horse
Explore the transformative role of horses throughout human history; equines were instrumental in the spread of agriculture, language, culture, technology and more.
Horseback Riding
My friend loves horses but has never ridden a horse before. The other day I was telling her about my horse accident and she told me now she's scared of horses because she didn't know that you could die riding a horse. What people that don't have any experience or knowledge of horses assume is because we can ride them they are tame and safe but horseback riding is just as dangerous as any other sport.
By Kathryn Lile8 years ago in Petlife
The Rewards of Teaching
Rewards of Teaching This time last year, the vet recommended that, to help with the pony’s EMS, exercise would be a great idea. While that was great in theory, in practice not so much. The pony, having been retired for the better part of five years, and I had definitely outgrown him as he is 14.1hh, and I now ride a 16.1hh.
By Rebecca White8 years ago in Petlife
How I Ride Horses for Free
I have always loved riding horses. The physical act of riding a horse is hard work, but so is taking care of one—feeding, grooming, stall cleaning, watering, sweeping, and more. As a broke post-graduate professional, I didn’t want to give up my love of horses, so I learned to work for free. Instead of leasing a horse and only being responsible for that animal, I spend countless hours at the barn taking care of horses—and other farm animals—that aren’t mine. I volunteer at a local animal rescue with horses, and while I am not paid for my time, I am compensated with free riding lessons and hack time. While most of my hours at the barn are not spent riding, the extra time and effort are well worth it for being able to spend time in the saddle.
By Laura Fitzgerald8 years ago in Petlife
'So, You Own an Ex-Racehorse?'
When owning an ex-racehorse, you put up with a lot—and it's not all to do with the horse. A lot of the time, it comes from people that cannot understand why anyone would decide to buy an ex-racer and retrain it for other disciplines such as dressage, showjumping or even as a happy hacker. Although, they never say this outright, it can be heard in the subtext of the questions they ask you.
By Rebecca White8 years ago in Petlife
Dog Is Man’s Best Friend?
Growing up with dogs, I always believed the saying “dogs are a man’s best friend.” I had an all black shepherd/lab mix named Bo. He was my mom’s best friend. My sisters and I were the first to say our mom would choose Bo over us (she wouldn’t really, but man it felt like it sometimes). Bo was mom’s eye in the hurricane— he always knew how to calm her down and make her smile. He was exactly what she needed in any situation— the epiphany of a best friend.
By Hannah York 8 years ago in Petlife
Things I've Learned as an Equestrian
I was about eleven years old when I came across my first video of someone jumping their horse over a three foot vertical. That was when I got the idea of going professional in the sport.I began riding in the western discipline but it wasn't until I switched to English that I learned a lot of valuable life lessons that would stay with me throughout my time.
By Hailey Elise8 years ago in Petlife
‘The Cob’
The stable block was a simple layout with around 12 stables. All with horses happily munching on their hay. I stopped to check my phone and when I looked up there was a gorgeous face peering over—clearly interested in what was happening. I started idly patting and stroking his face and neck, and his owner mentioned he was for sale. I asked a few questions with no intention of buying—I was simply curious about this cute little horse. I found out that his old owner had fallen in love with him in Ireland and bought him over to England, she then had a couple of falls off him which led to him being sent for retraining then for whatever reason he ended up where he was now. The conversation ended with him discussing what price he was going to put ‘the cob’ up for—which even if I had been looking would have been way out of my budget.
By Aisha Lama8 years ago in Petlife
How To Regain Your Confidence After Falling Off a Horse
In November of 2013 I had a bad riding accident. I had spent the summer looking after and riding a mutual friend's horse. I loved this horse but he was ornery to say the least. He had chucked me off a few times but I'd always just dusted myself and jumped right back on. This particular incident didn't end as well. I was riding him bareback when he suddenly decided he wasn't going to listen to me, I sternly told him "don't fight me." Next thing I know I am sailing through the air thinking, "I can fly." Obviously what goes up must come down, and I hit the ground about 3 feet away from the horse. I landed directly on my back and had the wind knocked out of me. It felt like forever before I was finally able to suck in a breath. I eventually managed to stand up and walk the horse back to his stable; as I was putting his bridle back I started coughing into my hand. When I pulled it away I saw blood. I showed my mother who rushed me to the hospital, all the while I was continuing to cough up blood and my breathing was ragged. When we arrived at the hospital the trauma team was waiting for me. I was strapped to a backboard and given emergency x-rays along with a CT scan. I knew it was bad because they bought the x-ray machine to me. I was terrified. 40 mins later I was told that I had collapsed my lung and had a compression fracture of one of my vertebra. I spent the next 3 months unable to lay flat, turn my head, or lift anything weighing more than 5 lbs. I was sure that I would never get on a horse again but I did. Here's how I managed to regain my confidence.
By Jessica Purvis8 years ago in Petlife
Equine College
My first two years at college were for equine science and management. Within these two years, I learned everything from basic nutrition, anatomy, and even breaking and training young horses. I will focus mostly on the breaking and training part in this article. This experience was the first time I had ever broken out a horse on my own. We were kind of prepared, but at the same time, how prepared could you be to have to sit on a confused 1200 lb. animal?
By Autumn Razz8 years ago in Petlife
My Little Pony Apatchie
When I was a child, I had a huge fascination with horses. This could have been due to the fact that aunt and uncle had a horse farm in Milton, Ontario. While growing up I was always told that once I was old enough and big enough, my aunt would teach me to ride. By the time I reached an old enough age, my aunt and uncle could no longer keep the farm or the horses due to medical reasons. Of course, I was so upset; I loved the horses and the country home they had.
By Shae Thompson8 years ago in Petlife
