horse
Explore the transformative role of horses throughout human history; equines were instrumental in the spread of agriculture, language, culture, technology and more.
Rainbow
Rainbow is a true veteran. We have had her in our family of ponies and horses for at least 29 of her 31 years. By age alone, she really does qualify as a veteran. She has hunted, shown at a high level, competed at dressage, hacked out, and survived a near fatal attack of the dreaded laminitis. Full marks to her for her stoicism while in great pain and having an enduring will to survive.
By Alan Russell7 years ago in Petlife
Benney's Diary April 13th and 14th, 2019
For those of you who do not know Benney he is the youngest of our three horses. He is a seven year old New Forest gelding with an enthusiastic love of life and boundless energy. He is a pocket rocket. A mini racehorse. He is intelligent and needs to be kept busy. He is not a ride for a passengers and draws down on all my riding experience from Welsh Section D’s to racehorses.
By Alan Russell7 years ago in Petlife
Horse Riding Tips That Will Help You Up Your Game
Horseback riding can be really challenging and it takes several years to master this sport. As a matter of fact, there is always something new that you can learn. If you have been horse riding for a while and wish to get better at it then try the following tips.
By Natalie Ige7 years ago in Petlife
Walking with Rainbow - Feb. 24, 2019
First, let me introduce you to "Rainbow." Rainbow is our 31-year-old—yes 31—coloured pony who has been a part of our family for roughly 29 years. In that time, she has hunted, shown under saddle and in hand, taken part in dressage competitions and of course has hacked out. She has been an absolute monster to ride sometimes. She has taken a hold with me on board a couple of times, put her head almost between her front legs from which there is very little return for the rider and gone off like a two-year old doing a five-furlong sprint. She is a true survivor having been very close to being put to sleep as a result of the dreaded laminitis.
By Alan Russell7 years ago in Petlife
Setting Expectations
Just the other day, I tacked up my three-year-old thoroughbred mare in her dressage saddle and bridle, lunged out her bucks and leaps, carried the mounting block to her side, and got smacked in the face by cold, hard reality. Anyone with a young horse KNOWS that everything was going far too smoothly in the beginning of that narration.
By Treble Ranch7 years ago in Petlife
An Equestrian's Guide to Boot Socks
A very merry Christmas morning last year involved two pairs of new socks: a pair of Foothuggies Riding Boot Socks with the red eventer graphic on the side and a pair of Nobel Outfitters Ultimate Boot Socks in black and white. As all equestrians know, socks are one of the greatest presents anyone can give and we go through them like CRAZY! Being someone who had predominately ridden in cheap socks bought at places like Wal-Mart or Target up to this point, I was more than thrilled to find actual riding socks under the tree!
By Treble Ranch7 years ago in Petlife
Famous Racehorses Throughout the Years!
Lets start at the beginning of racehorse history as it began to resemble our modern day racing. At the turn of the 18th century, horse racing didn't resemble modern horse racing at all, but it was closer to our modern racing. Horse racing traces back to 700-40 B.C.E. Back then it was mainly chariots and bareback racing. towards the mid 1700s it evolved closer to what we have today, but it was still very different than what we love to watch and bet on today. It was during the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714) that thoroughbred horse racing started to take off and mold into what we have today. This leads me to the first horse I'm going to talk about.
By Darby weatherly7 years ago in Petlife
My First School Horse
All my life I have loved horses, but not at all like a I do now. The word love is thrown around loosely in every day life; I love that sweater or I love that picture. In the earlier stages of my life, I guess, it would be more fitting to say I always liked horses. Anyways, after I met my friend Chris that all changed.
By Autumn Brown7 years ago in Petlife
The Day I Became an Angel
I've always loved horses. There are pictures of me on horses before I was able to walk. I've diligently collected everything horses, from registration papers to saddles to statues to toys and even paintings for as long as I can remember. I started with barrel racing and of course had a Quarter Horse. After years of failing I gave up and moved to riding Missouri Fox Trotters. My first Fox Trotter was a huge 15+ white gelding with a yellow mane and tail. He literally looked like something you'd see in a book about a princess waiting for her knight in shining armor. He saved my life twice, once when I got lost in a lightning storm, and again when an angry bull tried to kill me. Needless to say he made an impression on me that would never be forgotten. I started showing another Fox Trotter who was a short bay mare. I loved it. After a while we had to sell the show horses and my childhood dreams of winning the World Grand Championship were washed away. I found another cheap Quarter Horse and went back to barrel racing. After a while the novelty of it wore off and I remembered why I left Quarter Horses in the first place. So the hunt was on for another Fox Trotter to ride. At this point I had trained my barrel horse enough that I could sell him and get money for a fair show horse. So I listed him and started checking out what was on the market. I came to a Fox Trotter group on Facebook that rescues horses from the kill pen and decided to join. I never expected to find anything for myself. As days passed I found trail horses, foals, and horses listed for such a price I'd have to spend two years earning the money. Then one day I scrolled onto a horse posted in the rescue group. The first words I saw were "registered Missouri Fox Trotter mare." For those that don't know much about kill pens, it's where unwanted horses get sent to die. When you sell to kill buyer you're lucky to get an eighth of what your horse is worth so the main horses I expected to see neglected, injured, sick, or highly aggressive. Seeing that a Fox Trotter was there was a shock and it being a registered mare even more so. As I watched the videos and looked at the pictures I could tell she was none of what I thought. She was beautiful with a flowing gait and such a sweet personality... the last thing I came to was her papers and I nearly choked. Her bloodlines were some of the best I had ever seen and her father was one of my favorite horses. Immediately I called my grandpa (who used to breed Fox Trotters) and told him about the mare. He was hesitant because like me he never expected anything even able to survive to be there. We eventually decided she was too good to leave, even if she did have issues. After a couple days we were ready to leave and get her. We drove four hours to get her. When we went to catch her I saw fear in her eyes. The truck to ship her and others to their deaths was two days from arriving. I still wonder if she thought we were that truck. On the way home we stopped to get gas and I went to the trailer to check on her. She had calmed down and looked at me with thankful eyes. That look of exhaustion and peace still feels like it just happened. She knew she was sent to die. On the first day home I gave her some fresh hay and water. That's when I learned that she likes to play with buckets. After finishing the first bit of water she grabbed the side of the bucket and slung it onto the ground. The look she gave seemed like she was laughing. The second time I filled the bucket she splashed the water with her nose then again threw it and the remaining contents on the ground. That time I laughed! Most horses would've jumped the trailer if they saw that spectacle, but she did it for fun. After a few hours of resting she went to the vet to be checked out. Nothing was wrong with her. That's where it gets confusing. She is in perfect health, she's gentle and broke to ride, she has amazing papers, and is show horse material. Absolutely nothing to land her in a kill pen. I still can't figure it out. Of course, that doesn't matter now. Now, she's safe, standing in the barn watching the rain fall outside. She will never face that fate again.
By Aleesa Rudder7 years ago in Petlife
