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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…