Our friends at Diamond Trailers have put together the real cost of owning a horse, as it’s every little girl or boys dream to own one. Think back to your childhood and you probably though about it at least once. Probably asked your parents for one at Christmas or a birthday? Well, it sounds great. Until you look at the cost of owning a horse in the long run, it’s a huge financial commitment and not one that should be taken lightly. Here’s a infographic showing the initial cost of owning a horse and the yearly cost […]
How to Use Recycled Materials to Cut Down on Equestrian Arena Costs
If your budget is the only reason you keep putting off your plans to build your own equestrian arena, here is some good news for you. While you can definitely save money by doing much of the actual construction yourself, you can also possibly cut down on costs by using recycled construction materials wherever possible. For example, choosing crushed glass instead of silica sand can save you a lot of money when it comes to putting together your sand surface. Additionally, recycled materials are eco-friendly and will help you bring down the carbon footprint of building your own equestrian […]
The History Behind Show Jumping
Show jumping is the only Olympic sport in which men and women compete at the same level in the same competition.
Our friends at The Irish Field newspaper (http://www.theirishfield.ie/equine/Show%20jumping/511/) created an interactive StoryMap to highlight the history behind the sport of showjumping.
The StoryMap can be viewed at – https://s3.amazonaws.com/uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/ffb3f89e5f8c2712dce9691116b11b40/history-of-showjumping/index.html, and is interactive and can be scrolled through.
We found it very interesting, and a great way to convey the history of the sport […]
Cascadia Earthquake and The New Yorker Article
The following post has been provided by one of our guest authors and colleague, Travis McFeron.
The recent article in The New Yorker, “The Really Big One,” by Kathryn Schulz has caused a considerable amount of discussion and worry in the media and among some people in the region who have read it and were not previously not familiar with the Cascadia fault system. My initial impression of the article was that while it was fairly accurate in many respects, some of the wording seemed a bit sensational in nature. Overall the article does a very good job of spotlighting […]
The Benefits of Equine-Assisted Therapy
The following post has been provided by one of our guest authors, Daniel Matthews.
You may know someone who has a therapeutic animal. In my experience as a Community-Based Rehabilitation Specialist, I’ve seen dogs, birds, and even hamsters fulfill the ‘therapeutic animal’ role. The animal serves as a companion allowing the individual to take her or his mind off of real, or perceived, problems. The animal helps teach care and empathy for another being. By helping ease and stabilize the mind, caring for the animal becomes a form of self-care for the individual.
Now, horses are emerging […]
Riding Arena Construction
Choosing the Site
Choosing a suitable site for your Riding Arena is often dictated by the amount of land available to you. If you are short of land you won’t have much choice as to where the arena is built. If you are lucky enough to have a choice there are a variety of factors that should be considered. Some obvious, some not!
1. Access – The majority of people fail to consider the implications of poor access on arena construction. Poor access means suppliers cannot use large delivery vehicles thus dramatically increasing haulage costs as more trips […]
Equestrian Superstitions and Good Luck Charms
You probably know by now: 2014 is the Chinese Year of the Horse —
a year that Chinese legend tells us is filled with prosperity and good luck. It’s a good year to travel, so if you’re planning on doing a lot of horse shows this year, you’re in luck! You have ancient Chinese astrology on your side.
The equestrian world is full of good luck charms, superstitions, and folk lore, and as equestrians, we aren’t shy about cherry-picking where our good luck comes from! Every culture is fair game in our search for […]
Fashion-Forward Fillies: Three Equestrian Designers Taking Country To Town
It’s that time of year again! I’m talking about boot season, when every department store heaps their shoe displays with odd (to our eyes) takes on riding boots.
This year Macy’s looks like it has been devoted to bring back the hunt top as a show-ring statement — except that none of us would dare put one of those fashion-only boots in a stirrup.
As equestrians, we’re always looking for something beautiful and authentic to display our traditional sensibilities, in and out of the saddle. You already have the boots, of course. So […]