It was a lovely Indian summer day on the plains when I mounted Birdie. As usual, the gallant pony appeared as eager as I to get on the road. All traces of snow had melted in the warm sun. Fresh from the week off, she galloped across the plain as though she enjoyed it. The first day out was a great pleasure. I yearned for the solitude that allows my thoughts to settle. Riding alone encourages introspection. The rhythmic sound of Birdie’s hoof beats and the puffing of her warm breath sent me into a quiet meditation. Time with my dear desperado had changed me and filled me with unanswered questions. Could I now continue to live without the tender attentions of a loving man as I had done for the first forty years of my life? Would I become incurably bored without society and find a man to be another entrapment? Should I go on with my journey, or should I stop here in the heartbeat of the wild? It is in the interludes between being in company that we talk to ourselves. In the silence we listen to ourselves. In the quietude we find answers.

Read more: Mountain Tour, an Excerpt from Embrace of the Wild by Linda Ballou

by the EIE Editorial Staff

Owning a horse can be a wonderful and life fulfilling experience. For many of us it is a lifelong dream come true. As a child, how many of us would blow out birthday candles fervently wishing for a pony or horse? You’ve decided that now it’s time to move forward and actually purchase a horse of your own.

Taking the plunge can be an intimidating process since for most people, buying a horse is a completely unfamiliar journey.

Learning from other’s mistakes is a great way to prepare for your purchase of a horse. So, what are some of the pitfalls to avoid?

We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 of the most common mistakes novice horse owners make when buying a horse or pony.

Common Mistakes People Make When Buying Their First Horse

1. Buying Sight-Unseen or on the Internet
2. Purchasing a Horse Based Solely on Color
3. Thinking a Free Horse is Really Free
4. Failing to Seek Out Experienced Advice when Purchasing
5. Not Buying a Horse That Fulfills Your Needs
6. Buying from People With No, (or Questionable), Reputations
7. Not Trying the Horse for Yourself
8. Going Blindly into an Auction
9. Buying an Untrained Horse
10. Not Considering Older Horses

1. Buying Sight-Unseen or on the Internet

We are all emotionally touched by the magnificent horses we see online. There are beautiful cinematic videos on the Internet of horses moving gallantly and gracefully, well photographed and compelling. The animal is jumping like a dream, running barrels in record time, or simply galloping free through a picturesque landscape.

Today, virtually everything is available online. It’s perfectly reasonable to think that this should apply to horses as well, but it doesn’t. Horses aren’t commodities. They are individuals, with unique needs and temperaments, and like the foundation of all successful long-term relationships, you must have a strong connection.

A horse only familiar with its previous owner or trainer may perform very differently for a new owner or in a new environment. Meeting the horse in person will allow you to see firsthand what the horse is like, and how the two of you mesh. You would never buy a car without a test drive, so why wouldn’t you take the same precaution for a transaction which is much more personal than buying a car?

Read more: The TOP 10 Mistakes People Make when Buying a Pleasure Horse

“In fact if it weren’t for horses, I probably wouldn’t have gone to college...”

OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - Fourth graders in Marion County are about to get a lesson about the equine industry as they gallop into the fictional world of a boy and his wild black stallion.

Through the Black Stallion Reading Project, elementary students in the north central Florida county are getting what could be their first or only encounter with a horse.

We’re getting a show this morning! Sham is a 5-year-old male black stallion. #BlackStallionReadingProject @MarionCountyK12 @WCJB20 pic.twitter.com/oVwh4S3TjV

— Julia Laude (@JuliaMaeLaude) March 29, 2021

In partnership with the Ocala Horse Alliance, these students will receive a copy of ‘The Black Stallion’ by Walter Farley, and their own ‘tack trunk.’

“It a great way to engage students in reading and give them exposure to horses and maybe even get them thinking about a career in the horse industry. And not just a book. They’re also going to get a tack trunk that has horse related items in it including sealed bags of hay and sugar cubes,” MCPS School Boar Chair, Nancy Thrower said.

Over the next five years, the Black Stallion Reading Project will allow students to get up close and personal with horses.

Read more: Marion County Public Schools new reading program, students learn about equine industry

OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - Fourth graders in Marion County are about to get a lesson about the equine industry as they gallop into the fictional world of a boy and his wild black stallion.

Through the Black Stallion Reading Project, elementary students in the north central Florida county are getting what could be their first or only encounter with a horse.

We’re getting a show this morning! Sham is a 5-year-old male black stallion. @MarionCountyK12 @WCJB20 pic.twitter.com/oVwh4S3TjV

— Julia Laude (@JuliaMaeLaude) March 29, 2021

In partnership with the Ocala Horse Alliance, these students will receive a copy of ‘The Black Stallion’ by Walter Farley, and their own ‘tack trunk.’

“It a great way to engage students in reading and give them exposure to horses and maybe even get them thinking about a career in the horse industry. And not just a book. They’re also going to get a tack trunk that has horse related items in it including sealed bags of hay and sugar cubes,” MCPS School Boar Chair, Nancy Thrower said.

Over the next five years, the Black Stallion Reading Project will allow students to get up close and personal with horses.

Read more: “In fact if it weren’t for horses, I probably wouldn’t have gone to college” : MCPS launches new...

by Laura Hesse

The golden palomino standing before her with soft brown eyes and a silver mane and tail was drop dead gorgeous… and much too young to be that pregnant! What was a filly like her doing at a slaughter house auction? Would her father let Linda take her home? Times were hard. Could they afford the vet bills for the filly and her unborn foal? There were bound to be many. Find the answer to these questions in this amazing Hallmark style story about love at first sight and the girl who just wouldn’t give up on the filly called Easter, especially when Mother Nature enters into the fray. Inspired by a true story.

The Auction

“Dad,” Linda McCloud asked casually from across the kitchen table, a spoonful of Cheerios in one hand, the bowl on the table in front of her more cereal than milk.

“Yes, Sweet Pea,” Tom McCloud replied. He sighed heavily and put down the Financial Post, a dispirited look on his face. Beef prices were still low and showed no sign of getting any better. He folded the paper an extra two times and tossed it in the recycle box by the door: out of sight, out of mind!

“Can I come to the auction with you and Ross today?” his daughter beamed sweetly.

Tom looked up and grinned, his spirits lifting at the sight of the sparkling blue eyes and the earnest face that greeted him. Linda was the image of her mother: blue-grey eyes, shoulder length dirty blond hair and a full moon face. She was the picture of innocence, however cheeky her motive. His heart swelled with pride whenever he looked at her. His daughter never ceased to amaze him and he wasn’t surprised by her question. Tom tried to keep his face stern and sober. He already knew why she wanted to come today, but didn’t let on.

“You don’t think that you’d be bored? Cattle auctions, these days, aren’t much fun,” he said, lifting a mug to his lips. He gulped down the last of the strong coffee and placed the “World’s Greatest Dad” mug down on the table. It had been a Christmas present from his son and daughter a couple of years ago; it was his favorite cup.

“I won’t get in your way. I promise. I’d just like to go, that’s all,” she finished. “You’ve never taken me before and I want to see the bulls. I think it’d be neat!”

Read more: Excerpt from "A Filly Called Easter"

If you are over winter, like me, then here are some tips to stay motivated to ride and work with your horse! 

Many equestrians focus on the care of horses during cold and icy winter months, which leaves little time to rider. If you are fortunate enough to have a full-care facility the chances of riding are much greater. Still, waking up to ice on the ground and freezing temperatures make it difficult to leave the house and spend time exercising outdoors. 

For me, winter has always been the best time to ride. My bodywork clients are quieter because show season is suspended and my pony moves more forward. 

Remember, a longer warm up is not only good for your horse but for you as well. 

Get up, get dressed and get out.

Waking up in the cold and dark makes me want to hide under the covers. Still, I usually put my clothes out the evening before to make things a little easier. Shower, get dressed and ready for the day. The nicer I dress, the nicer I feel. During the time of COVID (ugh) it has been difficult to not wear my pajamas all day every day. Dress for the mood you want, not necessarily the mood you have. Save the pj’s for when you come back from the barn.

I know from experience, the hardest thing to do is make that first step into the biting air. How many of you regret ever going to the barn? Not me. But I do regret NOT going. The first step is the hardest but I always make the effort to at least leave the house. Once I do, it’s a no brainer to go to my favorite place .

Dress Yourself Appropriately

Dressing in layers is ideal. As you exercise you will increase your body temperature and begin to sweat. Make sure you have a moisture-wicking base layer so you don’t lose heat when you do. I work outside and there is a big difference when I come prepared.

Read more: How To Stay Motivated During the Winter

by Judith Martin Woodall

"In my opinion, from a physiological point of view, it would be immeasurably better for women to ride astride. This position, on horse[back] would, I think, render the exercise of much more benefit to women. The circulatory and muscular systems would receive the greater tonic effect from the riding in this symmetrical position.” Dr. Sarah A. French, M.D. ¹

In 1895 most horsemen and women would have answered the question with an emphatic, NO! But Dr. French was among 500 physicians in New York City who responded to an inquiry from Ernst Carl von Gillmann, the head riding master at Dickel's Riding Academy on West Fifty-sixth Street in New York in January of that year. The issue had been roiling for some time and was given added attention later in the year when the British actress, Dorothy Chestie, was arrested on a charge of disturbing the peace while riding astride in Central Park. She was apprehended wearing a knee-length fitted coat that draped across her upper thigh and back over the cantle of the saddle. To complete her habit, she sported a bowler hat, a high-necked white shirt, light-colored bloomers tucked into tall boots, and dark gloves. The actress, who was appearing in the play, The Newest Woman, a comedy satirizing the growing feminism of the era, declared that she always wore bloomers, always rode astride at home in England, and was herself a “new woman.”

Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt was asked to “interpret police duties in such a case.” The Commissioner frequently rode in the park where he could be seen in a top hat and frock coat, the complete opposite of his now prevalent rough rider image. He issued a statement that there was no law against women riding astride, provided they were riding “in a proper manner.” ² Based on existing photos, Chestie was not a polished rider, which may have been a factor in the mountie's decision to arrest her.

Gillmann confessed that he had never given much thought to women riding astride. The riding master found it difficult to obtain dispassionate views on the subject, especially regarding the female anatomy. It was an article of faith among naysayers that women could not ride astride safely because their cushioned derriéres prevented them from sitting deep in the saddle, and their legs from the hip to the knee were shorter and rounder than a man’s, making it difficult to "grip." Even if their thighs were not overly round, as "the weaker sex," they simply hadn't the strength to grip and needed the support of a sidesaddle. One horsewoman observed as late as 1912 that she might accept the "fraudulent notion" that women had insufficient gripping power if it were not for the numbers of men she saw falling off their horses in Central Park on a regular basis.

Read more: A Burning Question In The 1890s – Shall Women Ride Astride?

Take an inspiring look at horses through the lens of equine photographer Shelley Paulson. As you turn the pages of this beautifully illustrated book, you will experience the light and love that surrounds the special relationships we have with these majestic animals. You will also admire images that document the strength and unparalleled beauty of the horse throughout the four seasons, in action and at rest, with their humans, and on the ranch. Paulson also provides a stunning collection of portraits that show horses still living wild and free, untouched by human hands.

As you view Paulson’s storytelling, evocative photographs, you will read numerous stories that provide insight into the horses’ histories, characteristics, and unique personalities. Combining superb images, equestrian facts, and personal stories, this book provides readers young and old with a memorable and intimate look at a cherished part of American―and indeed, worldwide―culture

Read more: Horses: Portraits & Stories by Shelley Paulson

When I first began photographing wild horses, I knew very early on that I wanted to photograph the horses through the changing seasons, to show their character and their interactions through the changing weather and the changing colors and light.

I wanted to capture it all, even the life cycles of these magnificent animals: the tender newborns and their protective parents during the first buds of spring. The folly and growing rebelliousness of teens during the blazing heat of summer. The strength and swagger of maturing horses amidst the brilliant colors of fall. And even the resilience and dignity of the older horses in the crystal light and often brutal storms of winter.

Photographing in the wild requires great patience and readiness, but it’s often the unexpected actions I find intensely rewarding.

I feel at peace in the wilderness among all these wild things. Open spaces, no fences, together amongst the wild horses I feel like an explorer; like the photographer William Henry Jackson [1843-1942] first witnessing the American West through the lens of his view camera.

Read more: Deborah Kalas, The Wild Herd Excerpt