Horsemanship Syndrome
When I was in university I took a biological anthropology class, and while in that stuffy classroom learning about monkeys and prehensile tails, I also learned something interesting about horse...
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One Little Pole on the Ground
You know how show jumpers sail over gigantic obstacles, like oh say…CARS? Or set records for height, like oh say… EIGHT FEET high? Or breadth… um, that would be 28 feet wide! Hard to believe, but...
View ArticleCopenhagen Could Have Been an Eventer
I’ve written about the Duke of Wellington’s influence on footwear, aptly named Wellingtons or Wellies. Now, I thought I might look into Wellington’s horse, an off-the-track-Thoroughbred by the name of...
View ArticleHow Equine-Assisted Therapy Helps Survivors of Sexual Trauma
At 28 years old, there aren’t many jobs that Gunner, a former cow horse, is still qualified to do. His feet are sore, so he requires special padded shoeing to keep him comfortable. According to his...
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Raised Poles
Following the exercise described last week, my four-year-old warmblood True is walking and trotting smoothly from each direction over single poles scattered around the arena. With such practice, he’s...
View ArticleNapoleon & Marengo, a Questionable History
Last week, I wrote about the Duke of Wellington and his horse, Copenhagen. This week, it seems only fitting to write about Napoleon and his horse, Marengo. But first a little about Napoleon. Napoleon...
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Pole Sequences
Don’t worry, we won’t be on poles forever. Last week, my four-year-old Warmblood True was clearing a three-inch raised pole by three feet. I redirected him to a different task to buy myself an evening...
View ArticleStallions in History?
I made an observation while writing my last two articles and I admit, what you’re about to read is from the point of view of a slightly bitter woman. Just bear that in mind. Last week I wrote about...
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Interruptions
Writing a column like this, where one article follows another in perfect lockstep, suggests that horse training is a serial process. It’s as if my green Warmblood True learns one maneuver at a time,...
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Leaving the Ground
True, my young Warmblood, is trotting individual ground poles and sequences of up to four poles in a row, in both directions at various locations around the arena by now. It’s great to ask your green...
View Article“Horse Sense” and Other Ironic Terms
I’ve been avoiding the phrases “horse sense,” “horse play” and “horse around” for a long time for a number of reasons. Mostly because they aren’t in common use anymore and, when they are used, it’s...
View ArticleAsked & Answered: Devin Ryan on Why Yes, You Should Be Practicing Trot Jumps
Forget no-stirrup-November. For many riders (**raises hand**) there is literally nothing scarier than trot jumps. Unfortunately for us, according to 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games Team gold medalist...
View ArticleIs It Plaits, Headcollars and Manéges or Braids, Halters and Rings?
This is the second installment of “UK versus North America,” which I’ve just deemed a mini-series. Last time, I started the post discussing whether you keep your horse at livery or you keep your horse...
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Legs
My green Warmblood True, like most youngsters, has these beautiful lower legs with clear definition between his strong tendons that brings a smile to any jumping rider’s face. We protect those tendons...
View ArticleQ&A: Why Do U25 Riders Continue to Compete in Equitation?
Q: Why do riders who are competing in the U25 division continue to compete in the equitation? Isn’t the whole point of the equitation division to prepare them the skills to move up to bigger heights?...
View ArticleQ&A: When Is It Time for a Client to Move to the Next Level?
Dana Hart Callanan is a successful hunter, jumper and equitation coach, an ‘R’ judge, and a sales broker. Here she answers common questions about A level sport. A: As a trainer that cares solely about...
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On Horse Latitudes and Horse Pistols
There are many things in this world with the word horse attached to them. Most we understand such as a sawhorse or horseradish, which I’ve written about. But then we come across a few that are less...
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Crosspole Roulette
My green Warmblood True is doing well with his early hopping lessons, except for one little thing. I call it “crosspole roulette.” Crosspole roulette is evidently some kind of equine game that young...
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Elementary Martingale Theory and Other Abstractions
This week’s theme is horses and numbers. What got me onto the topic in the first place was the word martingale. Confused? You’re not alone. My original goal was to look into the etymology of the word...
View ArticleBiosecurity: Trusted protection. Fast detection.
Sick horses are a lot like sick kids. Once one in the household catches a cold, it’s likely to spread through the entire family. When one horse shows signs of sickness, not only are they affected, but...
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