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Vaulting – Extreme Horse Sports

Click to see VideoWhen it comes to horses there is a wide variety of sports which can easily be dubbed as ‘extreme’. In fact most people I know in the equestrian industry proudly wear their extreme title.

Vaulting

I’ve been riding my whole life and quite frankly it’s enough just to stay in the saddle sometimes so vaulting simply confounds me. It’s quite artistic and clearly requires about 30 hours of practice a day – where do they find the time? Instead of just one video today I thought I’d share a few, each one providing a glimpse into the interesting world of vaulting.
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Lady Godiva

Lady Godiva - Edmund Blair Leighton
Most of us have heard of Lady Godiva, (she’s the lady who rode naked to protest taxes, right?) however I’m willing to bet many people don’t know the whole story. There is some amazing art that I wanted to share depicting this character, so I did a little digging to get the whole story.
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Horse Breeds From India

India FlagIt’s Friday and a good day to visit another exotic location and learn about the unique horse breeds it’s given rise to. Looking at each breed in the context of their origins is an interesting ride, today a peek at the breeds from India.

Award For Most Unique

India is a huge country with incredibly varied geographical terrain. For such a large country, there aren’t a lot of breeds. However I’m willing to bet I’m missing a few (and my information is shaky on many of them if anyone can help). I do know that this country is home to some of the most unique equine ears on the planet, the Kathiawari and the Marwari are both known (& prized) for their inwardly curved ears.
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The Mighty Lipizzan

Click to see VideoToday’s video is an amazing look at the beautiful Lipizzan horse, a breed that has survived against almost all odds & perhaps the foundation for the unicorn myth itself.

A Noble Beast

The video features Lipizzan stallion KL-Siglavy Rigoletta and utilizes specialized lighting & filming equipment for the sole purpose of capturing muscle movement and the deep contrast of white hide against dark arena. The result is rather magical and goes a long way to preserving the mystery of this beautiful breed. Enjoy!
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All in Green My Love Went Riding

Woman in green on a horse

Today’s poetry was written by E.E. Cummings and published in Tulips and Chimneys in 1923. This poem is thought to be an allusion to Chaucer’s The Knights Tale.

All in Green My Love Went Riding

All in green went my love riding
on a great horse of gold
into the silver dawn.

four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
the merry deer ran before.

Fleeter be they than dappled dreams
the swift sweet deer
the red rare deer.

Horn at hip went my love riding
riding the echo down
into the silver dawn.
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Horse Breeds From Hungary

Hungary FlagIt’s Friday and a good day to visit another exotic location and learn about the unique horse breeds it’s given rise to. Looking at each breed in the context of their origins is an interesting ride, today a peek at the breeds from Hungary.

Arabian Influence

There is a huge Arabian influence in the horses of Hungary. If it wasn’t in the breed’s bloodlines, it was probably added for refinement along the way somewhere. In fact, there isn’t a coldblooded horse native to the country and their one draft breed was brought to the area.
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Art in the Yards

Click to see VideoToday’s video is part of a series dedicated to Art in the Yards, a collage project in Darlington, which features a free open air exhibition of public art. This episode happens to share some fantastic horse art.

Free Art

This episode looks at three works of art found in the Clarks & Bucktons Yard. The horse theme piece called ‘Clark’s Stables’, was painted by Alex McDonald and is an ambitious rendition of Stubbs-style horses. He used the yard’s own equestrian history as inspiration for his work.
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Dun Horse Breeds


Many people claim that dun horses are inherently tougher than other colors. While this seems like a far out claim, it isn’t. Some of the oldest horse breeds on the planet are dun so it stands to reason that they are extremely tough animals.

Recognizing Duns

There are several other genetic combinations that can create animals with dun-like coloring. However, there are a few distinguishing characteristics that set the dun apart, they must possess at least one primitive marking – a dorsal stripe from mane to tail. Apart from that they can carry stripes on their forehead, chest, shoulders or legs – but if they don’t have a dorsal stripe they aren’t a dun.
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