Horses, er, Unicorns in Ads: ‘HD Electricity’
Okay, fine, they’re not real. But they still look really freaking cool in this commercial airing in the UK for First Utility.
‘Oh Crap’ Monday
Here’s our latest reader-submitted photo!
A Comic to Kick Off Your Week
Need a little comic relief for your Monday? You’ll get a kick out of Kellie Lewis’ latest comic!
KickyBrand.com is an online horse lovers site currently selling clothing, greeting cards and stickers. It also routinely publishes a cartoon strip by Kellie Lewis that has a little bit of kick to it.
Cool Horse Jobs: Q&A With Equestrian Photographer Tracey Buyce
Looking for a cool horse job? Today, we’re featuring our interview with equestrian photographer Tracey Buyce, who specializes in capturing the special bond between horse and rider in images.
SmartPak Monday Morning Feed: SmartPak For Dogs
SmartPak’s got your best barn buddy covered too!
Kentucky Performance Products: Moving On Up
Kentucky Performance Products owner Karen Isberg reflects on the development of The Natural E, or Leo, the Elevate Event Team’s eventing horse.
2016 Best of HN #9: 7 Ways to Tell People No, They Cannot Ride Your Horse
Because they always ask.
Best of Craigslist: Just Being Honest Edition
“Honesty is the best policy.” Usually.
Whether you’re a buyer or seller, everyone appreciates honesty and plain dealing when it comes to advertising a horse for sale. Much better to be straightforward and put all information out in the open … but sometimes, especially when you’re trawling Craigslist, that honesty can be a little overwhelming.
Let’s just dive right in with this honest-to-goodness ad submitted by Stephanie: “Good luck to the trainer!”
This ad is perhaps a little less forthcoming, but still begs a good question from Morgan: “You have to thin out your herd so you bred 5 broodmares?”
Reg Quarter horses for sale. I have 9 quarter horses and need to thin the herd. We have an 18 month old palomino filly 750$, an 8 yr old palomino mare that is a good trail horse 1250$, a 7 yr old dunalino stallion, and 5 broodmares all bred for next yr.
These are all foundation bred King, Poco Bueno, and Mr San Peppy horses.
I will trade for anything of value except other horses. I can text pics
That’s not what that word means … and yet, it oddly works. Submitted by Julie: “I like their creative use of the word ‘user’.”
Another honest ad which reveals this pony’s true charming self. (And unique breed — the rare and highly-coveted Welch Mounting pony.) Submitted by Morgan:
Pistol, is a Welch Mounting Pony! He is not for a beginner! He is 15 yrs old and about 13-14 hands high! He rides best with another horse. When riding by himself he will argue with you (he will rear, and side step) also his rearing is a trick but he knows his que to do it but he does do it on his own at times because you make him act right. he could go English or Barrels I’ve showed him both before. He’s great with other horses and easy keeper. Trade for a buckskin about 15 hands and around 10 years old that’s broke and has potential for roping. TRADE ONLY for a buckskin or palomino with potential to be a reining or roping horse
Prefer Text
When quality doesn’t work, go for quantity instead! Submitted by Rachel:
A bird in the hand is … no, actually, there’s no way to interpret this one, submitted by Anna: “I think she means martingale … but it’s still a breastcollar.”
Nope, it’s not Photoshop. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. From Fiona:
Beauty is a 8 year old Appaloosa/Paint Cross. She has been started with a great foundation and has been used in a lesson program, camp program and as a trail horse.. She is very elegant and smart! Great Trail riding horse, a “point and go” horse, she will go through, on, over, across or under anything! She will go all day long, very willing and responsive She will ride out by herself or with a group, gets along with other horses. No buck, rear or kick. Sound, safe and sane, she loves to please and is very friendly! First one to the fence! Really nice mare. She is easy to work with and a lot of fun, she has a great disposition and has natural curiosity. Been hauled to fun shows and does great. Great horse for a teenager. $2000
And we’ll close out with the ultimate honest ad, submitted by Maria. The original language was pretty far off the NSFW spectrum, but we think the censorship may make it funnier. Overall, this is actually a success story — these animals were rescued from a kill sale, and the rescue responsible is networking to find them a more suitable mule-knowledgeable home to ensure that they remain in good hands. To open up the rescue’s Facebook page in a new window, click the ad.
Readers, if you run across an “interesting” ad in your Internet wanderings, send it our way! Email the link to [email protected]. Who knows – maybe you’ll help connect a horse with a safe, loving home. Go Riding.
Weekend Movies to Watch: 3 Horse Documentaries
These three horsey documentaries prove that fact is better than fiction.
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The Academic Equestrian: How to Horse Show
A helpful guide to the organized chaos.
Daily Dose of Adorable: Foal Meets Husky
Our readers just keep those adorable foal-meets-animal videos rolling!
Reader Carrie Levesque, inspired by last week’s video of Rocky the foal snuggling his stray cat, sent us this video of a few-weeks-old Thoroughbred foal named Kahlua meeting her husky, Siku.
We don’t think we’ll ever get tired of foals-meeting-animals videos — what will we find next? Foals meeting birds, foals meeting turtles, foals meeting babies … the possibilities are endless!
If you have a story or video to share with us, don’t hesitate to reach out — we love reader submissions! Email the editor at [email protected]. Go riding!
Standing Ovation by Ovation Riding: Journey’s End at Birch Hill Farm
Each week, Horse Nation teams up with Ovation Riding to spotlight an organization doing good work in the horse world. Today, we’re recognizing Journey’s End at Birch Hill Farm, a sanctuary based in West Virgina.
Photo Challenge: 7 Readers Getting Their Irish On
Everyone might be a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day — these horses and riders certainly are!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We called for photos this week that were “all things Irish,” and let our readers interpret that request any way they wanted! Here are our readers and their horses wearing the green, riding in Ireland, or celebrating their Irish heritage.
This is oldie but goodie for this week! #horsenation A photo posted by @karensketch on
Keep an eye out for next week’s 24-hour photo challenge! We announce challenge subjects on Monday around the middle of the day on both Instagram and Facebook.
Go riding!
2016 Cheshire Point to Point Races to Include Side Saddle Race
This year’s Cheshire Point-to-Point includes the inaugural running of The Mrs. Miles B. Valentine Memorial Side Saddle Race, drawing two unique entries: Susan Oakes, a world-record-setting Irish rider and Amy Magee, a side saddle eventer.
A Kicky Salute to St. Patrick’s Day
If there was ever a holiday that had a little kick to it, St. Patrick’s Day is the one. Kellie Lewis celebrates in a comic!
#ThrowbackThursday: A Cowgirl in Ireland
HN resident cowgirl Kristen Kovatch finds her inner eventer on an Irish XC course.
The Thursday Morning Mustang: BLM Seeking Trainers For New Pilot Program
Are you or someone you know an experienced trainer with a love for the American mustang? The Bureau of Land Management’s new Trainer Ambassador Pilot Program is seeking trainers to help place wild horses in new homes.
Rehabbing Your Baby Dragon: Four Months of Handwalking Later …
Seana Adamson is chronicling the rehabilitation of her rowdy young horse Eragon after a major injury. After a long writing hiatus, during which Seana and Eragon handwalked many miles, Seana is back with an update!
SpectraVET Perf. of the Week: Madison & Takoda
Check out this “colorful” performance from the Extreme Mustang Makeover in Louisiana, held March 11-12! Madison Shambaugh and Takoda won the freestyle and were named overall reserve champions.
Madison Shambaugh and Takoda put on quite a show at the Extreme Mustang Makeover of Gonzales, Louisiana last weekend: this performance earned them the victory in the freestyle segment of the competition and won them the reserve championship as well. The Extreme Mustang Makeover competition requires competitors to take on an untouched mustang through a Bureau of Land Management adoption. In 100 days, the mustangs need to be competition-ready to perform both under saddle and in hand, with the top ten performances at the Makeover competition qualifying for the freestyle. Shambaugh’s performance was intended to celebrate the individual nature of the horse, highlighting the fact horses should be trained according to their unique personalities, strengths and weaknesses.
2016 Extreme Mustang Makeover Bridleless FreestyleMeet Mustang No. 6042, now known as “Takoda,” who was wild just 100 days ago. Madison trained Takoda for the Extreme Mustang Makeover, in which trainers have 100 days to train a wild mustang. These competitions serve to showcase the trainability of America’s wild horses and raise awareness for the some 50,000 mustangs currently waiting in holding pens to be adopted. After the competition, the trained mustangs are auctioned off to the public to be put into caring homes. Madison used the money she won in the competition to bid on Takoda herself. She was successful in adopting him and will be giving him a forever home. She plans to travel with Takoda & the other mustangs she has trained in order to continue to raise awareness for the mustangs still awaiting adoption, as well as to educate the public on equine behavior and communication techniques to achieve more successful horse-human relationships.Their very colorful performance served to communicate a message about embracing your individuality and finding the strength to show who you really are and what makes you unique–showing your true colors! It was about embracing what makes you different, recognizing that our individual differences is what brings out our true beauty!Madison was inspired to convey this message after realizing and appreciating how different and unique each mustang that she works with is. She believes every horse has a potential for greatness if we can learn to appreciate their unique gifts and embrace what makes them so special, rather than fitting them into our preconceived perceptions of what they should be.Special thanks to Crypto Aero Wholefood Horse Feed, Motion for Life, Rosebud Ranch, & The Glam Factory.#DifferentIsBeautiful #TrueColors Posted by Madison Shambaugh on Sunday, March 13, 2016
Keep in mind that this horse was totally untouched 100 days prior:
Sneak peak of my Louisiana extreme mustang makeover assignment! A 6 year old bay gelding from Nevada…sound familiar?;) I have approx 100 days to tame and train this guy for the competition in March! Stay posted on his progress and our schedule to see if he will be coming to an area near you! #meetthemustangs #extrememustangmakeover #lettheadventurebegin #mustangmaddy A photo posted by Madison Shambaugh (@mustangmaddy) on
Each Extreme Mustang Makeover concludes with an auction so each mustang can find a forever home. Shambaugh used her winnings to buy back Takoda to permanently join her string. While also maintaining a schedule as a college student, Madison Shambaugh also teaches liberty clinics as well as performs with her horses.
Madison Shambaugh first appeared on the mustang radar with last year’s Virginia Extreme Mustang Makeover, where she performed with her mustang Terk. Clearly the sky is the limit for this young trainer!
To learn more about the Extreme Mustang Makeover, check out the event website.
Go mustangs! Go riding!
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