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The Tennessee Walking Horse
Hello, dear people! It’s been long since the last time I presented an equine breed, hasn’t it? So, I thought I should write about the famous Tennessee Walking Horse! The Tennessee Walking Horse is an American breed, founded in Middle Tennessee. Its genetics is a mixture of the Narragansett, the Canadian Pacer, the Standardbred, the Thoroughbred, the Morgan and the American Saddlebred. Weighing between 900 and 1200 pounds, the Tennessee Walking Horse is considered to be a light equine breed. It was initially bred as a working horse, but in the modern times it is considered a recreational mount, because, except for its gentle disposition and calm, manageable temperament, it also offers…
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Canada’s new playball
Hi again! Canada spends long hours inside his stall and turning in circles has become a well-established habit. On the other hand, for a long time now, stable toys have been on my equestrian shopping list. So, I asked Yannis to order for Canada a play ball from his supplier. A play ball is hard to find in Greece, as I concluded; it took the supplier two months to receive it from the manufacturer. One evening last December, Yannis told me that the toy was waiting for me at the yard. It’s a red, rubber ball and with a big handle. It’s part of Tattini’s budget line, Daslo, and it would cost me 25 euros. Or, at…
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Fleeing like in the jungle!
So, what to do when your out and about with your horse and he has a fair reason to flee? Speaking of fair reason, I mean, a predator. You know, there are so many kind and experienced people who have shared online and in real life their advice about this situation; but, let’s face it, how prepared can you be, when you are outside of the safety of a school, the predator is present and the survival instinct of your equine friend has been triggered? Bebis is now an experienced horse who never loses nerve -except if he’s disturbed at mealtime. And I was lucky to be on his back, I…
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Natural Hoofcare Workshop in Crete: Day 2
On the second day, I woke up at the shelter and joined the hikers for breakfast. Two hours before the beginning my second day at Andrea’s yard, I had to have my bed done and my stuff ready; my father would drive me to the yard and, after that, he would return to the shelter to join his comrades. As we were driving down the mountain, pleasant images were appearing all the time before our eyes; picturesque villages, locals working on their fields and, of, course, the stunning view of the sea! Certainly, we reached the place very early, so I took the chance to carry my things to…
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Natural Hoofcare Workshop in Crete: Day 1
Hello! So, I went to Sitia to meet Andrea and attend her workshop on natural hoofcare. It took me one hour to reach Sitia via a complex network of winding roads and small, picturesque villages. As I was driving along the coastline and later around the mountains, I admit that I struggled with focusing on the hundreds of dangerous turns with the breathtaking view of the sea which was shining under the morning sun. I arrived at the place at around 10:15 a.m., a little dizzy but excited by the schedule of the day that I had ahead of me. My practical experience with natural horsemanship is none and I looked…
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Bathing a horse for the first time
Hello! Last Saturday had my riding lesson at EGVUS. Concerned about the bad state I was in the previous evening, I asked Yannis to deliver me a lesson inside the yard. Given the high temperature that time (around 30 Celsius I think), he agreed that this was not a day for a lesson outside. And so, we agreed that I could get Canada out of his stall and practice my equine care skills. In the end, he suggested bathing Canada, which I agreed upon. Canada was in need of a wash and I was in need of learning how to wash him, so why not? Yannis helped me put on Canada’s bridle and asked me to walk the…
