When it comes to pomp and ceremony, the Brits know how to do it right. The Royal Windsor Horse Show is one such display of grandeur and takes place in May each year in the Queen’s own backyard, Windsor Castle! First starting in 1943 to help raise funds for the war effort, the show has […]

For those of us who are lucky enough to ride or work with horses, I think we can all agree they are beautiful and intelligent animals. But I think we often forget just how truly special they can be. I believe it was Winston Churchill who once claimed, “There is something about the outside of […]

The Festival Fantasia is a centuries-old cultural performance in Morocco that combines history and storytelling, and celebrates the North African tradition of a close relationship with masculinity, horses and warfare. It is performed at weddings and holiday celebrations throughout Morocco, as well as annual festivals, and is an ever-present reminder of the country’s Berber cultural […]

Name of breed: Mangalarga Marchador Country of origin: Brazil Breed origin: The Mangalarga Marchador is the national horse breed of Brazil, where it numbers over half a million! It descends largely from Iberian stock brought to Brazil by the Portuguese royal court, which fled from Napoleon’s armies in the early 19th century. With them came […]

Name of breed: Carolina Marsh Tacky (also known as Marsh Tacky) Country of origin: USA Breed origin: The Carolina Marsh Tack, or Marsh Tacky as it is also known, is a rare breed of horse, native to South Carolina. They developed from Spanish horses brought to the South Carolina coast by Spanish explorers, settlers and […]

Name of breed: Clydesdale Country of origin: Scotland Breed origin: The Clydesdale was developed by Scottish farmers in a region known as Lanarkshire, which was previously called Clydesdale. To produce a versatile draught horse for farm work, coal mining and heavy haulage, Flemish stallions were imported and bred with local mares. The first recorded use […]

Name of breed: Giara Country of origin: Island of Sardinia, Italy Breed origin: The origins of the Giara horse are uncertain, with one theory suggesting it may have been brought into the island of Sardinia by the Phoenicians or the Greeks in the 4th or 5th century BC. It has characteristics of oriental horse types, […]

Name of breed: Fjord Horse Country of origin: Norway Breed origin: The Fjord horse is one of the world’s oldest and purest breeds. Horses were known to exist in Norway at the end of the last ice age. It is believed that the ancestors of the modern Fjord horse migrated to Norway and were domesticated […]

Name of breed: Nokota Horse Country of origin: United States of America Breed origin: The Nokota horse is a semi-feral breed located in an area in southwestern North Dakota known as the ‘badlands’. The breed developed in the 19th century from foundation bloodstock consisting of ranch-bred horses produced from the horses of local Native Americans, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]