365 Days in Horse Country – The Shetland Pony  The most famous of all children’s mounts is the Shetland Pony, that diminutive equine who is responsible for giving most kids their first ride. The Shetland pony got its start on the Shetland Isles, off the coast of Scotland.  Breed aficionados say the Shetland first appeared on these islands at least 2,000 years ago, maybe earlier.  Their ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Poker Rides   If you belong to a local equestrian group of live in a horsy community, you have probably heard of a poker ride.  Poker rides have become popular ways for organizations to make money while getting members together to ride. A poker ride is essentially a trail ride where riders play a horseback version of poker.  Each rider gets five cards thr ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Colossal Clydesdale    The Clydesdale is one of the most dramatic looking equines in the world.  These massive horses with their white “feathered” legs and solid muscling are among the most well known of all the horse breeds. Descending from the warhorse of the Middle Ages, the Clydesdale has been working the fields of Scotland for centuries.  The breed ...

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365 Days in Horse Country – The Magnificent Morgan    One of the oldest American horse breeds is the Morgan, a small animal with a powerful history. The story begins in 1789 when a two year old colt, born in Springfield Massachusetts, became the property of a Vermont farmer and music teacher named Justin Morgan.  Morgan named the horse Figure and used him for riding and farm work.  T ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  The Horses of World War I    Images of World War I often show soldiers in trenches, but what most people don’t realize is that many horses gave their lives in this conflict. In fact, it is estimated that six million horses were used during World War I, most of which were killed in battle. Many of the horses that fought on the battlefields of Europe came ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  Heritage Class  One of the most interesting aspects of the many different horse breeds in the world is their varied histories.  Whatever a breed’s background, the story is often a fascinating one. Some breed associations have decided to honour their breed’s history with a heritage class at horse shows.  These classes require exhibitors to show their horses ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  The Vaqueros    Watch any western, and you’ll see blond-haired, blue eyed cowboys, rustling cattle and mending fences.  In reality, one of every three cowboys in the West was a Vaquero.  The work of the Vaqueros was well documented in the American painting of the mid-to-late nineteenth century, especially in the works of Frederic Remington and Charles Russe ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  The Perfect Whoa Stopping may be the most important skill to teach your horse.  If your horse doesn’t have a reliable stop, he’s not a safe horse to ride. Even if your horse is already adept at stopping, it’s a good skill to practice periodically just to reinforce it.  Your horse should be so responsive to your requests to stop that he will stop immediat ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  Encephalomyelitis  A number of viral diseases affect the horse, including encephalomyelitis, which used to wreak havoc with horse populations.  Fortunately, vaccines for this illness are in widespread use and have kept epidemics to a minimum.  Encephalomyelitis is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito.  The best way to prevent the disease is to ...