Have you ever tried to break in a wild horse in just 100 days? And I don’t mean just train them so they can be ridden in all gaits…I mean train them so well they can jump over small showjumps, barrels or hay bales, walk over a bridge, maybe even perform some ‘tricks’. Welcome to […]

“Living tradition – the values of the past blending with the passion of the present.” That’s the motto for Vienna’s infamous Spanish Riding School, an institution demonstrating the Renaissance tradition of Haute Ecole (high school of classical dressage) that has existed for more than 450 years! Also known as the ‘dancing horses’, these Lipizzaner stallions […]

Name of breed: Bashkir Horse Country of origin: Russia Breed origin: The Bashkir is a horse breed of the Bashkir people, although its origins are not known. In the 19th century, breeding centres were set up in order to increase both its working abilities and its traditional qualities as a producer of milk and meat. […]

As one of the largest outdoor horse shows in the US, located near some of the most beautiful beaches on the East Coast, amidst the fashionable Hamptons summer scene…(phew, I got it all in there!)… the Hampton Classic is in a league all of its own. It is a much-anticipated stop for horse people on […]

There’s a lot to be said about the bond between man and beast, and it seems the inmates at Florence Prison in Arizona, USA are being rehabilitated through their work with horses. Most of the mustangs who become part of the Florence Prison Wild Horse Inmate Program have never been domesticated. Their first interactions with […]

Named by TIME Magazine as one of the top ten toughest endurance events in the world, the Tevis Cup is not a race for the faint hearted! Also known as The Western States Trail Ride, this 100-mile (160km) trek through California’s scenic mountains is a test of physical and mental fitness. Most years only half […]

“He is my best friend, my horse of a lifetime, and I love him more than words can say.” – Charlotte Dujardin There was a social media campaign launched in the months leading up to the 2016 Olympic Games using the hashtag #TwoHearts in an attempt to illustrate the special partnership shared between every rider […]

Alright globetrotters, it’s time to meet the Australian Show Jumping team for Rio. We have never won a medal at the Olympics in show jumping, but I think this might just be the year we change that as we have a very strong team at the ready. So without further ado, let me introduce Edwina […]

It’s time to introduce the riders who will be representing Australia in the Eventing competition of the Rio Olympic Games. And just between you and me globetrotters, I think we have a VERY strong chance of making the medal podium this year, so let’s keep our fingers crossed and cheer these boys on! Chris Burton […]

In a discipline dominated by Germany, Great Britain, and The Netherlands, the Aussies have nevertheless always put on a strong front in the dressage competition of the Olympic Games, and this year the all-women team is seeking Australia’s first medals in this field. With Australia’s oldest Olympic equestrian athlete among the team, and also an […]

Name of breed: Australian Stock Horse Country of origin: Australia Breed origin: The roots of the Australian Stock Horse date back to the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, which brought nine horses of Thoroughbred and Spanish blood to the continent. These were shortly followed by more importations of Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Welsh Mountain Ponies […]

Name of breed: Hackney Pony Country of origin: England Breed origin: A breed of pony closely related to the Hackney horse, the breed was originally developed by Christopher Wilson. He used a Hackney stallion to breed with Fell Pony mares, and then interbred the offspring to make a fixed type of pony. His aim was […]

Juego del pato, more commonly referred to Pato, is the national sport of Argentina and is a game played on horseback that combines elements of polo and basketball. It was invented in the 17th century by gauchos whose playing field would stretch from one farm to the next! So how do you play? Teams made […]

The largest and certainly the most fun polo tournament in Europe, Chestertons Polo in the Park, is held at Hurlingham Park in England each year across three days in June and is open to the general public. The event kicks off with ‘Chukka Friday’, featuring three afternoon polo matches. Saturday is Ladies Day with another […]

On the first Saturday of September, the two-horse town of Birdsville gears up for one of Australia’s most iconic race meets, the Birdsville Races. Located some 1,600km inland from Brisbane, Queensland, Birdsville is an incredibly remote place. But more than five thousands hardy souls make the trek each year for one hell of an outback […]

Dubbed the longest and toughest horse race in the world, the Mongol Derby covers 1000km of Mongolian wilderness. In 1224, Chinggis Khaan (more commonly referred to as Genghis Khan) established the world’s first long-distance postal transmission system using a massive network of horse stations spaced from Kharkhorin to the Caspian Sea. For 10 days every […]

“The horse is an icon of Plains Indian culture – an indispensable companion in times of peace, and a fearless ally in times of war.” – taken from the book ‘A Song for the Horse Nation’. At the beginning of the 14th century, during the Spanish conquest of North America, horses were introduced into the […]

[sg_popup id=”1″][/sg_popup]Who would be faster in a marathon – a horse or a human? This might be a strange question to ask, but like how most of these discussions usually form, this one originated over a cheery pint (or five) at a pub one night in 1980. Gordon Green, the owner of the Neuadd Arms […]

Naadam Festival – Mongolia The girl’s cheeks are flushed beetroot red, her half moon eyes bright with anticipation as her wiry bay pony jigs around in a circle. Shadows of her horse’s ribs are visible beneath the make-shift saddle, a stirrup-less foam pad that is secured by a rawhide girth strap. The number nine is […]