse and a Fantasy Quote

This Friesian, Ares, seemed like a fairy tale horse, with his beautiful flowing mane and tail and dreamy movement. And in this painting, he seems to delicately step through a pastel fantasy world. That's why I paired it with a quote from Lewis Carroll, who is best known for his fantasy writing of "Alice in Wonderland."

Click here to download and… Continue

Added by Karen Brenner on October 9, 2009 at 7:12am — No Comments

Diligence

The title says it all ... even as aware as I have become about watching those places I go by I miss the obvious.

I've gone by this barn scores of times, often a dozen times a day, never saw much activity around there; the odd horse out front in slipshod paddocks but all seemed to be in fair condition. Nothing out of the "ordinary" for this area; very run-down places, low rent ... maybe that should have been a red flag (if we can't afford to fix anything, can we afford to keep… Continue

Added by Kevan on October 5, 2009 at 7:38pm — 5 Comments

Delaying Moving

Hello all

Well instead of moving on the 24th of October we are now going to get there arond the first week of Novemeber. Sucks bad. O-Well cant do anything about it, I just hope I will still have my job when I get there. I am really excited though just to be moving.

Added by Rachel G on October 5, 2009 at 2:25pm — 2 Comments

Paige Presents: This Week in Horse History - October 5th Through October 11th

October 5th through October 11th

October 7, 2001 – Jerry Bailey, a Thoroughbred jockey, won the Shadwell Keeneland Turf Mile on a horse named Hap, making him the first rider to earn more than $20 million worth of purse money in a single year. His previous record of earnings made in a single racing season was $19,465,376, which he earned in 1996. Bailey has won each of the Triple Crown races – the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont – twice each, as well as… Continue

Added by Paige Cerulli on October 5, 2009 at 10:30am — No Comments

Sometimes I feel like I'm back at square one, again

This week is my first full week at using the bit.

It is interesting how the mares differ in their reactions to the change. Mia is becoming much more cooperative at obeying the bit, and she is still giving me great contact. Of course I spend a part of my riding time on loose reins. This mare is starting to stabilize (keep the same speed until the next aid.) Twice when I stopped using my leg she continued at the same speed completely on her own on loose reins!!! One was…

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Added by Jackie Cochran on October 4, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Ride of a Lifetime - 4th Appaloosa National Championship Endurance Ride

Well as you know Loosi is a known runaway that had had issues just a month prior to us heading back to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, just south of Cleveland OH.

Now that the bolting issue had hopefully been solved and the fact that I had come down and ridden the National trail on a CTR in July, I was hoping and planning to ride to win!

We arrived at camp on Thursday and met up with fellow Arab/Appy rider who was hosting the Appaloosa rider dinner. I had gathered up… Continue

Added by Diana on October 3, 2009 at 9:42am — No Comments

Back to the Ponies

Labour Day weekend saw us presenting 3 animals at the North American Sport Pony Inspection.

Quest For Gold (Rocko's Gold X Shades of Spring) - First Premium with a score of 7.3

Appassianata DS (*Rhoson Pasiant X Clovercroft Lucky Jenny) - First Premium with a score of 7.6

Clovercroft Jenny (actually Clovercroft Lucky Jenny but they have an 18 character limit on names) - First Premium with a score of 7.1

Quest and Apple are both Half-Welsh but distinctly different… Continue

Added by Diana on October 3, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Finally a breather and time to update

Okay now where was I? ..... Oh yeah, I'd just finished the amazing Shore to Shore in Michigan riding 150 miles in 4 days.

Well from there it was back to work and conditioning. The following weekend we had 2 working students come for the week at my parents' farm - Heather and Steph. Heather's mom used to come stay with us when we were teenagers as her parents bought her a pony from us and later she sent the pony's son to us to be broke and shown.

What a week that was the… Continue

Added by Diana on October 3, 2009 at 9:20am — No Comments

I Need Show Names

I need help coming up with a show name for my new pony, Sammy. He is a very crazy and silly. He is very friendly, but I need a show name for the up coming show year. Please, if yoiu have any ideas, please let me know!

Added by Circustrix12 on October 2, 2009 at 9:57pm — 2 Comments

Second Thoughts...Second Chances

So if you've been following along, you know that I brought Samba home to her stall in Clancy's 2 acre backyard on February 12, 2009. Based on her stellar behavior during our introduction, the vet check, and the transport home, I had boundless optimism. Sammie was, I was certain, not just a great horse, but the perfect horse for me. Visions of flawless musical freestyles danced in my head. (OK, I know the expression is "visions of sugarplums" but I have no idea what a sugarplum looks… Continue

Added by saddlebroke on October 2, 2009 at 9:56pm — No Comments

Bringing a Horse Back From an Injury

Hello Julie,

My horse has been off all summer due to an injury and I would like suggestions as to how I can get him in shape for spring. I will work with him all winter and need help with a plan. Can you help us?

Thank you,

Karen

Karen,

When a horse has been laid off for a year or a season due to an injury, you'll want to start slowly in his reconditioning program and build over time. Assuming you've had this horse cleared by a vet to start…

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Added by Julie Goodnight on October 2, 2009 at 6:30pm — 2 Comments