Hilarious Horses..Have a Laugh On Us

Here in Australia, we have a bird called a Spangled Drongo....no kidding. The male is big, black and spectacularly noisy...his mates are even louder. More to the point, a male and not one, but two females have taken up residence in the garden. 'Er indoors has given away the shotgun and tells me that we'll just have to live with nature. I'm off to the toyshop today for a high powered water pistol.

Here's a great montage of funny horse pics---I laughed my socks off. Sorry about the chintzy music though.

If you're into barrel racing, then here are a few tips guaranteed to ensure that both you and your horse perform better. Courtesy of Laura Thompson, horseback riding instructor, Houston, Texas.

A 30-year-old horse was rescued from a sinkhole at least 15 feet deep Monday night. Crews worked more than six hours to free the horse, an Appaloosa named Chief. Owners said Chief is one of six family horses they keep on a farm. By 8:45, nearly six hours after the first 911 call was made, Chief was pulled to safety. Crews quickly rushed to cover him with blankets and warm his body. This is the third in my series of horses getting stuck in difficult places.

The Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum was a popular tourist attraction in Victorville for more than 35 years, starting in 1967. But in 2003, five years after Rogers died in 1998 and two years after Evans died in 2001, their surviving family members moved the museum to Branson, Mo. Now, for those of you (probably most of you) who don't know about these 2, they were the first 'TV horse show stars' and they made plenty of Saturday morning movies we all crammed in to see. Roy's horse, Trigger was arguably the most famous horse in the world during his lifetime. Pity it all had to close. The stuffed and mounted body of Trigger, the golden palomino horse that co-starred with Rogers in many of his films, may alone be worth $1 million or more, auction appraisers say.

Very, very sad news here.....the daughter of champion horse racing trainer Derek Shawhas died after falling from a tractor at her family's training yard in Leicestershire, UK. His 15-month-old daughter Ellie Mae Shaw fell at the family's stables in Sproxton, near Melton Mowbray, on Monday. She was flown to hospital by air ambulance but died a short time later. Full story here

Do You Make These Horse Training Mistakes Loading Your Horse ? If you do then read this article and then hurry to our web site where you can see just how it should be done from horse training legend John Pinnell. This dvd had worked for hundreds of people who've had difficulty in the past.

Ever notice differences in how animals move their bodies? Your dog comes running up, his entire rear end swinging back and forth almost as fast as his wagging tail. Then he drops his hips and scuttles up against your legs before rolling belly-up to wriggle at your feet. Your horse’s body, in contrast, seems as solid as a rock as you brush him, and he doesn’t flinch as you place the saddle securely behind his withers and swing onto his back. You feel only a gentle undulation as he moves off. Want to know more? You should......

Dressage mare Blue Hors Matine, whose dressage freestyle at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen became an Internet video sensation, was euthanized after breaking a leg in a paddock accident, Horse and Hound reports. The 13-year-old Dutch mare was ridden by Andreas Helgstrand. She was retired from competition following a tendon injury at the Las Vegas World Cup in 2007. Blue Hors Stud Director Esben Moller told Horse and Hound Matine broke her right forelimb at the knee while out in her pasture. For those of you who have never seen this fabulous freestyle routine...here it is.

For all you 'showies'......How to Plait a Horse's Tail - Kate Baldwin is Laura Bechtolsheimer's head girl. Using a 'Bectholsheimer baby' Kate demonstrates the art of plaiting a tail.

New dvds on using the double lunge and long reining techniques available next week.

Have a great week.

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait...

Watch Two Jockeys Trading Punches...During The Race!

Australia Day coming up and the annual neighbourhood barbie. Nice time of year, good to see all the flags out and a good chance to get to know people better...I should know since we've had new neighbours for 2 months and I haven't even seen them yet! When I've been around there's no-one there so perhaps I'll get the chance over a beer next Tuesday.

"Check out this video of two jockey's throwing some punches at each other as they try to gain the edge on the track.  It's dangerous, and probably highly illegal, but this is just the type of thing to draw a crowd and open the doors to a whole new base of fans." Oh Really? Why not give them sabres and just call them cavalry? Anyways, it's an amusing video.

Determine whether your horse’s tack fits well or makes him fit to be tied. By Sharon Biggs. One of the most important things you can do for your horse is to make sure his tack fits properly. Poor fitting tack is comparable to you wearing poorly fitted shoes: too tight and you’ve got squished toes and painful feet; too loose and blisters abound. A horse suffers the same fate when a small saddle pinches his withers or a big saddle rolls around on his back.

A chain-reaction, nine-horse spill during a race in Japan has left one jockey injured. Japanese rider Hiroyuki Uchida broke his left arm after the leading horse veered in at a sharp angle. He and eight other jockeys were thrown from their horses, one after another. The spill occurred in the fourth race Monday at Nakayama Racecourse outside Tokyo. Uchida was aboard Lilac Punch in the 16-horse race. Nasty, and just shows that riding can be dangerous.

How many times can a girl fall her horse in less than 5 minutes? I'm guessing 5 but who knows? How many can you count?

www.HorseTraining.org presents Rumba the Wonder Horse performing tricks. Tricks include: Tamborine, Bike Horn, Coights, Croquet, Soccer, Fetch, Rear, Lie Down, Bow etc. It's clicker training I guess and I've never been a great fan but whatever...quite interesting and amusing to watch.

If you're into horses as a business then this site might be useful for you.

I've just watched (on your behalf of course) a 10 minute video on You Tube showing a large inflatable horse....being inflated. It's ridiculous and doesn't look remotely like a horse. What's the big deal? Why do people post such stupid videos? I've no idea and I'm not going to bother you with it either. Yawn........BUT, if you really want a laugh about inflatables, watch this video of the late lamented Kenny Everett 'taking off ' Rod Stewart....absolutely hilarious!

What's Your Horse Saying With His Body Language? Lynn Palm explains what this horse is "saying" with the language of his entire body, including the position and movement of his neck, muscles and skin. By Alana Harrison and courtesy of Horse and Rider.

Your horse prone to small accidents, cuts, abrasions and bruises? Have a look here at our 2 for 1 offer and read what others think about H10 ointment.

Have a great Australia Day.

Preview Of Brand New DVDs Now Available

Phew....it's been warm here on the coast but nothing compared to some of the heat inland. It's important that you get enough water inside to keep hydrated and a good friend of mine sent me this little excel spreadsheet that calculates the amount for you. If you've got a spreadsheet programmes it's worth having a look at.

 We've had solar panels installed on the roof as I've said but the local elec company are taking for ever to put in the new meters for them so be warned if you do this. The panels are only half the story. 'Er indoors wants me to camp outside the elec offices in protest...it's far too hot for my liking so a phone call will have to do.

In their October ’09 issue, Team Horse & Rider member Charlie Cole provided safety and etiquette tips for taking your dog to horse shows. Long before you even consider taking a dog that’s not previously been exposed to horses to a show, you need to properly (and safely) introduce him to your horses 'at home'. So heed the following advice. (Courtesy of Equisearch)

Horse Trekking in Iceland. Due to their isolated location, strict import laws and dedicated breeding practices the Icelandic Horse boasts one of the purest bloodlines on the planet. This video shows a group of riders on a trek in Iceland, they are accompanied by a herd of horses which they take turns riding. Icelandic horses are gaited, athletic and known for their happy-go-lucky attitude. This is summer though...and you don't want to be there in winter, believe me.

Horse and pony quiz. Here's some fun for you.....How well do you know horses? Lets find out! (Yes, lets!) This is a quiz about breeds,height,care and riding! Are you an expert or not? Have a go.......

A horse owner has praised firefighters after an elderly steed slipped on black ice while on a walk in Emmer Green, nr Reading in the UK. Bruce Honey was out with two friends on three of the four horses he owns for a 30-minute hack last Sunday afternoon when they came across the slippery patch in Gravel Hill. Great video of the UK fire brigade rescuing this poor animal....'beats rescuing cats from trees', one firefighter was heard to say. Great effort lads.

I mentioned last week that we would have two new dvds available and I have some previews for you.
The first is the Tatjana Fruh double lunge and long reining training dvd. I like the way everything is explained and shown in detail. The preview is available here but don't use the phone number on the screen to buy the dvd...I'll have it available shortly.

The second is the dvd of the famous Marbach stud, Gremany's largest and most famous stud whose founder King Wilhelm started the European Arabian line. Great dvd this that you have to watch 3 or 4 times to get all the info packed into it.

Here's Mutley.... Stephanie Spoerl comforts Mutley, a horse she adopted after reading an article in The Oregonian explaining that he needed a home. Mutley was rescued from a farm southeast of Molalla, where his owner was charged with animal neglect. He's better now and has a name change...from Mutley to Huntley. Um.

Are any of you detectives? Perhaps you can help? A tacked-up horse skeleton has been found in a California state park, sparking a probe into how the animal met its fate. Have a read. Courtesy of Barnmice

Have a great week

New Years Resolutions.....Hah!

Happy New Year to you...it's got to be better than the last one hasn't it? Had a wonderful rest over the hols with No 1 daughter appearing for nearly 2 weeks.  A minor miracle in itself but great to see her although she was unconscious for at least 75% of the time. That girl could 'Sleep for Australia'....'spect some of you've had much the same experience.

All the rain has meant that the back yard is like a jungle and 'er indoors has handed me the list of garden jobs already. It reads like a list of instructions....1 do this, 2 do that, 3 do that again because it wasn't done properly..etc, etc. At that point I made yet another New Year resolution and, no, I'm not telling you what it is.

On Friday evening last at the 2009 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention, eventing legend Lucinda Green joined Freedom Health’s Lyndsey White to discuss theories and philosophies in feeding and horse care habits that keep modern sport horses happy, sound, and performing to their ability. Fascinating insight and a conclusion that 'modern ain't necessarilly best'. Watch both presentations here!

Have you resolved to take better care of your horse’s health in 2010? A free webcast series offered by the Michigan State University (MSU) Extension My Horse University and eXtension HorseQuest can help you stick to it. During the webcasts, which begin Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. EST, horse owners will learn about diagnosing, treating and preventing common horse health problems such as colic, respiratory disease and lameness, and equine emergency first aid.

Here's a new video about the games from the 2010 World Equestrian Games Foundation due in Kentucky later this year. This really is the 'Olympics' of horse riding and thsi trailer is really worth watching.

We've some great new products coming up. One is a new dvd from Tatjana Fruth, an expert German trainer on the use of early work with the double lunge (longeing) and the long reins. I've spent a lot of time reviewing this and it's an excellent programme, wonderful for both teachers and pup0lis and anyone who wants to know how to 'get it right'. This lady really knows how and the way she handles and treats her horses should be a model to all of us.... The other dvd is a 'doco' on the famous Marbach stud, one of Germany's oldest and most famous state studs but the programme covers the whole range of activities there. I was fascinated and captivated by this programme and the hour it runs went like a couple of minutes. Both dvds are professionally produced with stunning photography and soundtrack. More news soon and some clips too.

You'll remember that we posted some news on the dressage 'rollkur' scandal. Well it refuses to go away....tens of thousands of equestrian fans have signed a petition over allegedly 'cruel' training methods that threatens to disrupt the sport ahead of the 2012 Olympics. Some fans are warning they will boycott the Games's equestrian event - due to be held in South London - over what has been labelled 'the blue-tongue scandal'. The British Horse Society has called for an urgent inquiry into the practices being used on some of the world's most expensive competition horses. There's a vid half way down the page.

It seems that 'personalities' are falling off horses regularly. Last year I wrote about Madonna falling off her horse and here's news of Leona Lewis (X factor UK winner) falling off hers. Nice photo but riding lessons in order perhaps?

"We all make them. We all blow them. Most resolutions almost set you up to fail because they are so general that you won’t know if you have succeeded or not. For instance, if you resolve to “ride better this year,” I’m fairly certain your trainer would push you on that vague goal and want to know precisely what movements you were hoping to ride better and what your definition of better is." Well, yes...so hear are some exercises to help. Go on...have a look.

There's a whole lot of related exercises here too. Just the thing for the New Year. Courtesy of Equisearch.

If you're on hols...enjoy them.