The Guinness Book of World Records is always fun to page through. It’s always interesting to read about the tallest, biggest, fastest anything. But when those records are about horses, it gets even more interesting. Record for the Most Runners in a Horse Race A maximum of twenty horses are allowed to compete in the Kentucky Derby.…
There is a growing awareness among horse owners about the importance of horses being turned out together. Horses are herd animals. They need social contact. So what is the reality for today’s domesticated horses? What are people’s horse husbandry practices around turnout? Horse Talk – horse husbandry: the science of breeding, rearing, and caring for horses. Although…
When you greet your horse, or simply want to thank them for a nice ride, do you pat them or do you give them a good scratch? If you had to guess, which horse human interaction do you think horses prefer, to be patted or scratched? Three researchers at Nottingham Trent University asked this very…
Unlike Keeneland’s September sale which offers only yearlings, Keeneland’s January sale is an all ages sale. This year’s catalog included six hundred seventy-seven broodmares and broodmare prospects, six hundred twenty-eight short yearlings, two hundred sixty-four horses of racing age, and thirteen stallions. Horse Talk – short yearling: a yearling horse that has just turned a year…
Dressage is a popular international equestrian sport. It is one of the Olympic equestrian events and is considered to be the highest expression of horse training. Sometimes it’s been called dancing on horseback. One of the top international dressage shows in the U.S. is Dressage at Devon. It is held each year in September at the Devon Horse Show…
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.…
In February of this year, Spruce Meadows was named the best show jumping facility in North America for the fourth straight year. Not bad for an event facility that hosted its first show jumping tournament in 1976. 1. How many years has Spruce Meadows been in operation? Show jumping events run from February to October…
Barrel racing is a popular event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a clover leaf pattern around three carefully positioned barrels in the fastest time. Recently, the National Barrel Horse Association Youth World Championships took place in Perry, Georgia. Participants numbered over 1,000 in the teen division (13 and over) and approximately…