Electric spurs are the latest scandal in the horse industry. And here is the rationale for patenting the devices according to application filed with the US Patent Office: “In the training of horses and in the competitive riding of horses, such as in rodeos, for example, it frequently is necessary to force a horse to […]
Category Archives: Horses
thoughts on horses human and ridng
Just over a year ago, I wrote a post pointing out that we could all learn a great deal about those who brought their horses to the American Southwest by looking at the DNA of horses running on the Indian reservations in the Southwest. (click here) The Navajo Reservation covers about 25,351 square miles of […]
The Choctaw Princess lay down and died mid-morning on the fourth of June. She had appeared stable and in good shape this spring. The only thing that was really off was that she had been eating plants this spring that she had not touched before. I had wondered why she was eating the mullein down […]
I suppose that one reason I fell into the detailed Great Horse Dispersal post is that I am considering what to do next with the Choctaw Princess. A healthy alert and lovely Choctaw Princess is a wonderful way to start and end my day. I count myself lucky to be able to keep my horse […]
I have been reading ‘The Empire of the Summer Moon’ chronicling the clash between the Calvinist Anglo settlers that began moving into Texas after the Louisiana Purchase and the Comanche who ruthlessly protected their territory from settlers. Gywnne’s book includes 34 pages of footnotes and sources so it is a well-documented report of the times. […]
When I began putting my series on horse training together, I did not realize how revolutionary my basic principles were. But now, mostly because anything people do with their horses can become part of the very public smart phone conversation, the horse industry is coming around to considering the impact that social license has on […]
It is past time for an update on the Choctaw Princess and past few months have been almost as eventful as mine, although in a generally more positive direction. In late July I found out what her previous owner meant when she talked about the mare getting a large and squishy crest on her neck. […]
The Choctaw Princess has been keeping the weeds down and ignoring the fruit trees until just a couple of days ago. Then she decided that the apples were far enough along to be a delectable treat, long before I would consider them even close to ripe. Since the tree had started to drop both apples […]
The argument against the existence of Spanish Colonial horses on public lands is largely based on claiming they are ‘just’ domestic grade horses that have escaped. So here is a quick look at the biomechanics of a few horses from the local Horse Shelter. They are all in need of forever homes, so please pass […]
I have written a series of explanations and acclamations about the wondrous Square Horse. Now I want to make it clear that my image of a healthy population of Colonial Spanish horses and breeders is something like a trampoline. If there is full circle with enough people holding their opinions and enough horses strongly enough, […]
