Do horses need a field shelter? How important is it for them to have shade, or a place to get out of the wind and rain? What about protection from insects? Four researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala wanted to find out. In their research, Kristina Dahlborn, Elke Hartmann, Richard Hopkins and Claudia von Brömssen,…
Somewhere in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland, lies the Isle of Man. Douglas is the capital and largest town on the island. A busy working harbour and business centre, it’s also a popular tourist destination where visitors enjoy horse-drawn tram rides along the town’s waterfront. The famous, Douglas Bay Horse Tramway has been operating since 1876…
Do you love making things for Christmas? This post will show you how to make horse head Christmas ornaments! Let’s get started. You’ll need: fine yarn or thread to be used for the horse’s body. I’ve chosen white, an orange for a chestnut colour and grey. cardboard (or a book) about 7″ (18 cm) wide…
You may have already heard about the wild ponies of Assateague Island. What you may not know is that the ponies on the island are split into two main herds separated by a fence at the Virginia/Maryland State line. The herd on the Virginia side is managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. The National Park Service…
Have you ever had the job of feeding hay to a barn full of horses? A common method of feeding hay to horses is to simply toss flakes of hay on the ground. The horses lower their heads and don’t stop eating until it’s all gone—or trampled into the ground. If you’ve ever mucked out a stall or…
What would you do if you learned about a neglected filly that needed help? In this horse rescue story, students at Southport Elementary School in North Carolina, came together to help a one-year-old filly named Piper. The students first heard about Piper through one of the school’s physical education teachers, Donna Michaux. Donna had attended a conference where…
Twelve-year-old Taylor Lai has a passion for horses. She’s attended horseback riding summer camps, and has been fortunate to have grown up with horses in the Mount Diablo foothills in California. “I really want to have my career to do with horses, and I like the idea of being a vet because you get to be around…
Have you played equestrian games called “Tool box scramble”, “Socks and bucket”, or “Hug a mug”? If not, let me introduce you to the growing sport of equestrian Mounted Games. Mounted games is a sport in which very fast games are played by people of all ages on ponies up to a height of 60…
One of the top show jumping events in the world, the Longines King George V Gold Cup is held every year at Hickstead in England. In over a century of competition, no woman has ever won—until 2014, when American Beezie Madden, riding Cortes ‘C’, made history by becoming the first woman to win this prestigious Grand Prix event.…
Many city police departments have an equine division. Have you ever seen a police horse at work? Do you have police horses in your city? Portland, Oregon is one city that loves their police horses, and one of their star horses is named Murphy. Recently, he made his first arrest. Murphy has not been a…