Lindsey Kahn
Why You Should Choose the Best Trainer You Can Afford (& Maybe the One You Can’t)
Mel Harms-Grossman shares her thoughts on choosing the best trainer for your money (and more importantly, for your horse).
Tuesday Video: Mini Foal Does Best Secretariat Impression
…and wipes out a couple of times (adorably).
Video: Frolicking Camel Shows Off Fancy Footwork
Those flying lead changes, though.
Driving Poorly Near a Horse Trailer Makes You a Jerk, Part 2: Risks and Considerations
“I do my best not to crush you. Please show my horses and me the same respect.” Mel Harms-Grossman continues her series on trailer safety with more tales and tips for sharing the road.
Driving Poorly Near a Horse Trailer Makes You a Jerk, Part 1: Let’s Talk Damages
“I do my best not to crush you. Please show my horses and me the same respect.” Mel Harms-Grossman shares tales and tips for sharing the road in a three-part series.
Tuesday Video: This is How I Roll… Kinda
They see me rollin’, they hatin’ …
Olympic Social Media Roundup: August 19
Your behind-the-scenes passport for Rio!
Olympic Social Media Roundup: August 17
Your behind-the-scenes passport for Rio!
Olympic Social Media Roundup: August 15
Your behind-the-scenes passport for Rio!
Olympic Social Media Roundup: August 9
Go behind the scenes in Rio!
Tuesday Video: Behind the Scenes with Chris Burton
Get to know the man at the top of the standings after a wild cross-country day Monday.
Olympic Social Media Roundup: August 8
Go behind the scenes in Rio!
Product Review: Horse Hopes Custom Equestrian Products
Lindsey Kahn checks out this custom service!
Thursday Video: Trail Obstacle Course is Smooth as Silk
Open the gate, walk the bridge, jump the sofa… Jump the SOFA?!
Watch Kelly Marks of Intelligent Horsemanship make short work of a TREC obstacle demo with her trusty partner, The Pie: (Note: must be logged into Facebook to view this video)
They make it look so easy!
TREC, also known as “Le TREC,” is a three-phase sport that tests the skills and confidence of horses and their handlers over various terrains and obstacles. Like extreme trail challenges and versatility ranch horse competitions, TREC (short for “Techniques de Rondonee Equestre de Competition”) participants are judged on the successful completion of obstacles, though part of what makes TREC unique among trail competitions is that riders also compete in two other phases of orienteering (planning and navigating their route) and controlling the paces (demonstrating the horses’ obedience in certain gaits in a designated area, similar to the dressage phase in eventing)
Riders and teams are not eliminated for failure to perform parts of the competition; they instead receive lower scores. This makes TREC a novice-friendly event that horses and riders of many levels can enjoy.
For more information on Kelly Marks and her work with internationally-renowned trainer and clinician Monty Roberts, visit the Intelligent Horsemanship website.
Go riding!
Thursday Video: Free-Jumping Pony is an Overachiever
“You mean I have to work? I’m outta here!”
We all know the stereotype of the lazy, stubborn pony who would rather play dead than work. What about a pony who goes through leaps and bounds – literally – to avoid work?
This 2010 video of free-jumping gone hilariously wrong is going viral on Facebook, and for good reason. When asked to hop over a simple cross-rail, this pony decides to take the easy closest way out:
Well done, little guy.
Go ponies. Go riding.
Let’s Discuss: Controversial New Breed Echoes Prehistory
Is this a case of true de-extinction of an entire species? Or another case of designer breeding?
Video: Hitching a Ride on the Donkey Express
Stop what you are doing right now and watch this goat ride a donkey like it’s no big deal.
Down to Earth Farms Petting Zoo may have posted this video to introduce the world to Thumbelina Star the calf, but the true stars of this viral video are Misty the donkey and her passenger, Lil’ Johnny the goat. According to the farm’s Facebook page, Lil’ Johnny is known to jump up for a ride, “especially when treats are around!” (Note: must be logged in to Facebook to video this video)
Our newsest addition to the farm! Thumbelina Star, a calf that was born last year a liitle on the small side!!
Posted by Down To Earth Farms Petting Zoo on Saturday, March 19, 2016
Horse Nation has a long and decorated history of showcasing goats with their equine friends:
- Baby Goat Tries to Head-butt a Horse & It’s the Cutest
- 15 Random Photos of Goats on Horseback
- An Orphaned Foal was Adopted by a Goat
- Goats Riding Horses is the Best Thing You’ll See All Day
- Horses in Ad Campaigns: Pony Bucks off Goat
What’s your favorite? Go riding!
Video: The Horse Screamer (Might) Want to Buy a Horse
“There’s a good possibility that I might be coming to look at him three weeks from next Saturday!”
If you have ever tried to sell a horse, you may have had to deal with someone like this:
Too real, bro. Too real.
Dave “Showtime” Meyer is a professional rodeo entertainer, which means that he probably got the inspiration for this lovely lady while on the job. The Horse Screamer and other hilarious caricatures of people we love (or love to hate) in the horse and rodeo world can be seen on his YouTube channel and Instagram.
Go riding!
#ThrowbackThursday: Hold On To Your Hats
We originally shared this video two years ago when it first went viral, but it’s enjoying a second wave of popularity. Hold on to your hats, folks.
Screenshot courtesy of Ken Patton’s Facebook video.
Editor’s note: While we at Horse Nation respect the use of a helmet as a personal choice, we encourage all riders, regardless of discipline, to #MindYourMelon.
Working cow horses are known for their agility and grit, and nowhere is this more apparent than in Ken Patton’s viral video from the 2014 Fort Worth Stock Show. Watch as competitor Mozaun McKibben and his horse get tripped up by a cow coming out of a fence turn, falling facefirst toward the unforgiving ground. And then… (You must be logged into Facebook to view the excitement.)
Ok. Here is the video of the wreck. Think you,ll agree that Mozaun is a heck of a hand with a horse or cow.
Posted by Ken Patton on Monday, January 20, 2014
Holy cow. (Yeah, that’s right, we went there.)
Not only did Mozaun’s horse pop to his feet, but Mozaun also caught his hat and the pair resumed their ride as though nothing had happened. What a great save by both!
Go working cow horses. Go riding.
Video: Minis on the Move!
“We’re freeeeeee!”
Screenshot via Journey’s End at Birch Hill Farm’s Facebook page
Snowed in or not, this will probably be the cutest thing you’ll see this winter. Watch as a trio of fluffy, elated minis taste sweet freedom after Winter Storm Jonas buried the eastern states under ridiculous amounts of snow (Note: must be logged in to Facebook to view):
Minis on the run!We finally got plowed out today … looks like these three were experiencing some cabin fever! It’s always trouble when Jewel, Moe and Stuie get together 🙂
Posted by Journey’s End at Birch Hill Farm WV on Sunday, January 24, 2016
Journey’s End at Birch Hill Farm is a sanctuary in West Virginia that provides a safe home to horses and other farm animals. To help this sanctuary provide hay, feed, and other necessities to their residents, you can donate on their website or check out their Hoodies for Hay fundraising campaign.
Book Review: The Red Rock Ranch Series
By Brittney Joy.
The Bomb-Proofest Dressage Horse in History: The Sequel
Something is chaotic in the state of Denmark, and a dressage horse couldn’t care less.
Screenshot courtesy of DreamSports.tv
Remember when we posted the awesome video of Anna Blomgren and her mare Donna Summer casually performing Grand Prix dressage amidst a swirl of umbrellas, fire, chainsaws, and a gigantic tarp? Well, Anna is at it again, this time riding Tørveslettens Quattro at the “Add Drama Show” at the JBK Horse Show in Denmark. If you’re wondering how someone could possibly add more drama to an already-excellent dressage ride, prepare yourself for a scene of summer blockbuster-like proportions, including criminal activity, a police car, gunshots, fire, appropriately epic music, and…
Ridiculous screenshot courtesy of dreamsports.tv
…a freaking dirt bike.
I’m pretty sure that even if my own horse miraculously wasn’t concerned, I would have a heart attack as soon as that dirt bike flew over my head. Anna and Tørveslettens Quattro make it look easy, complete with passage and pirouettes. Needless to say, loud motorized vehicles and horses rarely mix well, so readers are advised not to try any of this at home.
You can find out more about Anna at her website, http://www.annadressage.com/.
Go riding!
Tuesday Video: One-Horse Open… Inner Tube?
There’s something exhilarating and yet soothing about watching this Clydesdale happily pulling a string of passengers in inner tubes through the snow.
Kenna Nye of Glenview Clydesdales in Michigan posted this video of her and some friends having fun with Gunner the Clydesdale, which has since gone viral… and for good reason! Where can I sign up for this awesome winter adventure?
Tubing day 3!
Posted by Kenna Nye on Thursday, December 31, 2015
Whether you’re on a horse, sled, or tube, Go Riding.