-
Guest Post: Preparing Your Horse for Shows
We’re right in the thick of equestrian show season, with many horse owners busy preparing their animals for the big day out. Preparation begins weeks in advance of a show, as the horse will need to be drilled in the routines that it will likely be asked to perform on the day, and the hours and days leading up to showtime are quite busy as final preparations are made. The day before the show should be dedicated to enhancing your horse’s appearance as best as possible. Make sure all its body is washed and apply coat conditioner, although be careful not to put too much conditioner on the saddle area…
-
The horse dancer: a film for the whole family
Hi! I hope you have had a great summer! I don’t know about your place, but here in Crete it’s hot, very hot! And when it’s so hot outside, one wants to relax and find ways to entairntain oneself. So, I searched for something entertaining, enlightening and age appropriate. And there you go, I found “The Horse Dancer”, which I enjoyed very much. Samantha Wick, a promising teen gymnast, is informed that she hasn’t made it to the American Olympic gymnastics team. Her grandmother, a former champion in gymnastics herself, pays for her grand daughter to join a summer camp in Black Water Horse Camp. Due to her highly competitive…
-
Guest post: How Horseback Riding Can Help Disabled Kids
by Mike Shortridge Horseback riding has long been associated as a beneficial therapy for disabled children, helping them physically, emotionally and socially, not to mention providing them with a really enjoyable pastime to take part in with their friends and family. We had a chat with Russ over at www.horseseller.com.au who helped us with the following info. Enjoy… Horse riding boosts children’s confidence Studies have shown that 90% of these riders experience an improvement in their confidence while 80% see improvement in their physical fitness and ability within around 12 weeks of starting horse riding therapy. Riding therapy can even be prescribed now by doctors and physiotherapists due to the…
-
The practice of soring
Hi! Now that we have discovered the beauty and grace of the Tennessee Walking Horse, I’m afraid it’s time to speak about the dark side of the story of this breed; soring. Let me start from the beginning. In 1940’s and 1950’s, the popularity of the Tennessee Walking Horse to the American public skyrocketed thanks to this special, extended gait. In fact, the more extravagant the gait, the more charming the horse. Furthermore, it was found that horses which were not “adequately gifted” could improve their gait with some intensive training. Exaggerated gaits also began to fascinate show judges too. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, “soring is the…
-
A Video of the Tennessee Walking Horse
Remember the post about the Tennessee Walking Horse? As we do with every breed, now it’s time to watch the Tennessee Walking Horse in action. Amongst the thousands of videos that exist out there, I chose for you an informative video produced by the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association. The video is in fact a compilation of clips which feature historical representatives of the breed. It shows us beautiful short films from past generations, when breeding and training a horse was a small farmer’s business and had little relevance to today’s profit-hunting and the extended exploitation and abuse. * Watch carefully how natural and relaxed horses and riders…
-
At EGVUS 5th annual show
Hi! Well, spring is here and showtime begins for most equestrians! Spring has been established as a competition season in the equestrian world and at EGVUS we organized a competition among the athletes. People from age 5 to 45 competed showed their skills in a wide range of activities, such as endurance, polo, showjumping, vaulting, racing, timed exercises with poles, equestrian theory and timed bridle assembling. The purpose of the competition is to have fun, introduce the locals to the equestrian sports, show each other what we have learned and prepare psychologically the young athletes for affiliated competitions. Athletes, relatives, friends and common citizens arrived to watch the challenges that…