The Spanish Riding School



With its world famous Lipizzaner stallions and dressage training and techniques, the Spanish Riding School is definitely a Mecca for any horse lover. Take in one of their daily shows and be awed by the power and grace of…

Are you looking for a new horse? Adopting a horse from a horse rescue can be a great idea, depending on just what you’re looking for in your new horse. Have you considered adopting a rescue horse? Here are a few reasons why you might want to do just that.

Help Horses in Need

When you adopt a horse from a rescue, you’re providing a good home…

In May of 1943, the first ever Royal Windsor Horse Show was held, beginning an annual tradition still in effect today. Founded by Geoffrey Cross and Count Robert Orssich, the first Royal Windsor Horse Show was part of the “Wings for Victory” effort to raise money to purchase war bombers for use…

When I first mounted a pony in Chile  57 years ago I was NEVER invited to consider the horse.  At most there was a small consideration for the horse’s mouth, but in 99.999% of the cases it was assumed that the horse had earned whatever abuse it had to suffer.  I also ran into the same assumptions in Uruguay, and in the USA when I returned to this country in 1963.  I found this assumption in riders, riding stables, instructors and trainers, both in person and from books and…

We had an Introduction to Driving clinic at Infinity Farm last weekend. It was a fun group ready for a new experience. Our schoolmaster/donkey-boys taught the clinic, along with me and Lisa.

Participants asked my favorite question about driving. “What do you do if you have a runaway?” The traditional answer, passed down from generations of teamsters, is enjoy the ride.

I had a decent runaway when Ernest and I were still green. There was an explosion of sound behind us,…

The Budweiser Clydesdales are what I consider to be one of the greatest marketing ideas ever to trot the face of the earth. Who's going to resist not one, but ten adorable gentle giants? They're internationally recognized from numerous Super Bowl ads and advertising campaigns. So what exactly goes on behind the scenes of a Budweiser horse's life?



Well let’s start with their history. They were first introduced in 1933 to August A. Busch Sr. in celebration of prohibition’s repeal.…

This Week in Horse History - April 5th Through April 11th

April 6, 1974 - The current facilities of W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center were dedicated on this day. The Kellogg Arabian Horse Center is an educational facility dedicated to promoting the Arabian breed. Its horses are shown by equine studies…

Well I have had a busy few weeks since Dijon the "hony" came to the indoor.

Heather did the first few weeks of backing and then I had to take over working all the ponies. Heather's done an excellent job on Contessa. Dijon and Mark are both steady enough at the walk and trot for this mid-40 rider to feel safe and comfortable on.

After a week off due to my allergies making me dizzy and queasy, I was back in the saddle today. Warming up with Contessa to get my…

Well Pixie is solidly broke to ride and just needing some final polishing that can be accomplished quickly in the spring. Heather, the pony rider, informed us a couple of weeks ago that she was going back to school (always a good choice!), so we would soon be without a small, lightweight rider for starting ponies.

Quickly we switched Dijon for Pixie at the indoor arena. Again he's been backed over the last 2 years and has maybe had a week's worth of riding - nothing…

This Week in Horse History - November 9th Through 15th





November 9, 1895 – The last of the horse-drawn rail cars in use in Detroit ceased their operation. Beginning on August 22nd, 1892, the Detroit Citizens Street Railway began to install electric streetcar service in the city. The service gradually expanded, slowly replacing the horse-drawn cars which were slower and limited in the distances they could travel. By November 9, 1895, all transportation in the city had…

WHY DO WE TRAIN



I have would like to put across to you some part of my philosophy with regard to the very important subject of why we train. I have also given some part of this blog to what to look for in a good trainer.



BEFORE WE START TO TRAIN OUR HORSES I BELIEVE THAT A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE REASONS BEHIND TRAINING ARE MADE CLEAR.



What about human beings?



All of us human beings are capable of certain moderately athletic functions which…

How well do you warm up and cool down your horse?



Warming up your horse prior to working him must not only be in his body, but also in his mind, getting him mentally prepared for the work he is going to do.



Put simply, warming up is getting the horse ready, relaxed and prepared for accepting what you are going to say to him. Time spent warming up will also allow you to release your own tight muscles and warm up as a rider.



During the warm up process, you will…

The Fine Art of Letting Go or Making Go

By Chris Irwin



Hello and greetings to all from Pearson airport in Toronto. As I type these words I’m sitting beside my lovely wife, Kathryn, waiting to board our early morning flight to Bermuda. For the next five days I’ll be coaching dressage riders and jumpers on this small island nation in the Atlantic before flying next week to the Netherlands for the first European Train the…

Now that is an interesting question. The rules are very clear that should a rider at a competition have a question for the judge, they must first ask permission to do so through the steward or technical delegate. An excellent tactic, in that it usually means there will be some emotional involvement and the presence of a third party may allow for some coolness of thought. However, in my experience, riders do not ask judges anything. I believe it is the general perception that to talk to a…