Counting Strides in Jumping

Math is involved at a fast pace when jumping a horse. An average a horse’s stride is 12 feet long, and a rider must figure out during the approach to a jump how to influence the horse’s stride to make the distance to the jump perfect. Do you need to lengthen or shorten your horse’s…

Woman Rides from Beijing to London

She’s slept inches away from scorpions and snakes, fended off attacks from wild stallions and broken her ribs and collarbone – all as part of an epic 10,000-mile long distance horseback ride. But for West Wales pony breeder Megan Lewis, her four-year challenge to ride from the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the start of the 2012…

Dancing on Horseback

The sport of Vaulting is a combination of dance and gymnastics performed on the back of a moving horse. To excel, the rider and horse must develop a high level of trust and coordination. Both the horse and the vaulter score points. Competitors in the beginner divisions vault on horses that are walking or trotting.…

Barrel Racing’s Most Consistent Horse Contest

Hannah Hammond and her barrel racing buddy, Jackie Ganter, were first or second in all three incentive races at a barrel racing competition held at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene, Texas. Hannah placed seventh in the Most Consistent Horse contest with a 0.294-second difference factor between her three runs of 15.644, 15.758 and…

Want to Become a Farrier?

Alex Hunter recently completed a four-year apprenticeship and qualified as a farrier – a profession traditionally dominated by men – so she can now use the letters Dip WCF after her name. She is in the early stages of building up her business, aiming to shoe around six horses a day. “I work in and…