Local Heroes for the Tennessee Walking Horse

I stick to talking about horses here and rant elsewhere, with friends, about politics, economics and what’s happening to writing and to journalism. This is one post where the both interests intersect. We all know about the decline of journalism thanks to the free content we’re all addicted to reading online: good reporting requires cash …

Something Rotten in the State of Tennessee

Since ABC News exposed the horrific practices of sections of the Tennessee Walking Horse community to the eyes of America, things have begun to move. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners have called for an investigation. Pepsi dropped their sponsorship of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, and it …

Someone Trying to Stop the Abuse of Horses? Time to Invoke the US Constitution!

A leading Tennessee Walking Horse industry group sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday, contending that the government’s effort to impose minimum penalties for soring and abusing horses is unconstitutional. … SHOW Inc., the Shelbyville-based horse industry organization, filed the lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas in Fort Worth, claiming that the new …

Whole Heap of Little Horse Links

Carol sent me a blogpost about a herd of Arizona horses who have been reclassified from “wild” to “feral” and now face a round up, which some suspect will result in their eventual slaughter. The leader of the band, Champ, was an internet hit last year when he was pictured rescuing a filly from the …

If Wishes Were Horses: Diminutive Dianas

Here’s some Pathé footage of the International Horse Show at Olympia in 1920 (spot the hydrangeas and the standard lamp shades!), the King’s Gold Cup in 1921,  opening day in 1922 (plus side-saddle) and a little showjumping. You can just make out the backdrop of Lowther Castle in this film from 1923. And this – …

Arabs at Aachen

Scenes from the All Nations Cup arab horse show at Aachen, 2011. The man in the straw hat who interposes himself between a horse and a handler is Sven Svensson, the ring master during the class. This show was organised under the auspices of the European Conference of Arab Horse Organizations, whose regulations on showing …

Little Red Riding Hood

Bless. The Guardian has published a selection of photographer Gary Carlton’s images of Yorkshire county shows, including this “wolf”, ridden by Red Riding Hood. If you enjoy the spectacle of the pony fancy dress party, please spend a little time on Jane Badger’s blog, because here, here, here and here you can find some truly …

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow…

I’d heard of horses manes and tails being stolen for rocking horse manufacture, and felt a little sceptical until I learned about the booming market for hair extensions for horses themselves. In the US in particular there’s a growing trend* for some show horses to have tails of My Little Pony proportions that drag behind …