Friday Funnies: Horse Exhaust
Friday Funnies: Just Mousin’ Around
Fancy mouse Yvonne riding his noble steed, Petunia.
Gift Ideas for the Horse (and/or Unicorn) Enthusiast
Need gift ideas for your horse (and/or unicorn) enthusiast? Look no further than this magical Pinterest board of ideas for all ages just in time for the holidays! Happy shopping : )
Friday Funnies: No Riding…
Close the barn door!
There was a lot I was willing to overlook when it came to Maddie, the new ex-racehorse at the barn that I would be helping to train. She was a chestnut Quarter horse/ Thoroughbred mix who needed someone to help her adapt to her new life as a lesson horse, and I was thrilled to get back into the realm of training that I had been somewhat sidetracked from when we switched lesson barns.
I was so excited for this change of pace, that I was willing to overlook the fact that she had bit my instructor in the stall one time (and the fact that my instructor felt that it was okay to hide that information from me), I forgave Maddie for the times her flight instincts kicked in on a trail ride for no apparent reason as she took off at a gallop up a hill while I did everything I could to stay in the saddle (luckily I did not fall), and I pretended to be okay after she took off again on that same trail ride, racing straight for the trees. I was more than willing to overlook all of it. After all, it was part of her training process and I was always up for a challenge. However, there are just some things your mother will not let you overlook. Continue reading
Parts of an English Saddle
To see a bigger version of the saddle and its parts click to continue Continue reading
Friday Funnies: A Real Dog & Pony Show
BREED: American Shetland
Origin:
An invented breed, the American Shetland Pony came into the picture in the 20th century after the Shetland Pony (Find out more here: shetland-pony) was brought to America and eventually bred with Hackney ponies. The offspring from that cross-breeding was then bred with Arabians and/or Thoroughbreds to create the American Shetland Pony
Height:
Up to 11.2 hands
Horse Gaits
When it comes to horseback riding, there are different gaits (or speeds if you want to look at it that way). This post covers the basics for each gait (walk, trot, canter, and gallop), shows you the footfall pattern for each, and, at the end, there is a video to show you some of the gaits in action!
Walk
The slowest gait (that, from the name alone, is easy to imagine).
Beyond the Saddle 