On Sunday, July 17th, 2011 arguably one of the greatest eras in

international show jumping was brought to an end with the retirement of the incomparable Shutterfly. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum decided to retire her 18 year old super-gelding after he won the 1.55 meter Warsteiner Prize at the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival while he was on top,…

So, for the first time ever, I have no crazy story to tell. But this time, it's about my observations.

People say animals can't "reason" or that they aren't "intelligent". I have to say I dissagree, specially when it comes to horses.

The lesson pony I currently ride, is a prick. He likes to desrupt your plans, which makes him a great pony as you need to be a step ahead of him at all times. So if your coming close to a jump, I actully see him turning his ears,…

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…

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…

We all recognize the Trakehner as a world class horse. They have excelled in the hunter/jumper and dressage ring as well in various other equestrian pursuits and made numerous appearances at the Olympics for years. They have also played influence in developing more modern types of warmbloods such as Canadian and American warmbloods. So it’s hard to believe such an elegant and versatile breed was nearly lost during World War II.



Trakehners were first bred and developed in…

There are a vast variety of horse saddles depending on the type of riding one wishes to do. The four main types of saddles are the English, Western, Military, and Asian. Of course these are very broad categories. The English saddles can be further categorized into saddles for Polo Riding, Show Jumping etc. There are a variety of other styles such as Sidesaddle, however they are less commonly used.

The English saddle is very small and horizontal, it has built in padding but…

I will never forget the day I was swept off my feet by a dashing 1200 pound, 16.1 hand, black and white Appendix Gelding named Tuxedo.  

Believe it or not, I found him on Dreamhorse and in an instant I knew he was my horse. He was the right age (11) and he could do Dressage, Stadium and Cross Country Jumping.  He had been competing at Training Level and Schooled…

An all girl showjumping team sponsored by prominent showjumping owner and breeder Susan Grange scored second place and won $125,000 for their charity Horses N Heroes. For several months I have been helping Mindy Nolan-Morrow. Executive Director of the mentoring program for girls, write letters to potential sponsors and donors, construct press releases, plan events, create marketing materials and in general get the word out.  When I heard about the FTI Great Charity Challenge, I told Mindy…

    I am an amateur photographer and professional rider and have always been interested in the art of photography.

      I took the plunge and bought my first DSLR camera two years ago and have been playing with it ever since. As a self-taught photographer I have spent a lot of time reading books, surfing…