Tag Archives: horse
Travel Toronto, ON: The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Horse Show… Eventing Finals
Let’s hear it for the girls. Women dominated Saturday night at Toronto’s 96th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Horse Show. November 2, 2018 was the night of both the second round of the Indoor Eventing Championships and The Canadian Show Jumping Finals. First, the Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge 2018: 10 top US and Canadian riders participated […]
Travel Michigan: Step Back in Time in a Horse-drawn Mackinac Island Carriage
‘Downtown,’ essentially Main and Market Streets, Mackinac looks like the film set of a wild west movie but with draft horses pulling multi-seat carts (the $5 shuttle from the ferry terminal to hotels) and no gun-wielding cowboys.
Victorian style carriages pull up in the u-shaped driveway (no need for parking lots) in front of hotels like the Mission Point Resort and individuals who’ve booked private tours around the island – like me – climb aboard.
Toronto: One of a Kind Horse Creations are a Calling … Happy 40th!
Thursday I’m headed to the 40th Annual One of a Kind Spring Show in Toronto, Ontario and guess what that means: I’ve been attending the One of a Kind Spring Show for 40 years. Always running near my birthday, it’s often my present to myself. Or more accurately, anything horse-themed is on my list, […]
A Year of Heroes #6: Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement, Lexington, KY
Old Friends thrives and attracts about 20,000 visitors annually to this non-profit venture designed to provide a quality life to 175 equine who earned millions in prize money racing and even more in stud fees. Tour fees support the running of the farm.
Old Friends – a Kentucky horse rescue – is essentially a living history museum to the North American Thoroughbred Racing industry … history that eats carrots from visitor’s hands.
Travel Amsterdam: High Tea at The Hollandsche Manege – Housing Horses Downtown
Horses aren’t necessarily top of mind when you think Amsterdam. But here I am, in the Netherlands, walking through a European-style subdivision past rows of narrow Brownstone-style contemporary homes looking for a riding stable. Yes, a stable. In a subdivision. I stop and ask a woman pushing a stroller along the sidewalk: “I think I’m […]
Valentines Day Buy a ‘Share’ in a Racehorse and Share the Love, Old Friend
What Better Way to Celebrate Valentines Day? Great Idea! The Old Friends Annual “Share the Love” Horse Share Certificate Sale This Valentine’s Day help share the love for our Old Friends residents with a Share Certificate donation. Now until February 14th, we’re offering our popular, personalized certificates in a special holiday sale. You will receive […]
Travel Nashville: Side-saddle Fashion at Cheekwood and beyond
“It’s all about the gear,” someone said as I shopped for, well … riding clothing at The Royal Winter Fair in Toronto last fall. Granted, I can’t get enough horse embossed hoodies, jackets, coats, bags and boots. There’s something classic about equestrian style and, thanks to the tights-as-pants trend, it’s easy to pull off in […]
A Year of Heros #5: Donkey Sanctuary of Canada
“Ownership is essential,” Lesley Bayne, director of the Donkey Sanctuary of Canada (DSC) says about equine rescue. “We don’t adopt animals out because you never know what happens to them,” she says. The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada located in Puslinch, Ontario about one-hour west of Toronto, does indefinitely foster out several of the donkeys and […]
6 New Equine Products You Should Know About (Thanks SuperZoo!)
A couple nights after Christmas and all through the house, visions of Boxing Week sales are dancing in my head. On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen (assuming these are horses) let’s get to the equine tack shops this week for all the discounts on off season coats, boots, chaps, breeches and more. I’ll […]
Travel Toronto (Part IV): The Royal International Accumulator Show Jumping Challenge
The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair 2017 has wrapped up for another year – but not before I got to experience the most edge-of-your-seat horse jumping competition that (almost) beat Indoor Eventing for white knuckle tension.
On November 9, 2017, McLain Ward of the US won the International Accumulator Show Jumping Challenge at The Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, Ontario.
Travel, Toronto (Part III): Dressage at the Royal Winter Fair 2017
Megan Lane of Collingwood, Ontario left the Royal Thursday night $20,000 richer after she and her 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Caravella won the Dressage Invitation Grand Prix Freestyle Cup – for the second year in a row.
Royal Winter Fair (Part II): Horseware Indoor Eventing Competition Finals
Unlike the sport’s show jumping cousin, Eventing is a little more rock and roll – literally. Rocking loud music plays, the audience is encouraged to cheer while horse and rider compete and commentators talk during the ride.
Travel Toronto (Part I): Amy Millar wins Canadian Show Jumping Competition! #RWF2017
On Saturday, November 4, 2018 Amy Millar won the $100,000 Canadian Show Jumping Championship at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Ontario, for the first time in a two-decade career.
Miniature Horse Showing: Fall Fair Competitions Demystified Part II
What are the judges looking for while kids and adults walk their minis into the ring then stand, for what seems like days, waiting for the announcer call their numbers?
A Year of Heroes #4: Ralphy’s Retreat Animal Sanctuary, Norfolk, ON
Potbellied pigs are smaller than farmed pigs, and really cute as piglets – that’s the image most people see. However, farm pigs can grow up to 1000 pounds. What many people don’t know is potbellied pigs grown on average to 40 to 200 pounds – technically smaller than a pork pig, but often too big for the living room – which is why Ralphy’s Resort and Animal Sanctuary is at capacity.
Horsetrotting’s Top Five Fall (Horse) Fairs in 2017
Giddy Up! It’s Fall Fair Season. And what’s a fall fair without horses? An afternoon at the 163rd Binbrook Fair started my Ontario Fall Fair Tour off last weekend – this year I’ve booked one a weekend and I’m determined to get to each bright and early to catch all the horse shows. (No horse show? […]
A Year of Heroes #3: Dog Tales Rescue and (Horse) Sanctuary
Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary in King City, Ontario, might be the most beautiful horse farm I’ve visited yet. Not the most beautiful rescue facility, the most beautiful farm. The horses rescued here aren’t just lucky to be rescued, they’re very lucky to be rescued here. (Check out our other Year of Heroes rescue post). The […]
When Cavalia comes to town: Journey with Odysseo Horses. Here’s why.
A galloping Palomino plowed into a tumbler knocking him down during the Grand Finale of Cavalia’s Odysseo August 5, 2017, in Mississauga, Ontario. It was a hard reminder that horses are powerful creatures with free will (and fear) that demands respect. Fortuitously, after the first act of Odysseo when nine ‘liberty’ (unsaddled and unbridled) horses […]
War Horse goes to the circus – Circus 1903 in Las Vegas, NV
There’s something charming about classic circus acts. I’d say nostalgic, but nostalgia requires some memory of the original event and the early 20th century predates even me. Everything I know about the classic circus – thick facial hair, puffy trousers, and women in white tights – is through photos, films and now Circus 1903: The […]
Travel Waterloo, ON: Mantracker, heart pounding horse adventure
On the eve of your 50th birthday, do something that scares you. Something that makes your heart beat out of your chest while holding your breath. I did and big surprise, it involved horses. Imagine running on foot through bushes, hiding in tall grass and making a break for it through the woods as oilskin-coat-clad […]
Global Travel for Horse Lovers 