Horseplay Category

The Unexpected Horse

Cloud Horse

Image from onkel_wart

Horse lovers can find horses almost everywhere they look, and luckily some of them carry cameras.

For those of us who have equines on the brain, no place is too strange to see a flagged tail or pounding hooves.

Here are some past posts that reflect the more unusual places to find horses, whether it’s in the sky, in the shadows or right downtown.

Shadow Horses
Graceful Smoke Horses
Horses In The Clouds
Rocking Horses
Urban Horses
Graffiti Horses

Where will those crazy horses end up next?

Pegasus The Winged Horse

PegasusThere are many horses of folklore and mythology, each one glorious in their own right. However there are few more majestic & mysterious than the mighty pegasus.

The winged horse comes from Greek mythology and
played an important part in the lives of the Gods of Olympus.

How It Began

Pegasus was the son of Poseidon & Medusa (oddly enough) he sprang from Medusa’s neck when she was killed by Perseus.

Legend has it that this anytime pegasus struck the ground, a spring was born on that spot.

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Jockeys Up Close & Personal

Jockey

Image from [ raymond ]

Most of us only see jockeys from afar, so when I saw these images I had to share. They provide us with an up close and personal view of athletes many of us know very little about.

The photographer did a phenomenal job of capturing emotion in each one of his subjects. Giving us a glimpse into their way of life.
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Barns in HDR

HDR Barn

Image from Jim Boud

There is something warm & familiar about a barn, and the word evokes different images in the minds of every horse lover on the planet. For some that barn contains 100’s of horses and for others only one.

Artistic Vision

Here is a collection of barns as seen through the lens of different photographers. Each one uses the HDR technique to further enhance their vision.
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Alexander The Great & Bucephalus

Alexander the Great CoinThe story of Alexander the Great and Bucephalus is one that every horse lover should know. In fact, The Black Stallion is loosely based on this story of boy taming beast.

The Story Goes Like This…

Philonicus the Thessalian brought Bucephalus to Philip II (Alexander’s father) in the hopes of selling him. But when they went to the field to try him, he reared and bucked and would not have a rider.

Philip wasn’t happy with Philonicus for bringing him such a mount and declared that the horse was unsuitable and useless.
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What is Your Favorite Horse Movie?

The Black StallionMany of you have seen my list of horse movies (there is over 70 of them), and recently I found a few new films to add to the list. As I was updating I realized just how many of them I haven’t seen. I have some serious movie watching ahead of me.

My All-Time Favorite

I have to say my all time favorite will always be The Black Stallion, in fact I watched it recently and still enjoyed it almost as much as I used to as a kid.

So that got me to thinking and I decided to ask my readers what their favorite horse movie is. I’m interested to hear which ones are the most popular among the horse crowd.
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Race Horses in Motion

Horse Racing

Image from Rob Ireton

Although I’m not always in agreement with the racing industry, the excitement of the races is not lost on me. There is something about the bright silks and sense of anticipation and I do have to admit, I get a thrill when the starting bell peals.

Horses in Motion

The equine is an animal of prey, and running is in their nature. Nothing about horse racing is natural, but the beauty of the animal at a full gallop, trot or pace remains.

A Moving Target

So far I’ve covered the motions of rearing, running, playing & bucking, and there are more to come.
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Jumping Horses in Motion

Horse Jumping

Image from Kris Katford

Horses are pretty graceful for such big animals, a powerful stride and strong hind legs both contribute to their grace over fences.

Horses in Motion

The past few weeks I’ve been sharing my collections of horses in motion, giving each type of movement it’s own day to shine.

This week it’s all about jumping, regardless of what they are jumping most horses manage to do it in style. I come from a jumper background and I really appreciate the work (from horse and rider both) it takes to make it through a clear round.

Perpetual Movement

So far I’ve covered the motions of rearing, running, playing & bucking, and there are more to come.

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Smithfield Horse Market & Fair Pt 2

Smithfield Horse Market

Image from admanchester

This is the second part of a two part series (here is part 1) featuring some amazing images of the Smithfield Horse Market & Fair in Dublin, Ireland.

A Monthly Tradition

The market is held on the first Sunday of every month and during that time the market is flooded with horses and those looking to buy and sell them. This monthly spectacle has been a tradition for the last 200 years or so.

Capturing The Moment

The images below do a great job of capturing horses in an urban setting and the obvious excitement that hangs in the air on market days.
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Running Horses in Motion

Horse Running

Image from Arston Collander

There are few things more poetic and perfect than watching a horse run (especially when they are at liberty).

Horses in Motion

I probably say that every horse motion is my favorite, but really, I love watching a horse run the best.

Often I hear people say they wish they could be a bird to see what it feels like to fly. Not me, make me a horse and give me a green field to run in any day.

The Motion Never Ends…

I’ve already visited the motions of rearing, playing & of course bucking, and I’ve got more to come.
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Smithfield Horse Market & Fair

Smithfield Horse Market

Image from *Cathrin*

In doing more research for my urban horse posts I ran across quite a few images of the Smithfield Horse Market & Fair. This is an event held in Dublin, Ireland on the first Sunday of every month right in the city.

Horses in The City

While these images fit right into my urban horse theme, but I decided they deserved a mention of their own.

There are lots of images, all from only a hand full of photographers. But all of them capture the excitement of the event and the stark contrast of horses in a wholly urban environment.
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Pulling Horses in Motion

Horse Pulling

Image from Vladimir Morozov

One thing can be said about horses, they definitely pull their own weight. Pulling is one of the most powerful movements of a horse and these images display an array of pullers.

Horses in Motion

A collection of images dedicated to lovely the movements of horses everywhere. Movement like rearing, playing & of course bucking.

Keep On Moving…

I’m not done yet, it’s amazing how many movements there are in the horses repertoire.
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