The Equinest archives

The Horse Show with Rick Lamb Episode 385 – Arabian Costumes & Herding Dogs

Click to see VideoRecently we’ve been posting episodes of The Horse Show with Rick Lamb & are delighted to find such a huge selection of unique horse topics we can share. We don’t post every episode, but do share the ones we find the most interesting, unique & fun.

Arabian Costumes & Herding Dogs

Seem like a strange mix? We thought so too – but nothing is strange when it comes to Rick Lamb’s show about horses. In today’s episode Rick takes a look at some pretty amazing native Arabian horse & rider costumes. He also visits with Scottish dog trainer Jack Knox about his methodology behind training herding dogs (we simply adore Border Collies!).
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Artist – Horse Jobs

Man painting a horse

Along with professional rider, this is probably one of the most dreamy horse jobs out there. The nature of the job requires that horse artists have a great deal of flexibility and independence. While a love of horses is a strong element in this type of work, it isn’t all you need to be successful.

What You Need

Obviously to be a great horse artist you need to have some artistic skill (or at least be able to convince people that you do). Such a beautiful and noble animal is incredibly difficult to draw or paint convincingly and as such requires a great deal of practice work. More than anything budding horse artists need time to practice and an endless stream of paints or pencils with which to pursue their passion. While it doesn’t always directly involve a lot of contact with the animal itself, it should.
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Read Black Beauty Online – Chapter 25. Reuben Smith

Black horse in a green field

Chapter 25. Reuben Smith

Now I must say a little about Reuben Smith, who was left in charge of the stables when York went to London. No one more thoroughly understood his business than he did, and when he was all right there could not be a more faithful or valuable man. He was gentle and very clever in his management of horses, and could doctor them almost as well as a farrier, for he had lived two years with a veterinary surgeon. He was a first-rate driver; he could take a four-in-hand or a tandem as easily as a pair. He was a handsome man, a good scholar, and had very pleasant manners. I believe everybody liked him; certainly the horses did. The only wonder was that he should be in an under situation and not in the place of a head coachman like York; but he had one great fault and that was the love of drink.
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Ground Manners. A Novel – Book Review

This handy review is curtesy of Carol M. Upton, who works with a number of amazing animal authors & media artists.

Ground Manners. A Novel“Learning that horses were butchered for meat left many people feeling raw and lied to, like suddenly finding out that your neighbour had barbecued your retriever or microwaved your cat. Like so many others, Yanne was clearly unaware that, whether for meat or other reasons, horses were slaughtered at all.” ~ Part Three, Chapter Four, p. 116

Slaughter, Erosion & Heritage

Ground Manners. A Novel is an innovative synthesis of adventure, romance and animal advocacy. Cynthia D’Errico has produced a compelling tale based on true stories about Canada’s horse slaughter industry, the dangers of continuing to ignore coastline erosion, and which features an especially intriguing thread on how le Canadien became both Quebec’s heritage breed and the National Horse of Canada.
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Ragwort – A Horse’s Worst Enemy?

Recently we’ve been posting episodes of The Horse Show with Rick Lamb & are loving the wide variety of equestrian themes he has to share. Today however we wanted to share something a little different, something that concerns the well-being of your animals.

Toxic Plants

We’ve got a whole section dedicated to plants that are toxic to your horse & we cover a different one in more depth every week. Sadly horses can’t eat a pretty large variety of plants out there (everything from hydrangea to Rubber plants to Oak trees can make them sick).
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Writer or Author – Horse Jobs

man writing at a desk

Along with horse artist, this is probably one of the dreamier horse jobs out there. The nature of the job requires that horse writers have a great deal of flexibility and independence. While a love of horses is a strong element in this type of work, it isn’t all you need to be successful.

What You Need

Obviously to be a great horse writer or author you need to be able to write. Whether you are a science fiction fiction writer or a more serious scientific research and journal publisher, you need to have an affinity for words. Beyond a way with words, writers must also possess strong editing and image selection skills as well as the ability to market themselves and their writing.
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Read Black Beauty Online – Chapter 24. The Lady Anne, or a Runaway Horse

Black horse in a green field

Chapter 24. The Lady Anne, or a Runaway Horse

Early in the spring, Lord Wexmire and part of his family went up to London, and took York with them. I and Ginger and some other horses were left at home for use, and the head groom was left in charge.

The Lady Harriet, who remained at the hall, was a great invalid, and never went out in the carriage, and the Lady Anne preferred riding on horseback with her brother or cousins. She was a perfect horsewoman, and as gay and gentle as she was beautiful. She chose me for her horse, and named me “Black Auster”. I enjoyed these rides very much in the clear cold air, sometimes with Ginger, sometimes with Lizzie. This Lizzie was a bright bay mare, almost thoroughbred, and a great favorite with the gentlemen, on account of her fine action and lively spirit; but Ginger, who knew more of her than I did, told me she was rather nervous.
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Equestrian Feet – Horse Gift Ideas

GiftIt’s getting very close to the big day, so we’re sharing gift ideas every day until time runs out (you still might have a chance). So far we’ve shared ideas for everything from shoes to lipstick. Today we’ve got some more horses to wear, this time on your feet.

Horse Shoes

Surprisingly there appears to be a lot of equestrian influence in the shoe making world & we were able to find a wide variety of fun shoes & boots to share. Whether you are looking for a good driving shoe, a fun rain boot or something sexy to show off those lovely riding legs.
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