Kristen Kovatch
One Week Left to Enter International Lesson Horse Day Essay Contest!
The first annual International Lesson Horse Day will take place on April 26, and we’re partnering with Absorbine to produce a mini-essay contest celebrating the greatest lesson horses in the land.
Introducing Horse Nation DIY with DMventions!
Introducing a brand-new DIY column by Donna-Maria Flood! Today, DM shows us how to make a “Happy Hooker,” or a budget-friendly horse-safe barn hook with multiple applications.
Tuesday Video: Extreme Bridleless Trail
I have a hard enough time just going on a regular trail ride with my normal tack, let alone tackling these extreme obstacles bareback and bridleless!
The cool thing about our sport of horseback riding is that you’ve never truly mastered any one thing — there will always be one more step to take, one more skill to master, one more level of closer communication to attempt with your horse.
Case in point: while I feel pretty great about the fact that my horse and I have a relationship that allows us to discover and attempt new obstacles on the trail, there’s this video of a bareback/bridleless extreme trail course (on a three-year-old) that reminds me there will always be more obstacles to keep us challenged:
(Note: must be logged in to Facebook to view.)
Leuke speeltuin!!
Posted by HorseShit on Monday, April 4, 2016
Pretty impressive! For other “average Janes” like myself, I do appreciate seeing an outtake — even the best relationships make some mistakes.
Go riding!
‘Oh Crap’ Monday
Here’s our latest batch of reader-submitted photos and videos!
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!
Comic courtesy Kellie Lewis
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.
#horsenation ‘Grams of the Week
Another week of horse life, rounded up in your images!
SmartPak Monday Morning Feed: Ask a Non-Rider, Fake Tail Bag Edition
This “Ask a Non-Rider” from SmartPak is a double whammy for the non-riders of the company: not only do they have to identify a fake tail bag, they have to wrap their minds around the fake tail itself!
KY Performance Products: Feeding Healthy Hooves
What helps your horse grow a strong, healthy hoof? Check out this infographic by Kentucky Performance Products for all the answers.
From the Kentucky Performance Products Tips & Topics blog:
Infographic courtesy of Kentucky Performance Products
Click here to download a print version of this infographic.
Copyright (C) 2015 Kentucky Performance Products, LLC. All rights reserved.
Article sponsored by Ker-A-Form; a blend of vitamins, minerals, and fats that nourishes skin, hair coat, and hooves.
When health issues arise, always seek the advice of a licensed veterinarian who can help you choose the correct course of action for your horse. Supplements are intended to maintain healthy systems and support recovery and healing. They are not intended to treat or cure illness or injury.
About Kentucky Performance Products, LLC: The horse that matters to you matters to us®. The horse supplements from Kentucky Performance Products, LLC provide solutions to the specific challenges facing your horse. You can count on Kentucky Performance Products to provide affordable, high-quality, research-proven products that carry a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Not sure which horse supplement best meets your horse’s needs? We are here to help. Contact us at 859-873-2974 or visit our website at KPPusa.com. Interested in e-facts about equine nutrition and horse health information? Click here to sign up for KPP’s nutritional minute.
4 Ways Going to College Is Like Horse Showing
The Academic Equestrian reports.
Aintree Grand National Steeplechase Runs Saturday
The infamous Grand National runs on Saturday, April 9 at England’s Aintree Racecourse. Learn about this race and then take a trivia quiz to test your knowledge!
The Grand National festival has been ongoing since Thursday, with a total of 22 races being run over the entire weekend. The festival culminates in the Grand National itself, the world’s most infamous steeplechase: 40 horses will start and race over 30 fences on four and a half miles. Safety innovations have changed the solid wooden core of some of the fences to a more forgiving “plastic birch.”
The most challenging and famous race on the British jumping calendar, the Grand National historically attracts a top crowd as well as the best horses and jockeys in England. Red Rum is a particularly well-known Grand National champion, having won the race a record three times in 1974, 1974 and 1977.
Other famous names from the Grand National are the jumps themselves, such as Becher’s Brook, the Canal Turn, the Water Jump and the Chair. These fences include not just a regular timber or hedge jump, but a water element, a ditch or a change in elevation — and sometimes all of these factors.
Are you a steeplechase fan? Test your trivia knowledge with this quiz from Myracing.com:
The Ultimate Grand National Quiz by the team at Myracing.com – The only place to get your Grand National betting tips
Go riding!
Upcoming Documentary Series: ‘Horse Powers: From the Land of the Vikings’
The brand-new preview teaser for the three-part documentary series ‘Horse Powers: From the Land of the Vikings’ just released yesterday — we’ve got the details!
Standing Ovation by Ovation Riding
Today’s honoree: Days End Farm Horse Rescue.
2016 Best of HN #18: 9 Things Western Riders Who Wear Helmets Are Tired of Hearing
I’m not sure why my personal choice to wear a helmet has got you so upset, but seriously, people … chill out.
#TBT: Owning a Barn Dog vs. Owning a House Dog
They’re basically two different species.
#TBT: 5 Ways to Give Back With Horses This Spring
Want to spend time with horses and give something back to the community? Check out these five opportunities. (more…)
Saving Theo: A Horse At Last
Candace Wade follows first-hand the rehabilitation of Theo, a former “Big Lick” Tennessee Walking Horse. Today, Theo explores the singularly equine pleasures of turnout time.
The Thursday Morning Mustang: One Breed, Any Discipline
UPDATE: deadline extended to May 6!
‘Strong Women Aren’t Always Human’
Joell Dunlap of the Square Peg Foundation pens a heartfelt tribute to her longtime equine partner and cornerstone of the Square Peg program, a unique and challenging OTTB named Gigi.
SpectraVET Perf. of the Week: Nyquist vs. Mohaymen
One of the biggest Derby prep races of the spring became a highly-anticipated match race when two undefeated favorites, Nyquist and Mohaymen, went head-to-head in the Florida Derby!
Before the race, it would have been difficult for anyone to call a winner in the Grade I Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park: while Mohaymen was a slight favorite over Nyquist, both three-year-old colts were coming into the gate undefeated, the threat of one or the other (or potentially both) being forced to walk away tarnished looming heavy.
Mohaymen had gone five for five prior to the Florida Derby, including big wins this year in the Holy Bull and the Fountain of Youth. He topped one of the future wager pools for the Kentucky Derby after his dominating performance in the Fountain of Youth. Nyquist, darling of the west coast, arrived in Florida a decorated juvenile champion with a record of six wins in six starts. The Florida Derby, for all intents and purposes, had become a match race between these two.
The undefeated favorites loaded into the starting gate with eight other contenders and the race was on.
While Nyquist undeniably drifted in the stretch after stringing the rest of the field including Mohaymen wide in the turn for home, his streak remains intact. Nyquist now tops the future wager pool for the Derby but Mohaymen still shouldn’t be totally written off just yet, despite his failure to fire in Florida.
The road to the 2016 Kentucky Derby never fails into include numerous twists and turns, so we’ll be following the next round of prep races eagerly to see who rises to the top! For updated Derby news and standings, check out the race website. We’ll also be bringing you our 2o16 Derby Watch soon.
Go riding!
Why SpectraVET?
Reliable. Effective. Affordable.
SpectraVET is committed to providing only the highest-quality products and services to our customers, and to educating the world in the science and art of laser therapy.
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World Equestrian Brands Helmet Cam: Blooper Reel
We love those helmet cams in which a beautiful ride looks effortless and fun. But as we all know, for every perfect trip there are plenty of blooper moments.
Hey, nobody’s perfect, and it takes a brave soul to record all of those imperfect moments and put them on YouTube for the world to see — but that’s exactly what user PonyCam did! Ride along and see how many of these moments look familiar to you:
Try and try again! Check out the rest of PonyCam’s YouTube channel for more videos, including plenty of successful rides.
Go riding!
Essay Contest: Announcing International Lesson Horse Day, April 26!
The first annual International Lesson Horse Day will take place on April 26, and we’re partnering with Absorbine to produce a mini-essay contest celebrating the greatest lesson horses in the land.
Watch This: ‘Roller Derby’
The Grand National this is not.
The Japanese game show Takeshi’s Castle has become a cult favorite all around the world; some countries have held their own versions while many have spoofed the show relentlessly (in the US, you might be more familiar with Takeshi’s Castle as Most Extreme Elimination Challenge or MXC). The premise of the show requires volunteer teams to compete over a variety of physical challenges and obstacles to reach a character named Takeshi in his castle. The challenges are often pretty creative and a little wacky — such as the Roller Derby.
Contestants wear roller skates and an enormous foam horse and jockey suit, and then race over small obstacles. The result … well, we’ll let the video speak for itself.
The Grand National, this is not. But it may be equally if not more entertaining.
Thanks, Leslie Threlkeld, for the tip!
Go riding!
Tuesday Video: One Girl, One Horse, Four Seasons
Reader Peter Hällström sent us these incredible videos of his young daughter aboard Ian the horse, compiled of footage recorded over the course of a calendar year.
Peter Hällström of Borgå, Finland filmed his 11-year-old daughter aboard Ian the Irish cob — just a few minutes of footage each day. What he did with this footage is pretty cool: Peter edited the video in two different ways to show the progression of calendar year through the lens of one girl on one horse meandering down a single trail.
The journey down the trail becomes almost metaphorical as Ian and his young passenger steadily progress from season to season, with the girl changing almost imperceptibly from day to day while looking noticeably older and taller by the end of the video.
Here’s a different version, comparing all four seasons in a split frame:
Peter writes: “It’s fun to see how much the girl grew up in one year! And also how different the four seasons can be!”
While Ian the cob passed away in 2014, these videos survive as a beautiful little tribute to a lovely animal and the little girl who spent so much time with him.
Go riding!
