Equestrian topics
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The Athens Olympic equestrian complex
Yesterday I wrote about the history of the Greek racing and the establishments in which it used to and takes place. I wrote that today the only race course in Greece is situated in the super modern centre in Markopoulo, 8km from Athens International Airport. Today, after a visit to the official website of Markopoulo I’m writing about the entire equestrian complex that accommodates the race course, together with other equestrian sports. So, according to the website, the entire complex is 940,000 square metres in size. It accommodates a plethora of arenas, including The main, sodded show jumping arena (90 x 120m) The main, sand dressage arena (80 x 40m)…
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The Greek racecourse
Sorry for the absence, but I’ve been preparing tonight’s post. I knew very little about the Greek race course, so I had to do some research to know enough to write a blog post! So, yeah, this is the history of the Greek race course. First of all, if you ask a Greek about their feelings for the Athens race course, you will come up with different answers. First of all, it is of high importance itself, as it is the only race course in the country. Also, there is a historical dimension; it is one of the landmarks -or symbols, if you prefer- of our capital city, specifically a landmark…
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Treating colic: an easy, free, method
Colic is one of horses’ worst enemy. When it happens to humans it hurts like hell, so imagine how painful it is for the horse and its huge belly! Colic is a reason for death and must be taken seriously. Before calling the vet or trying medication, you can use this method as soon as you realise that your horse is suffering it. It is easy, free and really does miracles, providing that it’s caused from difficulty in digestion, and not from a more complicated condition that requires surgical intervention. But it is also a good way to tell whether the problem is just the food that the horse has…
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The story of this girl will make you take your safety more seriously
I have spoken about helmets before, I am aware of that and I’m going to do it again probably. But today I want to show you a video I found on YouTube, made by a girl who is alive thanks to her helmet, which she hadn’t appreciated too much before her fall. The young lady was doing jumping work, when her horse began to refuse. She fell and ended up to hospital, having broken her helmet, instead of her head. I know what non-helmet riding enthusiasts will say; helmets do more harm than good sometimes. I think that an appropriate helmet is needed, you know, the one that fits your…
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Are horses more responsive than people think? Helping Zimas help himself
This is just one of the numerous other blogs I want to write to support the view that our equine friends are clever creatures, who don’t just respond to commands they have learned during their schooling. After my first horse riding lesson, I read some general things about horses and I remember a text saying that the equine brain has been found able to perform quite complex processes, even solving crosswords. Some people think it’s hilarious to treat a horse like a human and find the image of me interacting with a horse like that quite funny. But some notable experiences I have had prove that we have to look…
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The horsey version of ugly ducking: Sunday Silence
Afleet Alexandra’s blog post “Moment of Silence” on Horse Collaborative is about the story of a racing legend, Sunday Silence, which did not appear that bright in the first two years of his life. This horse, which escaped death twice and was twice returned to its breeder unsold, was noticed by trainer Charlie Whittingham. His story is truly majestic and it shows that how something looks is not how actually is or will be, even when it comes to horses. You’ll find the blog post here