by Heather Wallace

The Longines Masters of New York returned for its second annual event at the Nassau Coliseum, April 25-28, 2019 and was broadcast live on www.EEM.TV and on CBS Sports.

Following in the footsteps of Paris and Hong Kong, New York is the third event in the Longines Masters series held worldwide and reputed to be a luxury equestrian event, bringing socialites and families together in one venue on United States soil.

The Masters One 1.45m event on Thursday, April 25th introduced five-star riders to New York, followed by the Masters Two 1.15m- 1.40m speed event. Day Two was all about speed and considered the fastest class in the world on a 1.50m track designed by Frank Rothenberger. The exciting class resulted in Egyptian Nayel Nassar winning the Longines Speed Challenge on Lucifer V.

The highlight of Day Three was the Riders Masters Cup, a unique team-based event pitting five members from the USA against five European riders in a head-to-head battle. Despite strong rides from McLain Ward and Kristen Vanderveen, teammate Laura Chapot’s mount refused a fence in the first round, resulting in the US riders falling behind in points. As a result, the European team won for the third consecutive year much to the disappointment of local fans cheering on their home riders.

Read more: History is Made at the Second Annual Longines Masters New York

by Susan E. Conley

The majority of equine literature takes great pains right from the get-go to explain the nature of the horse as a herd animal, and that in order to enter into the correct human-horse relationship, we must be the leaders. Many books say that this is where women fall down. Professional relaters from birth, we have no difficulty with the bonding part, the grooming and the treating and the whispering. Where we stumble is in the attitude of power: We want the horse to do what we want the horse to do, but what do we do when the horse won’t do it?

I can be wishy-washy in leadership scenarios. I was, very much so, with a mare called Delilah, albeit in a grumpy, sulky way. I figured that she knew more than I did about this horseback-riding caper, since she was a horse and had been ridden for years, but it wasn’t her job to be the creature ridden and the creature running the ride. Delilah would only do what I told her to do. The whole point of riding is to work with the horse to achieve a goal, not just sit there and hope she does the job for you.

Take Maverick, the fourth horse I was ever to ride in my life. Unlike any of my previous horses, he seemed perfectly content to engage in a power struggle, lesson after lesson after lesson. And I showed up for it every time. Even when I had four horses I could choose from, I routinely went back to him, and I’d be surprised when I found we hadn’t made much progress. This was especially frustrating, because when we had a good hour, it was a really good hour.

Read more: Power Struggle, An Excerpt from the Memoir Many Brave Fools

by John Wilkinson

There are but three Constitutional requirements to become President of these United States: must be a natural born citizen, must have lived in the country for no fewer than 14 years, and must be at least 35 years old. But if history is any indication, you could almost add another: must be able to ride a horse.

Horses are as much a symbol of America as the bald eagle and all-you-can-eat-buffet. Considering more than half the US Presidents relied on horses for everyday conveyance, it’s not surprising to see so many famous photos and paintings featuring the Executive Equine. Getting photographed on a horse is as critical a component to Commander-in-Chief optics as kissing babies and pretending to care about people. After all, if you don’t have command in the saddle, how can we expect you to help command the entire free world?

Read more: Top 10 Presidential Horsemen

A popular urban myth in many countries holds that you can work out how someone died by the attitude of his or her horse in an equestrian statue.

• If one hoof is lifted, the rider sustained serious injuries in battle, possibly dying later.
• If two hooves are raised, he died in battle.
• All four hooves on the ground indicate that the rider was never injured in battle and died by other means.

London contains at least 15 equestrian statues of named individuals. These are summarised below in alphabetical order.

Crosses (XXX) indicate that the statue does not satisfy the legend. Ticks ( √√√) mean that it does.

Albert, Prince Consort (Holborn). One hoof up. Victoria’s husband was an intellectual, not a warrior, and never sustained a battle wound. XXX

Charles I (Charing Cross). One hoof up. He was never wounded in battle, as far as is known. XXX

Read more: Do London's Horse Statues Follow A Hidden Code?

Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood's horse, Bojangles, is adjusting to his new home in Franklin, Tennessee! Check out the beautiful American Paint Horse here!

Retired NHL star Mike Fisher is living out a childhood dream by adding a horse to the family! Mike and wife Carrie Underwood‘s horse is named ‘Bojangles’ and he is beautiful!

“Ever since I was a kid I’ve always wanted horses. Today I got my first! Bojangles is finally home! He’ll have a dancing partner in a couple days,” Fisher shared via Instagram along with a snapshot of his new friend. It appears that Bojangles won’t be the only horse on the family’s new property for long!

Read more: Meet Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood's Horse, Bojangles

There is no greater feeling than riding a beautiful horse out in nature, but sadly this is not always possible. For times where you are unable to ride for one reason or another, there are a few excellent alternative activities which should scratch the itch and allow you to still feel closely connected to horses.

After all, equestrian is a way of life for many people who spend most of their day thinking about their favorite pastime.

If this sounds familiar to you, then you may want to consider any of the following activities if you are not able to ride that day.

1. Watch Horse Films

The great beauty of horses has been a key part of many fantastic films over the years, and this is the perfect activity for a rainy day. There are many different films to consider where horses and horse riding is a major feature of the film - a few good examples include Dreamer, Seabiscuit, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and The Horse Whisperer.

2. Read An Equestrian Book

Similarly, you could find an intriguing equestrian book on Good Reads to get stuck into which might teach you more about your favorite hobby. There are endless options here so you should always be able to find something that takes your fancy.

A few popular choices include Centered Riding, How to Think Like a Horse and Know Better to do Better.

3. Online Betting

Online betting at places like Unibet is another activity that equestrian lovers will find enjoyable as it provides a similar thrill to riding a horse. Not only this, but you may also be able to find horse betting opportunities or virtual horse riding games to try.

Read more: 5 Activities For Horse Lovers When You Can’t Ride

by CD Davidson-Hiers

Cobra was a wild young mustang from Nevada when Tallahassee horse trainer Marsha Hartford-Sapp first met him in 2010. Now, nearly a decade later, he’s the only mustang to ever win the National Horse of the Year award presented by the governing body of equestrian sports, the U.S. Equestrian Federation. It’s a prestigious award, and one that was decided by online voting, open internationally. On Jan. 12, Hartford-Sapp was in West Palm Beach for the USEF awards ceremony. She knew Cobra was one of three horses nominated, but the final results of the voting were kept secret. Hartford-Sapp described it as the Grammy’s for horses.

Read more: A Cinderella story: Local Mustang Wins National Horse of the Year

by Brittany Bevis

Upon entrance to the main dining hall, visitors are greeted by a high arched interior flooded with light, supported by massive wood beams that give the feeling of a grand equestrian estate. As if there were any doubts as to the inspiration behind the design of this property, the vintage saddles, velvet hunt caps, and horse show ribbons that adorn the living spaces confirm a decidedly equestrian vibe.

The newest Balfour Senior Living center in Littleton, Colorado, is the brainchild of AQHA and APHA breeder and amateur exhibitor, Susan Juroe, and her husband, Michael. The planning for this new location began four years ago and is their ninth project to date. Susan and Michael are the co-founders of Balfour Senior Living, a luxury senior housing company they built from the ground up. They strive to provide an experience that cultivates a better quality of life than a traditional retirement home. “We’re passionate about each project we do at Balfour and design it as if we were going to move in ourselves,” Susan says. “We don’t believe that aging means you like plastic furniture covers or bad architecture.”

Read more: Living in the Lap of Equestrian Luxury

by Brock Colyar

Kesha Morse is the first female president of New York City’s Federation of Black Cowboys, which offers rodeos, school visits, and horsemanship training programs for New York City youth. Based in Queens, the groups aims to revive traditions of African-American cowboys in the Old West — and you even might spot them on an eight-hour trek from one end of Brooklyn to the other.

Hoping to raise awareness about its mission, the FBC teamed up with the denim brand Wrangler to produce a short film about the organization’s history. The Cut asked Morse about leading the FBC for the past decade, and what it means to be a cowboy in bustling New York City.

Is there a reason why cowboys wear jeans?

Oh yeah! The material is thicker so that while riding the horse, you don’t get friction on your legs. And then it is just part of the culture. Thank goodness, Wrangler started making stretch jeans. It makes it that much easier when the jeans move with you.

How the heck do you even ride a horse in New York City?

Horses have the right away. They were here before the cars were! We do have to follow the rules of the road, like the red lights, but we ride in the street. The ability to do that is declining more and more, even in Central Park. They’ve reduced the number of horses and carriages there, so as far as being able to do that in New York City, I really don’t see that happening. I don’t see them trading off land to house horses in place of housing.

Read more: How the Heck Do You Ride a Horse in NYC?