Stanley is my first camel ride. Ok, he’s not a horse, but he does have hooves and a saddle. Stanley is a laid back dude who spends his days walking in circles guided by a handler at the Granby Zoo in Granby, Quebec (about a one hour drive from Montreal). For an extra $4, visitors […]
Often, there’s a fine line between folklore and fact, and the truth usually lines somewhere in between. According to folklore, 200 years ago many ships carrying majestic Colonial Spanish Mustangs wrecked off the coast of The Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina. The strongest of these equine swam ashore and started the wild horse colony of […]
Some traditions are worth changing. Others, like the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Ontario, should be a fall staple on any horse lover’s activity list. In its 92nd year (can’t wait for the big 100), the Royal is one of the largest indoor country fairs in the world. Not only is it full of vendor […]
How to select the perfect riding holiday? Thanks to Globetrotting.com, a company that specializes in worldwide horse riding holidays and safaris, here is some advice: http://www.globetrotting.com.au/how-to-choose-the-perfect-riding-holiday/
A visit to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, doesn’t usually include horses, unless you’re headed to the RCMP stables where the musical ride practices (though in the summer it’s on tour). Yet, there are a number of riding outlets not far from the city and that’s primarily because Ottawa, situated along the Rideau Canal and […]
Donkeys do not understand pack hierarchies. That’s why they often don’t do well in horse herds, which are dependent on a dominant leader. But that doesn’t stop them from occasionally getting friendly. It might, however, stop them from integrating into other equine herds, and that’s something not a lot of people understand. So, many donkeys end […]
Living in Wales – a country defined by rural rolling hills, coastal sea towns, deep valleys and the birth place of the industrial revolution thanks to rich coal deposits in the valleys – Michael Sullivan promised himself he’d ride a horse before his 80th birthday. There are many horses and ‘pony trekking’ operations all over […]
This public destination has been a not so secret retreat for decades: at 7.5 acres in size, the Riverdale Farm smack in the middle of a dense residential area in downtown Toronto, Ontario (201 Winchester Street), is a rural sanctuary from city chaos. Riverdale is a living farm museum designed to give urbanites big and […]
If you are heading to Normandy, I’m jealous. The FEI World Equestrian games begins tomorrow (Aug 23 to Sept. 7). Check out the details at http://www.normandy2014.com. Eight World Championships take place during the two weeks of this event: Jumping, Eventing, Dressage, Reining, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting, and Para-dressage. At this point, Normandy is full and events […]
The horses’ strides stir up the red rich soil of Lana’i, one of the smallest and least travelled of the Hawaiian Islands. Their hooves rip up the black plastic buried in the ground for weed control in Pineapple orchards decades ago. Visitors in saddles ooh and awe at the panoramic view of the Pacific waters (home […]
I love horses and I love art. I especially love horses in art, as some collage prints hanging on my living room walls (purchased from the annual Toronto Outdoor Art show the first weekend in July) attests. But that’s as far as I put equine and art together until I visited the Briscoe Western Art Museum in […]
Extra, extra, read all about it … the events page on horsetrotting.net has been updated, so you can plan your 2014/2015 equine adventures. Click for event page here: https://horsetrotting.net/equine-events/
Here’s a list of must see horse-related museums around the U.S. from one of my favourite horsey websites. I’ll start a similar list for Canada. In the meantime, I’m noting a few of these, especially the Morgan Farm/Museum in Vermont, which is on my radar this summer: http://www.equitrekking.com/articles/entry/us_guide_horse_museums/
We spot bison, a highlight on this trail ride through Prince Albert National Park thanks to Gord Vaadeland from Sturgeon River Ranch Adventures in Saskatchewan. This is possibly the only one in North America that can claim proximity to these rare and massive creatures that once roamed this region in remarkable numbers. Today the herd in […]
Roughing it in the Canadian wilderness with no running water or toilets is something I refused to do … until someone said the magic word: horses. Last summer, I was presented with the opportunity to ride for two days, three hours per day into the prairie wilderness, boldly going where no motorized vehicles are allowed […]
Tang Emperors, from the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907), were avid horse fanciers who, according to historians, built heated stables for their favourite equines. A lot of their sturdy and well-groomed mounts (useful in battle) were imported from Central Asia and ceramic versions of these revered beasts have been found in many tombs. Many, like this […]
When a fifty-year old man is willing to wear a paper crown and is excited to get front row tickets because his 47-year-old girlfriend wants to see Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament horse show, you know he’s a keeper. And that’s how I spent my birthday this year: cheering on the Blue Night, loving the […]
The tourist trade is the bread and butter of Punta Cana’s economy in the Dominican, and the vacation landscape in this region is changing. Two luxury resorts, where I stayed, are the Paradisus Palma Real, a boutique-style hotel with a Royal Service upgrade, and the newly renovated Paradisus Punta Cana, described as a resort within a […]
One thing I love about riding outside of North American is less worry about liability and more about experience. On a ride in the Dominican, I’m one of the few tourists in jeans and boots astride a western-ridden horse very familiar with the brush we trotting through, though having no interest in following the herd […]
If anyone doubts the growing pet industry’s magnitude – or our justifiable obsession with our fury friends – attend the annual All About Pets Show (and Ontario’s Mane Event) at the Mississauga International Centre near the Toronto airport in Ontario, Canada. Now in its 21st year, and always held on Easter weekend, more than […]
Global Travel for Horse Lovers 