While the news focus has been on the winner of the Triple Crown, other stories have made the headlines as well. Some of it is good news for a change.
Montreal Bans Carriage Horses
Montreal city council has made a final decision regarding caleche horses. The carriage trade has come under scrutiny after several accidents, fines levied and hundreds of complaints by citizens and tourists about the care and use of the horses. As of December 21, 2019 new regulations will ban carriage horses from the city’s streets. This gives drivers and other employees of the carriage companies time to find new employment and to re-home the horses. Carriage operators claim that the basis for the ban is unfounded. The ban has that backing of the city and the Montreal SPCA.
Volunteers on Standby
Wild horses in the Sandwash Basin in northwest Colorado normally deal with dry conditions. The area is about 250 square miles of arid desert. But this spring, after a particularly dry winter season, wild horse advocates claim the drought conditions have left the horses dangerously without adequate water. Not so says the BLM. If these are wild horses, leave them be. And, the BLM claims that there is water in some areas. They backed up their claim by showing volunteers areas that had spring-fed ponds. Volunteers are still on standby though, ready to truck water in if it’s necessary and if the BLM gives them the go-ahead.
Britain Protects Service Animals
Protection for police horses and other service animals has been reinforced in Britain. With the new law in place, attacking a service animal will be considered an offence. And, you won’t be able to claim self-defence if you harm a service animal.
Too Much Cruelty
So, how many cases of horse abuse can you find when you search horse animal cruelty? Too many. Within the last month there have been at least a dozen situations being investigated and several charges being laid. Starvation and neglect are in too many headlines from Texas, Maryland, and multiple charges have been laid in Ontario where over a dozen horses were found dead, and others in deplorable condition. Also in Ontario, a woman who was investigated in 2016 when charges were dropped, has been charged with 33 new counts of animal abuse, one of which pertain to a horse in her care.
Bitless May Not Be Better
Is using a bitless bridle more humane that using a bit? Maybe not suggests one study done in Germany. The study found that horses experienced the same amount of discomfort whether in a bitless or bitted bridle. There was one exception. Sidepulls with stiff nosebands were the most uncomfortable for the horse. The type of horse wearing the bridle mattered too. Draft horses and ponies seemed to be able to tolerate the discomfort of any bridle with stoicism.
3P *Starring Ruth* has captured two spots on the leaderboard joining * Queen Of Hearts. Starring Ruth is a 17.1 hand Friesian mare out of the PythonPonyPalaces stable and was foaled September 7, 2023. She not only was #1 ranked ho ...
DNA testing can tell you a number of things about a horse’s risk of developing a hereditary disease, coat color, genetic markers for speed, temperament and gait and can give some insight into a horse’s breed. In this video, The Cl ...
Here is a story of how a passion for horses led one woman to a life of secrecy and dishonesty. Over twenty years she built a life of glamor and competitive success. But many people asked how she funded her extravagant lifestyle th ...
One of the world’s rarest breeds is the Suffolk Punch. Native to Britain, these stocky draft horses once had pride of place in agricultural work, hauling artillery, pulling public transportation vehicles like busses and towing bar ...
*V For Victory* is entrenched on the leaderboard and still holds the Best Streak with an 18,792 run and a jumpoff record of 29,444 - 19. But two mares have taken over the Top Rank and Highest Jump records. At 16, the 17-hand Crown ...
Get your daily dose of nature with this 49-minute video of wild horses travelling to a water hole in Sand Wash Basin, a BLM managed area in Colorado. The small herd drinks, grazes and swish's flies in the semi-arid desert environm ...
Halloween is just around the corner and it's time to consider costumes for you and your four-legged friends. A recent viral trend is dressing your pet as a ghost. Some sheets and paint are the basis of this costume, and you can se ...
Good riders do what they can to make their horse’s job easier. Especially when jumping, your position can help or hinder your horse as it adjusts its strides and balance between and over obstacles. Here’s a video with good suggest ...