horse
Explore the transformative role of horses throughout human history; equines were instrumental in the spread of agriculture, language, culture, technology and more.
Dog Is Man’s Best Friend?
Growing up with dogs, I always believed the saying “dogs are a man’s best friend.” I had an all black shepherd/lab mix named Bo. He was my mom’s best friend. My sisters and I were the first to say our mom would choose Bo over us (she wouldn’t really, but man it felt like it sometimes). Bo was mom’s eye in the hurricane— he always knew how to calm her down and make her smile. He was exactly what she needed in any situation— the epiphany of a best friend.
By Hannah York 7 years ago in Petlife
Things I've Learned as an Equestrian
I was about eleven years old when I came across my first video of someone jumping their horse over a three foot vertical. That was when I got the idea of going professional in the sport.I began riding in the western discipline but it wasn't until I switched to English that I learned a lot of valuable life lessons that would stay with me throughout my time.
By Hailey Elise7 years ago in Petlife
‘The Cob’
The stable block was a simple layout with around 12 stables. All with horses happily munching on their hay. I stopped to check my phone and when I looked up there was a gorgeous face peering over—clearly interested in what was happening. I started idly patting and stroking his face and neck, and his owner mentioned he was for sale. I asked a few questions with no intention of buying—I was simply curious about this cute little horse. I found out that his old owner had fallen in love with him in Ireland and bought him over to England, she then had a couple of falls off him which led to him being sent for retraining then for whatever reason he ended up where he was now. The conversation ended with him discussing what price he was going to put ‘the cob’ up for—which even if I had been looking would have been way out of my budget.
By Aisha Lama7 years ago in Petlife
How To Regain Your Confidence After Falling Off a Horse
In November of 2013 I had a bad riding accident. I had spent the summer looking after and riding a mutual friend's horse. I loved this horse but he was ornery to say the least. He had chucked me off a few times but I'd always just dusted myself and jumped right back on. This particular incident didn't end as well. I was riding him bareback when he suddenly decided he wasn't going to listen to me, I sternly told him "don't fight me." Next thing I know I am sailing through the air thinking, "I can fly." Obviously what goes up must come down, and I hit the ground about 3 feet away from the horse. I landed directly on my back and had the wind knocked out of me. It felt like forever before I was finally able to suck in a breath. I eventually managed to stand up and walk the horse back to his stable; as I was putting his bridle back I started coughing into my hand. When I pulled it away I saw blood. I showed my mother who rushed me to the hospital, all the while I was continuing to cough up blood and my breathing was ragged. When we arrived at the hospital the trauma team was waiting for me. I was strapped to a backboard and given emergency x-rays along with a CT scan. I knew it was bad because they bought the x-ray machine to me. I was terrified. 40 mins later I was told that I had collapsed my lung and had a compression fracture of one of my vertebra. I spent the next 3 months unable to lay flat, turn my head, or lift anything weighing more than 5 lbs. I was sure that I would never get on a horse again but I did. Here's how I managed to regain my confidence.
By Jessica Purvis8 years ago in Petlife
Equine College
My first two years at college were for equine science and management. Within these two years, I learned everything from basic nutrition, anatomy, and even breaking and training young horses. I will focus mostly on the breaking and training part in this article. This experience was the first time I had ever broken out a horse on my own. We were kind of prepared, but at the same time, how prepared could you be to have to sit on a confused 1200 lb. animal?
By Autumn Razz8 years ago in Petlife
My Little Pony Apatchie
When I was a child, I had a huge fascination with horses. This could have been due to the fact that aunt and uncle had a horse farm in Milton, Ontario. While growing up I was always told that once I was old enough and big enough, my aunt would teach me to ride. By the time I reached an old enough age, my aunt and uncle could no longer keep the farm or the horses due to medical reasons. Of course, I was so upset; I loved the horses and the country home they had.
By Shae Thompson8 years ago in Petlife
For the Love of Horses
All my life, I’ve loved horses. My mom finally let me start riding when I was 8, and there was no going back. She was terrified of horses and was constantly worried I would get hurt, but she let me do it anyway. We could barely afford my weekly lessons, but my parents found a way to make it happen for several years. My dream even then was to ride on a college team. One day, the owners of the barn asked my mom when I was going to start showing. My mom told them that I probably wouldn’t since we didn’t have the money, and they told her that I wasn’t allowed to advance my riding until I went to a show. In fact, they said that I really should have started jumping months before, but they didn’t want to waste the effort on someone who wouldn’t show. My mom pulled me from that barn for obvious reasons, but I was still devastated.
By Megan Wells8 years ago in Petlife
Cool Summer Treats for Your Horses!
Hey, everyone. So, this is my first story. So let's see how this goes. I have two horses of my own and have tested these with them. I can assure you they are horse approved! My first and favorite one would be horse popsicles!
By Darby weatherly8 years ago in Petlife
Horses Can't Take the Piss!
In my many years spent as part of the equestrian community, I've come across many great riders and highly capable grooms. Even so, it worries me just how many harbour misconceptions about equine behaviour and perception. The amount of riding instructors I hear proclaiming that a pony is simply "taking the piss" and that you need to "show him who's boss" is troubling. In this article, I'm going to debunk this common, but misguided belief that I have encountered all too often within the equine community.
By Corinne McCafferty8 years ago in Petlife
Horse Leasing for Dummies
As a gift for graduating from University, my parents decided to lease me a horse. They would pay $150 for one month, and I would have access to a horse for three days of the week. After that, I could continue the lease arrangement if I wanted to make the payment.
By Leigh Macfarlane8 years ago in Petlife
