Tag Archives: equine
Lakefield, Ontario: A Horse Named Bear is How Old?
Twenty-two years ago, I rode a horse named Bear at the Irwin Inn in Lakefield, Ontario. Imagine my surprise when I discovered he was still there. I was in my late 20’s, working my first real job at an urban weekly magazine writing about the good things in life: art, theatre, film, books, and editing […]
Equine Events – Horse People, Mark your Calendars!
Horsetrotting.net has updated the ‘events’ page of the site, so here’s your 2015 list of places to go and horses to see (in Canada) this summer. In the comments sections, let us know what you love (or don’t) about any of these horse events and/or advice you have for other horse-loving globe trotters heading to […]
Lose weight, get in shape, and have fun doing it!
Found this info on another site … Knew there was a reason I’m tired (but elated) after a lesson. Less so after trail riding … But still a good thing! Click this link: Lose weight, get in shape, and have fun doing it!.
Waterloo, Ontario: My First Norwegian Horse and Belly High Snow Drift
Not many trail ride operators offer winter rides, and that’s looptoo bad because there’s two advantages to heading out into the sparkly snow: a one hour ride is long enough because toes start to freeze, and there’s no problem with your horse grabbing bites of grasses. Well, there’s almost no greenery around – my mount, the adorable […]
Amelia Island, Florida: The Great Horse Trilogy – Beach, Carriage and Boat Tours
Amelia Island is the Florida of days gone by – summer homes along the shore, beaches lined with boardwalks and independent restaurants serving up locally-caught grilled shrimp, seafood chowder and fish tacos you take outside and eat at picnic tables under a canopy. This narrow island, 18-miles (29km) long and three miles (4.8km) wide, is in the northern part of Florida, just south of Georgia and a one-half hour drive from the Jacksonville International Airport.
It’s not the kind of place I thought I’d have three different equine experiences.
Hunstville, Ontario: Warm Saddle and Wandering Hooves Cure Winter Blahs
Riding across the snow-covered golf course streaked with cross-country ski tracks astride Static, a Belgian mare apparently crossed with a comfortable couch, is one of the most relaxing things a person can do outside in negative 12 degree Celsius weather. The sun is warming or at least creating the illusion of warmth as the winter trail ride experience at Huntsville, Ontario’s Deerhurst Resort.
Horsetrotting.net: New Year, new resolutions. Right?
Last year at this time I wrote about travel riding aspirations rather than resolutions: dream rides I’d love to take around the world. Well, guess what? I’m still dreaming. None on the list materialized, but I haven’t given up. Somehow, sometime, you’ll read post about the week I spent at a Spanish riding school or […]
North Carolina: Wild, Strong and Free … the horses of the OBX
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 […]
Toronto: Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Bliss… Once Again
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 […]
Ontario: Wake Up in Ottawa … Ride in Wakefield
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 […]
Ontario: Donkey Sanctuary of Canada: visit with an equine from another mother….
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 […]
Riding in Wales and Embracing the Novice Rider in Me
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 […]
Riverdale Farms: Rural Sanctuary in Urban Toronto
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 […]
FEI World Equestrian Games 2014
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 […]
Lana’i: Pineapple Paradise, Spanish Paniolo and Roads (and trails) Less Travelled
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 […]
Texas: Still Remembering San Antonio – this time at the Briscoe Western Art Museum
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 […]
horsetrotting.net events page update!
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/
Horse Museums in the U.S. thanks to equitrekking.com
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/
Part II: Overnight with Bison while riding in Saskatchewan
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 […]
Part I: Horses, Flannel PJs and all the Bannock you can eat in the Saskatchewan Wilderness
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 […]
Global Travel for Horse Lovers 