It’s always good to stretch before any type of exercise, and we all know that just being around horses is exercise. This video gives tips on handy warm up stretches for equestrians.
Click through to view video.
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The Equinest archives
A Strange Collection of Rocking Horses
Image from scott witt
Most horse lovers began their equestrian careers with their behind firmly planted on rocking horse as a child.
This post is kind of in the art vein, kind of in the photography vein and definitely in the strange vein.
Hunting For Toys
I started out just looking for cool rocking horse images, and quickly learned that there are some really strange ones out there. So I gathered them all up to share and here they are…a really weird (and almost spooky) collection of rocking horses.
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Horse Artist Interview – Stephanie Riggenbach
Name
Stephanie Riggenbach
Website & Places you can find my work online
My new website: nighthorsestudio.webs.com
You can also find me at www.wetcanvas.com and www.artpapa.com under the name SREquineImages.
Where I am
Seville, Ohio
Tell us a little about you, what is your background & where do you come from?
I was born and raised in Ohio. I’m self-taught artistically. I never went to college, that just wasn’t for me. I did take two years of Commercial Art in high school, but that’s as far as it went.
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Horse Pictures From Andorra
Horse cultures can be found in all corners of the globe and it’s important that we preserve them. The onslaught of mechanization during the 20th century redefined our relationship with this noble animal. We want to celebrate all horse cultures of he world, even if we find some of them disagreeable.
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American Albino – Horse Breed of The Week
Image from Tamar’s Ventures
The American Albino horse is also called the American Cream & White and are not actually albino animals. The albino gene is fatal to horses and rarely survives beyond the womb.
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Horse Artist Interview – Ann Ranlett
Name
Ann Ranlett
Website & Places you can find my work online
Websites: www.annran.com & www.petportraitsbyann.com
Blog: annran.blogspot.com
My original art and reproductions of it (prints, note cards, magnets, earrings):
Bonanzle: Ann Ranlett
Etsy: Ann Ranlett
Artfire: Ann Ranlett
Cafepress: Ann Ranlett
Zazzle: Ann Ranlett
Follow Anne on twitter: @AnnRan5
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Playing Horses in Motion
Horse Artist Interview – Nora Kolda
Name
Nora Kolda
Website & places you can find my work online
Website: www.NoraKolda.com
Cafepress: Nora Kolda
Follow Nora on twitter: @NoraKolda
Where I am
Albany, Wisconsin
Tell us a little about you, what is your background & where do you come from?
Was born in Casper, Wyoming and moved to Merrill, Wisconsin (where my father could get back to farming).
Love for the horses runs in the family as Dad had work horses in his youth, so did his father and grandfather.
Western Terminology – Reining
There is a lot of lingo & terminology dedicated to the world of western horse shows. We’ve broken the show world down into smaller sub-categories to cover them in finer detail. Here is a list of common terminology used in the world of reining.
Circle
A maneuver which requires loping in a circle over half of the arena. There are two types of circles: Small, Slow & Large, Fast. Each circle element should show two transitions, one from fast to slow or slow to fast and one flying lead change.
Degree of difficulty
Judges score maneuvers based on their degree of difficulty. Higher scores are given for a higher degree of difficulty.
Drag
Tilling the arena soil periodically to keep the show area even.
Draw
Used to create a random list of competitors for their turn in the class.
Fencing
A warm up exercise where the horse runs from one end of the area to the other, as the rider controls building speed. At the far end the horse does a sliding stop right at the fence.
Markers
Labels (often orange cones) that divide the arena into thirds and indicate where the rider is expected to perform each maneuver.
Minus Maneuver
A maneuver with a low degree of difficulty.
No Score
When a horse is pulled from a competition due to illegal equipment or drugs their score is pulled and a record of the violation is filed.
NRHA
National Reining Horse Association was founded in 1966 to promote the reining horse. The association sets standards for the sport of reining worldwide.
Plus Maneuver
A maneuver with a high degree of difficulty
Roll Back
The completion of a stopping maneuver, after stopping the rider should pause and then ask the horse to rotate (or roll back) on their haunches and lope off in the direction they just came from.
Run Down
A maneuver which the horse builds up speed preparing for the stopping maneuver. The run down is important in ensuring a proper stop.
Skid Boots
Protective leg wear that wraps around the fetlock joint of the hind legs to protect them from injury.
Stop
A maneuver that is performed from a gallop, as they hit the proper marker their rider will ask them to slide to a stop leaning back on their hind legs. The faster and harder the stop, the higher the degree of difficulty.
Turn Around
A maneuver in which the horse pivots around their inside back foot in a circle approx. 4 times in both directions.
Willfully Guided
Terminology used to describe a horse with a pleasant manner, quiet mouth & tail, ears alert to their rider, relaxed & attentive posture.
Zero Score
When a rider goes off pattern they receive a zero score. It is not a penalty, but rather omits that rider from the score for that particular class.
Resources
For more information about the world of reining.
National Reining Horse Association
Reiner Stuff
Reiners World
Left Anything Out?
Please feel free to comment about what we might have missed in the reining category & stay tuned for more to come. Be sure to check out more terminology from the horse world.
Horse Artist Interview – Halee VanDevander
Name
Halee VanDevander (formerly Halee Lewis)
Age
Actually, I just turned fourteen yesterday!
Website & Places to find my art online
Deviant Art: Green Horse Arts
Where I am
Nevada
Tell us a little about you, what is your background & where do you come
from?
I was born in California near Napa Valley, growing up in a lush forested area where there was no shortage of horses. Though I rode at every chance I could, it wasn’t until I was ten that I got the chance to be up close on a constant basis. At eleven, I moved away to wild horse country with a new family member, a dad (stepdad) to love.
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Horse Jobs – Racetrack Gate Crew
Image from d2digital
The races can’t happen without a good gate crew to get the horses lined up properly. This is a job that allows people a great deal of contact with the animals and a little excitement.
This is a position which benefits from an appreciation for teamwork, the ability to think quickly on your feet and an understanding of equine nature. The crew is responsible for getting high strung animals into a confined space.
A calm demeanor even under stress, attention to detail and a great deal of patience are important characteristics of a good racetrack crew member.
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Natures Greatest Moments – Seahorses
I’ve been going with *something different* all week, so today will be no exception. They aren’t really horses, but they kind of look like them, and they live in the sea.
You’ve probably guessed it by now, they are seahorses, one of natures greatest moments.
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