Queen Elizabeth II – A Tribute to a Lifetime with Horses

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Queen Elizabeth II is known as the longest-reigning monarch in British history. While she ruled the Commonwealth for 70 years, her passion for horses goes back much further. As a keen rider and racehorse breeder, Elizabeth II was a true horse woman. From a very young age, she was captivated by horses, receiving her first riding lesson at the age of 3 at the Buckingham Palace Royal Mews. At the age of 4, she was gifted her very first horse: a Shetland pony named Peggy, a present from her late grandfather, King George V.

Over the years, the Queen […]

Equestrians Around the World Unite to Support Ukraine

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The incredibly sad consequence of Russia’s attack on Ukraine has caused a mass exodus of the Ukrainian population – with over 3.7 million people having fled the country in the past few weeks and now seeking refuge abroad. Amid all the horror of this humanitarian crisis, pet owners have struggled to bring their animals with them, and with over 100 000 domestic horses in Ukraine, many horse owners are also faced with extremely difficult decisions. In a remarkable coordinated effort, the international equestrian community is stepping up to help Ukrainians and their horses evacuate and support them through these […]

The Impact of Supply Chain and Logistics Challenges on Equine Architecture Projects

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The covid-19 pandemic has rocked the logistics world to its core and has uncovered many vulnerabilities in the US and global supply chains, impacting nearly every industry. Unfortunately, the equestrian community has not been immune to it. Architecture and barn design projects require collaborating with clients to purchase the best and safest material to make their vision come to life, and sourcing products from first and second tier suppliers overseas is a necessity in our day-to-day activities.

Unfortunately, due to the current covid-19 related shipping delays and logistics challenges in the US, many of Equine Facility […]

Equestrianism, a Sport for All? Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in the Horse World

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Organizations can no longer deny that a focus on diversity and inclusion is essential to succeed and flourish, and the equestrian industry is no exception to this new standard. Unfortunately, the high cost of participating in equestrian sports means that it has been, for a long time, an activity reserved for the elite of predominantly white background. Today, many equestrians and organizations are advocating to promote inclusion and diversity in the horse world, in the hopes of one day making equestrianism a sport accessible for all.

In 2020, the US Equestrian Federation (USEF) publicly released the USEF Member Racial Demographics […]

Breaking News in the Equine World: Modern Domestic Horses’ Origins Revealed!

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Debates around where domesticated horses came from has been a hot topic in the horse world for many years. For a long time, we believed that our modern equine friends originated from Przewalski’s horses, a rare and endangered ‘distant cousin’ subspecies native to central Asia’s steppes. However, a 2018 research publication by Science revealed compelling evidence of bridling, including bit marks on teeth remains of Botai horses, originally from a region North Kazakhstan, approximately 5500 ago. These findings suggest that Botai horses shared close proximity to humans long before Przewalski’s horses were around.

Surprisingly, DNA analysis and […]

The Turnout Debate and How to Minimize Field-Related Injuries

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The turnout debate:

After several months of lockdowns and social isolation, people around the world have become increasingly aware of the effects of prolonged confinement on mental health. So, when a renowned Grand Prix rider announced that she was not giving her horses any turnout in order to avoid potential field injuries, it sent the internet into an uproar. Social media users were quick to point the finger at her disregard for her horses’ well-being and mental health. She defended that, while her horses do not get field turnout per say, they leave their stalls several times […]

Wild Turkey Farm – an Equine Facility Design Project

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Twenty years ago, Equine Facility Design started a new ambitious journey with a client to plan, design and build a new home for Wild Turkey Farm, a luxurious equine breeding and training facility in Wilsonville, Oregon. Initially bought in 2001 by Barb Ellison, the long-time horse breeder worked closely with EFD to renovate this Willamette River waterfront property for nearly 10 years. The project was completed in 2009, and with it came the promise of a successful elite breeding center. Today, this impressive 215-acre equestrian estate is preparing to change ownership and has recently been listed on Christie […]

Equine-Assisted Therapy in the COVID-19 Era

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Mental Health and Equine- Assisted Therapy (E.A.T) in the Covid-19 era:

Following our previous blog post on the ‘Benefits of Equine Assisted Therapy’, we thought it might be interesting to revisit this topic in the context of the Covid-19 global pandemic.

Mental Health has been at the forefront of many discussions this past year, while anxiety and depression have skyrocketed as a result of prolonged isolation, grief, and loss. As we continue to recognize the benefits of outdoors activities and contact with animals on our mental health, adequate funding for large-scale scientific studies […]