What Makes a Horse Gaited?
I rode a Paso Fino once. It was all rather embarrassing if I’m honest, but I wrote a story about it called, My Brief (and Accidental) Career as a Paso Fino Rider, because that’s what I do. Due to my...
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Ask the Ethologist: What’s with the Scary Corner of Death?
Question: I know a horse that I would typically call brave. The mare is excellent at horse shows, on roads, in parades, and most other settings. However, she is petrified of one spot at the far end of...
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Carriages to Cars
It isn’t surprising that the cars we see on the roads today are descendants of horse-drawn carriages. Nor is it surprising that parts of carriages found their way into the cars we happily sit in. But...
View ArticleEstablished Evaders
True, my new three-year-old Dutch Warmblood, is coming to me more than half the time when I call him from the pasture gate. I call, and he lifts his head from his grass a few acres away. Up pops that...
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Horses Follow Reliable Leaders
What makes a good leader? Traditionally, leadership in horses has been understood as a function of dominance, embodied in the myth of the “lead mare”: the highest-ranking individual in a group will be...
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Nightmares
My plan was to give a brief explanation as to how the word mare got tangled up with the word night to bring us the unpleasant experience of a nightmare. This was supposed to be easy and short, but it...
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Nap Guard
Sometimes horses are just so darn cute. My three-year-old Dutch Warmblood True was in quarantine for the first week and a half at his new home. He seemed completely healthy, but a few days alone is a...
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A Bit About Bits
It was suggested to me the other day that I look into the names of certain bits, and I wondered how the thought had escaped me for so long. The big question is where to start? Since snaffles are the...
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Settling In
A new place with new food and strange water, an unusual climate and elevation, surrounded by newhorses and new people? No wonder young horses need some time to settle in. After the first few days, I...
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How to Apply FLAIR® Equine Nasal Strips
FLAIR® Equine Nasal Strips are clinically proven to make breathing easier. Developed by veterinarians, the proprietary adhesive and shape memory supports provide gentle support to the horse’s nasal...
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HN Reads Book Picks: Dressage for Everyone
Riders of any discipline aren’t known for having much free time outside of the barn. If you’re as avid a reader as you are a rider, then those empty slots of time are quite always booked. The...
View ArticleA Veteran’s Guide to Buying and Selling Horses
By Jay Duke Around the world, tens of thousands of horses are bought and sold every year. These transactions vary from $1,000 to millions, and many dreams and businesses are affected with every sale....
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Bucephalus the Great
Bucephalus was Alexander the Great’s favourite horse, and apparently, according to many, one of the most famous horses in history. His story, surprisingly, is similar in nature to most horse stories...
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Tying
One key to horse training is that it’s better to prevent problems than correct them. So, always test a new horse’s knowledge of tying before fastening her to something. The testing location should be...
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Ask the Ethologist: The Try Factor
Question: Top riders often say they can feel when a horse “tries” extra hard for them in a class (i.e. puts in extra effort to jump clear at a wide fence, etc.). Horses are trained to do what we ask...
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Brought to You by the Letter S
Sometimes in our riding career, we elevate to the point where we’re required to wear a tailcoat. It’s a rarely worn riding jacket but when we get the chance to parade ourselves around in one, well, it...
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Samuel Chifney: Notorious Jockey and Bit Designer
When you come across a bit with a strange name it isn’t surprising to learn that it’s likely the surname of its creator. The interesting part is discovering the mastermind behind such a creation. The...
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That “Forward” State of Mind
We’ve all been there—on the horse who pokes his way around the warm-up ring, needs leg, leg, leg coming into the combination, or brings up the rear on every trail ride. None of us wants each and every...
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Cross-Ties
Greetings! Last time, we talked about teaching a young horse to tie. It takes time and patience, progressing only a little every day to give her gradual experience. “Snubbing” a young horse to a post...
View ArticleDonkeys Differ
Why do donkeys have such big ears? The answer is painfully simple, and I suppose had I put any thought into it prior to beginning my research I might have figured it out myself. However, I’d have...
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