My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Who knew electric spurs — which deliver a zap to the horse when a rider pushes a button — were even something you could buy? A while back I posted about “electric jockeys” who use “buzzers” or “machines” to shock their mounts. Now, American show jumper Andy Kocher is accused of using shock spurs on […]
Read MoreThe Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Tribunal found Ali Mohammed Ali Al Hosani guilty of horse abuse on March 7 and has suspended him for six months after it was reported that he hit his horse twice with a water bottle during the Sheikh Mohammed Cup CEI3* 160-kilometer race in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Jan. 4. Remarkably, […]
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A temporary committee charged with an urgent review of the FEI’s endurance rules has had its first in-person meeting at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Wednesday. Of course, this has been a long time in the making. Since 2014 there have been scandals in endurance racing revolving around catastrophic injuries and doping that have persisted. […]
Read MoreNot every ride goes according to plan. I’ve had a few where after I mounted my horse it seemed that nothing went right. My horse wouldn’t listen, I felt I couldn’t ride, and what should have been a pleasurable experience became an exercise in frustration. Funnily enough, it often happens when I most need the […]
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