I received the following query via Facebook yesterday: “I am considering to become involved in SCA equestrian activities, and was wondering what I should take into consideration, especially concerning horses…what to look for, how to know if they enjoy it etc…Would you have advice for a beginner in this area…I have been riding since I was a…

I ran across these on Christine Sander’s Facebook page and some of the comments below were offered by her. They are intended to show the muscle groups that are in use when a horse is at various levels of collection. The information processed in these illustrations is from Goody “Horse Anatomy”. What he provides on…

In recent months I have spoken with several horse trainers and owners, on the subject of the “intelligence” of horses, individually and as identified in specific breeds. I put the word intelligence in quotes because the first thing I concluded was that before we can even start discussing how smart a horse or breed may…

Something happened during my training session today that doesn’t happen often. I came off a horse. Soil test, unplanned dismount, rider relocation, call it what you will, I was on the horse, funky things happened, I was looking up thinking “What a beautiful blue sky… hey, wasn’t I riding a horse a moment ago?” For…

Body Asymmetry refers to the imbalance in muscle development common to nearly all horses. Horses, like humans, are stronger on one side than they are on the other. That is to say they are “Right Handed” or “Left Handed” if you will. From their first steps, the young horse will balance better on one side…

Two days ago Zephyr’s owner, Nancy Morgan, called me in the morning to ask my advice about something that was happening with her other horse, Tempo. After returning from a light trail ride, the 7-year-old Foxtrotter began to show signs of being in distress. He was pawing at the ground, rolling, and making odd sounds….