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Winter 2025

Winter 2025 - Training With Lendon Gray - Getting Deep Into Your Corner From a folding chair in the corner of the arena, two-time U.S. Olympic Dressage veteran Lendon Gray patiently challenged her young D4K clinic riders: “Try and run me over.” The prospect of trampling their mentor blanched the blush from the cheeks of some already nervously forgetting to breathe while trotting the long side of the indoor arena at Riding Right Farm in upstate New York. She repeated, “Run. Me. Over.” It was a light-hearted command, intended to encourage riders to deepen their corners, but no one seemed to have gotten the memo that most horses will go to any lengths not to step on icky humans. Read full article >>

Winter 2025 - Calculating Your Horse’s Winter Hay Needs Colder months are upon us and now is the time to be stocking up on your hay supply for your horses. As the temperatures start to drop below freezing, pasture grasses will begin to reduce their growth and horses will need to rely on other sources of energy to maintain their body temperature. A greater amount of heat is produced through forage utilization because of the higher fiber content. Fiber is utilized through bacterial fermentation within the cecum and large intestine. Significantly more heat is produced in bacterial fiber fermentation than in digestion and absorption of nutrients within the small intestine where grains are broken down. Read full article >>

Winter 2025 - Pony Penning Update: Record-Breaking Foal Numbers Continue It was amazing to see a record-breaking 100 foals born for the 100th anniversary of Pony Penning on Chincoteague Island in July, but the wild island mares say they are not finished yet! On August 15, bay pinto mare, Maezie gave birth to foal #101 - a black pinto colt by island stallion Beach Boy, a Misty descendent! But foal #101 was not the last. Foal #102 was discovered on August 27 in an unusual way. Saltwater cowboy, Hunter Leonard was on a Cowboy Cruise boat, giving a tour for the company he owns when he saw Ace on the shoreline ahead. Read full article >>

Winter 2025 - The Real Cost of Sport Horses in 2025 Anyone in the horse world knows that horses are expensive. But just how expensive can be anyone’s guess. Social media shows one thing, show gossip suggests another, and the reality? Well, like you, we wanted to know what the trends were for 2025. So, we sourced data, scoured sites and social pages, talked to brokers, buyers, and sellers and crunched it all to bring you these hefty, though not scientific, findings for consideration. Read full article >>

October 2025

October 2025 - Easy & Elegant Equestrian Event Recipes to Share When Gloria Austin, founder and philanthropist behind the Equine Heritage Institute, and researcher Mary Chris Foxworthy released A Cookbook for Horse Lovers: Recipes, History and Culture Surrounding Horses and Feeding Their People, it posited how the evolution of cooking was adjacent to our relationship with horses. “The most enjoyable equestrian events,” Austin observed, “[are] all structured around the fellowship of sharing a meal with one’s buddies with similar interests. Horses, of course.” Read full article >>

October 2025 - Sugars in Pastures Fall is here! The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are turning, our horses are feeling good. However, anyone who owns a laminitis-prone horse may dread this season because of the increased risk of laminitis from pasture forages. While the study of laminitis is ongoing, we have learned much that can help us manage our horses. For instance, we know that the horses at greatest risk of pasture-associated laminitis are those with metabolic conditions that affect their insulin levels. Read full article >>

October 2025 - An Emotional Win at Old Salem Adrienne Sternlicht loves her horse. The affection is well-deserved He got a grateful kiss from her after a fault-free first round in the $200,000 Blue Diamond Cup Grand Prix. Then there was another heartfelt smooch after his victorious trip in the jump-off Saturday at Old Salem Farm. “He’s a horse I really believed in from the second I sat on him as an eight-year-old,” she said of Origa V/H Zuid-Pajottenland. (Whatever happened to names like Big Ben and Gem Twist?) Read full article >>

October 2025 - Hobby Horsing Makes Big Strides in America In 2024 -- neither an Olympic year nor during a Triple Crown season -- only one horse sport commanded the editorial attention of the BBC, Chicago Sun Times, Detroit News, Inside Edition-TV, The Times (UK), US Equestrian, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Vogue Italia, and not for all the wrong reasons. Meet hobby horsing, whose creative and competitive appeal has brought young people together worldwide and, instead of breaking banks keeping up with the competition, is breaking all the rules about what it means to be a horse or rider. Read full article >>

October 2025 - Good news from Liz Halliday The Olympic eventer who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fall on cross-country the month after the 2024 Paris Games has made great progress in her recovery. She’s even riding again. Liz Halliday updated her many fans and supporters on social media Tuesday. Here is what she had to say: “I’m still grinding every day in my therapy at the Centre for Neuro Skills in Dallas. Thanks to the dedicated therapists here, I have made significant progress, but it is clear that there is still a long way to go on my road to recovery. This is a slow process,” she reported. Read full article >>

September 2025

September 2025 - 50 Years of Dressage at Devon: A Golden Celebration for the Equestrian Community Some events deserve the title of iconic, and the 50th Anniversary of Kingsview Partners Dressage at Devon (DAD) is one of them. For 50 years, Dressage at Devon has welcomed Olympic riders, devoted fans and rising stars in the Performance and Breed Divisions to the Dixon Oval for a week of elite sport, equestrian education and that unmistakable Chester County charm. From Sept. 23 to 28, the golden anniversary promises to deliver all the tradition you love, with a few new reasons to make the trip, especially if you’re reading this from the tack room or trailer here in the mid-Atlantic. Read full article >>

September 2025 - Record-Breaking 100th Pony Penning Draws Crowds, Milestones, and Miracles The 100th anniversary of Pony Penning is now history — and it may go down as the most memorable yet. The century mark came with a flurry of fitting coincidences: 100 foals born for the 100th year, shattering last year’s record of 97; more than $1 million raised at auction; and the highest-priced buyback foal ever, fetching $100,000. Read full article >>

September 2025 - Iconic Herds of Horses and Burros Stir Imaginations and Controversy The Wild-Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act was passed by Congress in 1971, declaring that these iconic creatures “are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West.” For more than 50 years, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been responsible for protecting wild horses and burros—balancing their health with the health of the landscape where they roam, graze and reproduce. Read full article >>

September 2025 - In Memory of a True Horsewoman The foundation is envisioned as “a pivotal force in nurturing the next generation of equestrians with a core mission to identify and empower aspiring young talents who demonstrate not only exceptional skill, but also a profound commitment to the sport’s highest ideals.” The name of Debbie Haimowitz isn’t engraved on sterling silver trophies, inscribed on Hall of Fame plaques or mentioned in books about equestrian sport. Read full article >>

September 2025 - Mike Plumb on the Counter Canter Eight time Olympian J. Michael Plumb shares step-by-step exercises to build straightness, strength, and agility through the counter canter. J. Michael Plumb has been named to a record eight U.S. Olympic teams, a feat no other athlete can claim. He was named to every Olympic team from 1960 through 1984 (although the US boycott of the 1980 Games denied him the chance to compete). Originally from Syosset, New York, Plumb captained the US Silver Medal Olympic squads in 1964, 1968 and 1972 and rode on the 1976 and 1984 Gold Medal teams. Read full article >>

July/August 2025

July/August 2025 - A Century in the Making: 100th Anniversary of Pony Penning When Virginia’s Chincoteague Ponies cross the Assateague Channel on Wednesday, July 30th it will mark the 100th anniversary of Pony Penning. Crowds from around the world will gather to watch it happen. The annual event began in 1925 after devastating fires destroyed the town of Chincoteague. Realizing a bucket brigade would not keep them safe, 25 men came together to organize the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Their goal was to purchase a 750-gallon pumper truck. To raise funds, the fire company held a carnival that year with a Pony Penning Day. Read full article >>

July/August 2025 - From One of Millions to One in a Million Helping Hundreds Once upon a time Lezlie Hiner was like millions of other youngsters. Crazy about horses, realizing that on more than one occasion, horses kept her out of trouble. Lots of kids grow out of their horse crazes. Others submit to the desire to center their lives around equines—training them, riding them, racing them. But for Hiner, there was more on her radar than being around horses. She was working at racetracks, traveling from state to state as a hotwalker and an assistant trainer. She was tired of always being on the road, and wanted to share the magic of horses with kids whose lives had been scarred by lack of resources, by violence and by thwarted dreams. Read full article >>

July/August 2025 - Hydration is the Key to Cool When horses work—especially in warm weather—their bodies heat up fast. If that heat isn’t released, their core temperature can rise to dangerous levels. Sweating is the horse’s main cooling mechanism, and while it’s effective, it comes at a cost: the loss of water and vital electrolytes like sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Without replacing these, a horse’s performance, comfort, and health are at risk. This is just as true for horses standing in hot trailers for hours as it is for those competing in the ring or on the trail. Read full article >>

May/June 2025

May/June 2025 - Devon Horse Show, “Where Champions Meet” Returns for 129th Year Known as the place “Where Champions Meet,” the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair heralds in its 129th year of world class competition, May 21st to June 1st, 2025, at the historic Devon Show Grounds. The oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed horse show in North America, this year once again brings together elite equestrians from varied disciplines in one extraordinary 12-day event. Hunters, Equitation, Jumpers, Saddlebreds, Roadsters, Carriage Driving and Coaching alike will all have their chance to compete for a spot in the famed winner’s circle in the Dixon Oval. Read full article >>

May/June 2025 - Stable Fire Kills Two Horses in Philadelphia According to published reports, a fire in the morning hours of Thursday, February 20 devastated a stable in the 5800 block of Lindbergh Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia. The fire started shortly after 7:30 a.m. and fire companies had the flames controlled by around 8 a.m. The stable was not registered with the city. After the fire the Pennsylvania SPCA's Animal Law Enforcement team reported it had rescued a total of 12 horses from the property after the fire. Two additional horses, one a yearling, were killed in the blaze. Read full article >>

May/June 2025 - Penn National Veterinarian at Center of Vast Conspiracy “Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.” That is the oath veterinarians take—sort of their version of physicians’ Hippocratic Oath. It hints at all the kind, compassionate and selfless attributes most people routinely associate with veterinarians. Read full article >>

May/June 2025 - Franklin, the Honorary Chincoteague Pony A small colt with a wide white blaze brought together a community of Chincoteague Pony lovers for a good cause, and he wasn’t even a Chincoteague Pony. In early December 2024, a post on the Lebanon Valley Market Facebook page shared an auction listing with the photo of a colt. “Will be at Lebanon Valley Horse Sale on Saturday, December 14,” the ad read. “All horses must go through the sale ring. No selling before. Franklin is a Chincoteague Pony weanling. He is a silver buckskin colt with a bald face who has just started being handled. Read full article >>

March/April 2025

March/April 2025 - Horse World Expo Celebrates 22 Years in Harrisburg, PA with World Class Shopping, Exciting Competitions, Family Entertainment, Top Clinicians & Theatre Equus The world of all things horses returns to the 25-acre climate-controlled Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, PA February 27 to March 2. Horse World Expo, the east coast’s largest and best-attended equestrian expo, features four days of non-stop education, entertainment and shopping. Scores of horses representing a large variety of breeds and types and leading equestrian clinicians and entertainers draw tens of thousands of horse enthusiasts from across the eastern United States and beyond. Read full article >>

March/April 2025 - The Horse Will See You Now Temple Grandin, the renowned author, college professor, Keynote speaker at the 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show and advocate for the humane treatment of animals, believes that animals—especially horses—have the power to transform lives. “Horses can help us to develop a sense of trust, empathy and compassion,” she wrote. Read full article >>

March/April 2025 - Born with Limb Deformities, Chincoteague Colt Finds a Home for Life May 9, 2024 was an unseasonably hot spring day on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. This is the day that 25-year-old mare, ShyAnne gave birth to a beautiful dark bay pinto colt by the stallion Ajax. The colt was a little premature and his legs were not quite right. Slowly, he scrambled to his feet. Read full article >>

March/April 2025 - A Different Cohort for Equi-Therapy: Saly Glassman’s Focus Is First Responders Saly Glassman has been involved with horses for most of her life. Well, some might say that horses have been her life—along with her family, her community involvement and her enormously successful 40-year career at Merrill Lynch. “I was already kind of thinking about what am I going to do? This offer (from her partners) to buy me out really gave me an opportunity to think about what I wanted to do next.” Glassman is the sort of person human resources folks used to call a “self-starter.” Read full article >>

March/April 2025 - Maryland’s $400 Million Plan to Reenergize Racing Takes Shape A historic thoroughbred breeding farm outside Baltimore was selected as the future site of a new year-round training center, part of a $400 million plan to preserve and reenergize horse racing in the state of Maryland. The announcement of the selection of Shamrock Farm by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority late last year, solidified a key component of a sweeping plan to restore the storied Pimlico Racetrack, home to the Preakness Stakes. Read full article >>

Winter 2024/2025

Winter 2024/2025 - ‘Ghost Consulting’, Obfuscation Roil Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association The Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association (PTHA) board president, Robert Hutt, in an August Zoom meeting with PTHA members and directors, expressed frustration and anger about a number of structural and policy issues that he says have thwarted him from fulfilling his responsibilities. Hutt, who is 78, became president in 2023, defeating previous president Sal De Bunda, who held the office for 12 years and was running for a fifth three-year term. Read full article >>

Winter 2024/2025 - Corcoran Survives Flight Changes, Blinding Storm at World Endurance Championships Some horses make a routine trail ride into an intractable contest of wills. If you need to trailer to get to the ride, will he load calmly for the trip to the trail? Or will he stand there, stubbornly, as if planted in concrete, giving the trailer ramp the stink eye?  Will she decide that today is the day when every squirrel will look like Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street? Read full article >>

Winter 2024/2025 - Hot Summer Leads to Expensive Hay “Everyone talks about the weather,” American essayist Charles Dudley Warner said, “but nobody does anything about it.” Indeed. As the summer of 2024 recedes into memory, many people may forget that it was the hottest summer ever recorded in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) history. Read full article >>

Winter 2024/2025 - Jason and Crystal Charles: A Love of Horses Connects Their Family While most kids are still in bed, four-year-old Isla Mae and her sister, eight-year-old Ayla Lyn, are cleaning stalls before school. However, that is not the end of a day’s work. After school, the two sisters perform numerous farm chores and outdoor activities instead of watching television or using electronics. To some this may seem too demanding at such a young age. But both children agree that the least favorite part of their day is going to bed. Read full article >>

Winter 2024/2025 - Big Crowd Turns Up for Chincoteague Fall Roundup On September 20 and 21 the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company held its annual fall roundup at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Auction on Assateague Island in Virginia. The last batch of fall pickup foals from the Pony Penning auction were picked up by their buyers to be transported home. Read full article >>