#WATCH THIS

Thursday Morning Video: Rooster Roundpens Horse

May 5, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

Now we’ve seen it all.

Dogs get a lot of credit for being “man’s best friend.” Typically, where you find horse people, you will also find dogs; in some situations, such as fox hunting or working livestock, the dog is a critical part of the whole operation. I’ve seen a dog who could effectively keep a horse walking in a roundpen by remaining at its heels — very useful in a colic situation, though perhaps not recommended for the ultimate safety of your horse or your dog.

But the typical “man’s best friend” is about to take a back seat to the ultimate tool for training horses: this roundpenning rooster.

It’s not often that I’m at a loss for words, but I’m going to ahead and say it now: I can’t even.

Go riding!

Thursday Morning Video: AZ Burros Meet Green Grass

April 14, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#BURROS, #VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

Green grass is the most natural thing in the world for some horses — but not for these wild burros who are used to the Arizona desert!

According to Montgomery Creek Ranch, “This is what it looks like when an Arizona burro sees green grass for the first time! We turned the burro herd out onto grass to get them used to this ‘foreign’ terrain before turning them out on the ranch to run free. Truly an amazing sight.”

(Don’t worry, Montgomery Creek is an experienced wild horse and burro rescue — these burros were introduced to green grass slowly to protect them from founder and other conditions.)

Note: must be logged in to Facebook to view.

The burros have since figured out that grass is really good to eat, and will eventually join the rest of the wild horse and burro herds at the sanctuary when they’re fully acclimated. Learn more about Montgomery Creek Ranch at the organization’s website. You can also “like” them on Facebook for more updates!

Go burros, and go riding!

Tuesday Video: Extreme Bridleless Trail

April 12, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#TRAIL, #VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

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:

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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!

Watch This: ‘Roller Derby’

April 5, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#LOL, #VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

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

April 4, 2016Kristen KovatchReader Submission#VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

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!

Tuesday Video: Budweiser Clydesdales Turned Out

March 29, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#CLYDESDALES, #VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

We never get tired of watching the big guys just horsing around!

It’s always a pleasure to watch the Budweiser Clydesdales — they could literally do exactly the same things as our own horses, but somehow the most mundane activities are transformed into magical moments of delightful artistry when it’s the big draft horses doing it.

Case in point — watching the traveling hitch kicking up its heels at Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina. This scheduled rest stop took place almost a year ago in April of 2015 but it’s still fun to watch today:

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The Budweiser Clydesdales running in the horse pasture at Boone Hall Plantation. Video was taken by Boone Hall’s own Laura Bowers.

Posted by Boone Hall Plantation on Wednesday, April 22, 2015

No one seems to appreciate the value of turnout more than the staff of the Budweiser Clydesdales — the traveling hitch makes many stops for the health and safety of its team all around the country, and we’re happy to see the horses enjoying plenty of leisure time. We featured a similar video last year, which you can check out here.

Go riding!

2016 Best of HN #17: Which Is the Standardbred?

March 25, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#STANDARDBREDS, #VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

Try your hand at picking out the Standardbred in this quiz video put together by Won by One and ROC the Standardbred!

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Video: ‘Bad Dancing’

March 25, 2016Kristen KovatchReader Submission#VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

Bad dancing: one way to interpret your horse’s weaving problem.

Reader Marcy Flickinger sent us this video of herself “dancing” with Brody, a lesson horse at the barn where her daughter rides. According to Marcy: “He’s got nice foot work in the ring … but some smooth moves outside of it too!” Brody weaves when his pasture buddy leaves to go work in the lesson ring less than twenty feet away from his turnout — as soon as his buddy comes back, the weaving stops.

Until then, it’s dancing time. (Note: must be logged in to Facebook to view.)

If you are in the horse world.. You know I’m being silly and making light of the fact that this horse is “weaving.”If…

Posted by Marcy Eiseman Flickinger on Friday, March 25, 2016

Nice moves, guys.

Marcy assures us that Brody has feed, water and a lovely turnout — the weaving is just one of those unfortunate anxious OTTB traits that we have to live with sometimes.

Go riding!

Tuesday Video: So Happy It’s Spring

March 22, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#spring is here, #VIDEO, #WATCH THIS, PONIESLeave a comment

This video sums up in 30 seconds how we feel about the fact that it’s finally officially springtime.

Spring has officially sprung! And this little pony sums up in thirty seconds of antics exactly how we feel about it: we don’t know if we want to go running, stuff our face or dance around wildly just for the joy of being alive.

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UN PONEY SUR PILE✎ UN PONEY SUR PILE – Celui-là quand il se défoule cela se voit !╰▶ ORIGINAL VIDEO PAGE ® Copyright hingrez eulalie

Posted by Horses-Videos on Wednesday, March 16, 2016

You go, little pony. Go do it all. Because it’s finally springtime and we’re excited too.

Go out there and get your Tuesday, Horse Nation. Go riding!

Tuesday Video: Horseboarding, the Next Big Thing

March 15, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#HORSEBOARDING, #VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

No, we don’t mean “boarding your horse” — we mean horseboarding, the equestrian extreme sport you’ve never heard of.

Horseboarding is picking up speed across the UK faster than a horse out of the starting gate: a horse and rider tow a mountain boarder on a rope around an obstacle course, seeking the fastest time and the fewest faults. It blends the skills of accurate riding and a strong partnership with the horse with the athleticism of snowboarding over arena dirt or turf, and it’s simply wild to watch.

Check out this feature courtesy of BBC Breakfast:

What we love about horseboarding is that it’s not just a new outlet for adrenaline junkies: as mentioned in the video, horseboarding requires the boader to learn quite a bit about horses and horsemanship, and many horseboarders wind up taking riding lessons themselves. While this might not be the most conventional route to becoming a lifelong equestrian, we salute horseboarding for introducing new riders to the sport!

To learn more about horseboarding in the UK, click here to visit the organization’s website!

Go horseboarding! Go riding!

Daily Dose of Hilarious: Draft Horse Sled Rescue

March 10, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#DRAFT HORSES, #LOL, #VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

The draft horse rescuing the broken-down snowmobile is pretty cool … but watch all the way to the end, because then it gets hilarious.

While there are many uses for draft horses — farm work, carriage livery, riding, maximum snuggliness and more — perhaps one of their greatest applications is their ability to aid stranded motorists in the winter. This video is a variation on that theme, when this draft horse is hitched up to a broken-down snowmobile in the woods to haul it home.

That in and of itself would be reason enough for a fun video, but watch all the way to the end, because boys will be boys and can’t resist an opportunity to goof off. Good thing karma has a way of getting in the last laugh.

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When the sled breaks down… Frank to the rescue… with some unexpected entertainment.

Posted by Mark Leslie Hamilton on Saturday, February 20, 2016

Oops. I’m sure it will come out in the wash.

Go draft horses! Go riding!

Pony Achieves Dream, Becomes Rocking Horse

February 29, 2016Lorraine JacksonLorraine Jackson#WATCH THISLeave a comment

Buddy, I don’t care how cold it is outside or how many times you promise to stay on your rocker, YOU CAN’T LIVE IN THE HOUSE.

Step one: Teach your adorable pony to put all of its feet on something.

Step two: Teach your adorable pony to put all of its feet on something WOBBLY.

Step three: Allow your adorable pony to discover that it enjoys this weird little game.

Step four: Get famous on the internets.

Step five: Go Riding!

Someone Finally Went Riding In a T-Rex Suit

February 2, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

Our only regret is that it wasn’t a Horse Nation staff writer.

Here’s a confession: some days I wake up and think “today’s going to be the day that I run out of weird horse news and ridiculousness.” And then I turn on the computer, take a deep breath and step out into the world of the internet, in which I have no fears of ever running out of horse news and ridiculousness. Because we equestrians are a special breed of insane, and every day we’re doing new weird things with our horses.

Here’s another confession: I am one of those people who finds the T-rex suit craze to be one of the funniest things that ever happened to the internet. Which is why this guy at Gascon Horsemanship is my new personal hero. Did you ever find yourself wishing someone would ride a Paso Fino in a T-rex suit? Wish no longer, Horse Nation, because here he is.

(Note: must be logged into Facebook to view.)

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages step right up. It is my profound pleasure to announce to you we have discovered the ninth wonder of the world! For your sheer entertainment, amusement and amazement, I present to you Jurassic Paso Park!

Posted by Gascon Horsemanship on Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Just… what… how… you know what, let’s not even think about the how or why. Let’s just marvel and enjoy and laugh until we cry.

Thanks, Allison Everhart, for the tip!

Go riding!

Watch This: ‘Born To Be Wild’

February 1, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

One of the stranger, yet funnier, videos we’ve seen recently…

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#EquestrianProblems Video: Stuck in the Mud

January 12, 2016Kristen KovatchKristen Kovatch#LOL, #VIDEO, #WATCH THISLeave a comment

Look, we’re allowed to laugh at this video, because we all know that we’ve all been there at least once in our lives.

Poor Sara Coull — this is probably not how she pictured getting famous, but she’s just become the poster child for every equestrian’s winter struggles all over the world. Thanks to her daughter Georgia Holliss sharing this video to Facebook, Sara getting stuck in a muddy paddock has been shared over 21,000 times with close to two million views.

Note: you must be logged in to Facebook to view this video. We also recommend headphones if you’re at work, as you don’t want to miss the audio… but the strong language makes this one not safe for your speakers. (We can’t say that we blame her, really.)