This year the Summer Olympics takes place in Paris, France. As you may already know, this international competition includes three equestrian events; dressage, jumping, and eventing. Olympic eventing first made its appearance in the 1912 Summer Games. At that time it was called “Military” and was open only to servicemen and army horses. Twenty-seven riders…
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…
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…
One of Britain’s White Horse landmarks is in need of some grooming! The Kilburn White Horse, is no longer as white as it once was. Weather, algae and the passage of time has resulted in the colour fading and the site being given the nickname ‘the old grey mare’. Many years ago, Thomas Taylor, a resident of the village…
On April 1, 2013, Ben Masters and three buddies saddled 12 wild mustangs and set out on a six-month, 3,000-mile journey from Mexico to Canada. They followed a patchwork of public lands from Nogales, Arizona, to Montana’s Glacier National Park, crossing the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone along the way. Only one of them had grown up on…
Horses may be strong, but sometimes riders can be too heavy for a horse to carry comfortably. While most healthy horses can easily carry a rider and saddle, they do have their limits. So, how much weight can a horse comfortably carry? The scientists base their findings on detailed measurements taken of eight horses that were…
Shetland ponies Fivla and Vitamin model handmade wool sweaters knitted by local Shetlander Doreen Brown at the Thorndale Shetland Driving Centre in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. The white pony Fivla, is a calm, loving 17-year-old who is very good friends with 18-year-old Vitamin, the black pony. Fivla, looking warm and cuddly in her very…
A pony pulling contest made its debut at the 152nd edition of Clearfield County Fair recently, followed by the annual horse pulling contest in the afternoon. The pony pull had a total of four heavyweight competitors and two lightweight competitors, while the horse pull drew eight heavyweights and eight lightweights. Each competitor was a two…
Hector, a six-year-old Dutch Draught horse, has been recruited by the Forestry Commission for work at Chambers Farm Wood. He is doing his bit to help a rare mammal, the dormouse – which are a tiny fraction of his size. Cutting trees down to stumps will prompt vigorous new growth and fresh food supplies for…
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…