Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2025 i Horse Illustrated

Happy (almost) holidays! I hope you’re enjoying some nice fall weather before the cold officially rolls in. Here in California, it’s usually in the form of rain, but sometimes I find myself really missing those snowy days in Kentucky (above). First up, we’ve got a great gift guide full of new and exciting offerings for every horse lover on your list—including yourself! Be sure to flip to pg. 10 for the complete list. To get you through the first cold snap, why not read about about warmer travels? Photojournalist Shawn Hamilton loves to practice her Spanish, and has been on riding excursions in Chile, Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador and Panama (pg. 30). Check them out—one just might be perfect for you. And all of them are warm during U.S. winters!…

The Friesian Horse Association of North America is preparing for a five-day breed extravaganza at their Fall Festival, which will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, November 19-23. Their largest FHANA event ever, the week promises to be chock full of Friesian fun, including a membership meeting, mare shows, and stallion viewing. The event also includes breed inspections, which evaluate the conformation and movement of Friesian horses. The goal is to select those individuals for the inclusion in their registry that best represent the breed ideal; these are the horses people are encouraged to use as breeding stock for breed preservation and improvement. The most exciting event to take place during the Fall Festival is FHANA’s Inaugural Friesian Championship and Open Horse Show. The two-day horse show…

STUD MUFFINS These tasty and nutritious treats are the ultimate reward. The recipe starts with grains like wheat, oats, barely and corn, and then are fortified with flaxseed and other wholesome ingredients to make sure they’re as healthy as they are enjoyable. $4.82-$33.00; chewy.com TABORTON EQUINE BOOKS Explore nearly 1,500 titles for horse lovers! Buy three or more and save 20 percent—perfect for everyone on your list. readriderepeat.com MARE GOODS FANCY HORSES BLANKET Soft and cozy, our throw blanket features signature GG Design with fancy horses in a cheerful design—perfect for adding touch of equestrian flair to your décor. $90.00; maregoods.com COWGIRL MAGIC ULTRA HYDRATING CREAM Fresh, aromatic scent and age-defying properties for the entire body, face, hands and feet. Deeply hydrates to firm skin and fight the appearance of…

It seems every corner of the internet exploded with blanketing controversy over the past several years. What was once barely a thought—just throw a rug on your horse, or don’t—suddenly seemed charged with pseudo-scientific superiority from both sides. Let’s dig deeper into this issue to see if either stance is backed by actual science. REASONS NOT TO BLANKET If you fall in the anti-blanket camp and prefer that your horse go without, there are many good reasons to let your horse go au naturel. ◆ Your horse may simply not need a blanket to stay warm. When a healthy horse grows a normal winter coat, the long hairs stand upright in response to cold temperatures, creating pockets of air that serve as excellent insulation. In many cases, this is all…

Frigid, icy conditions can take a toll on your horse’s body if you don’t prepare and adapt his routine care to the harsh weather. Whether it’s dehydration from frozen-solid water buckets, airway inflammation from poor ventilation in closedoff barns, weight loss due to the lack of grass and burning calories just to stay warm, or joint stiffness and bruised soles from hard, frozen ground—winter comes with its fair share of challenges for horses and the people who care for them. Here’s how you can keep your horse happy, healthy, and trouble-free this winter. THE DEHYDRATION DANGER In freezing conditions, unheated and unattended water buckets can turn to solid ice in a matter of hours, restricting horses’ water intake. Dehydration can occur as a result—a particularly serious concern because it can…

OVERCOMING RIDING FEAR Have you everfound yourself looking forward to going to the barn, but not wanting to ride? While you're on the horse, tension takes over your body and you just don't feel the joy you used to feel while riding? If any of this sounds familiar, keep reading to discover tactics to overcome fear and bring confidence back to your riding at www.horseillustrated.com/overcoming-riding-fear. STAFF PICKS BRINGING BACK KOREAN HORSEBACK ARCHERY In asearch for their roots, South Korean equestrians are reviving the 230-year-old sport of horseback archery. Writer Malene Jensen went to Hwaseong to find out more, and the result was an AHP Equine Media Award-winning article. Read on at www.horseillustrated.com/bringing-back-korean-horseback-archery. WORKING EQUITATION 101 Working equitation is an exciting and rapidly growing equestrian sport. Ifyou think you and your…

No matter what type of riding you do, downward transitions can sometimes get bumpy. Smoothing out this important move feels better for you and your horse in any type of saddle or show ring. In ranch horse pattern classes, namely ranch riding and ranch trail, these transitions are judged as you move from fast to slow and collected gaits. PRACTICE BEING PROMPT While the downward speed shift may not be as enticing to practice as working a gate or going over poles, the speed-shift maneuvers count toward your overall score. Focusing on mastering the moves just may help you score big. “In ranch riding, downward transitions are the hardest by far,” says trainer Justin Nemmers (see “Meet the Trainer,” pg. 37). “To be competitive, you have to get the transition…

equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) has become one of the most commonly diagnosed medical issues in horses today. Let’s take a closer look at the causes and risk factors for gastric ulcers, clinical signs, treatment and management strategies, as well as the latest preventive tools. WHAT ARE EQUINE GASTRIC ULCERS? To understand EGUS, it’s important to know a bit about the normal equine stomach. This relatively small pouch sits just behind the diaphragm at the end of the esophagus. Its function, like in humans, is to hold food immediately after swallowing and start the digestive process by mixing its contents with acid, which breaks down the meal. The stomach secretes acid from specialized cells along its inner lining. However, not all stomach cells make acid. A horse’s stomach is divided…

In Hoof Beats, William Taylor reveals unprecedented findings about the role horses have played in history, thanks to his archeological research. How did this native Montanan find himself in Mongolia, studying ancient sites, for the last 15 years? Taylor’s grandfather was a cowboy, and his dad grew up in the ranching world. Taylor is now an assistant professor and curator of archeology at the University of Colorado-Boulder, a National Geographic explorer, and a Fulbright scholar. As Taylor got into archeological studies, he was often based in places like the Eurasian steppes and the Silk Road of Asia. About nine years ago, he decided to take some of the research techniques he has acquired and apply them to understanding the archeological story of the Americas. While doing this, he found himself…

Think about what your horse looks like when he’s outdoors living the most natural life you can offer him. For a large portion of the day and night, he has his head down, eating grass. He could easily spend 12 hours or more per day with his head in the grazing position. Now, consider a horse being fed supplemental grain or hay inside a stall. Without a second thought, we install hay racks, hay bags, feeders, and hanging buckets. When we feed our horses anything that isn’t pasture, we often do so in a way that causes them to eat with their heads in an elevated position much of the time. So, is it worth re-thinking your feeding setup? BENEFITS OF FEEDING FROM THE GROUND Given the natural state of…

Leading may be one of the most basic things you can do with your horse, but there are a surprising number of ways to do it wrong! Horse trainer and Fort Worth 2022 Extreme Mustang Makeover Champion Camille White states that learning how to teach a horse to lead respectfully is essential when it comes to both horse and human safety. Although there are a variety of preferences when it comes to leading, in general, she wants a horse to match her pace and look to her for instruction on direction, speed and when to start and stop moving. White says there are three common problems encountered when leading a horse—and each can be fixed following the steps below with accuracy and consistency. COMMON PROBLEM 1: THE HORSE LEADS THE…

As horse lovers, we know that our relationship with equines is life-changing. But for millennia, horses have played a vital role in civilization. Just what kind of impact have they had? According to William Taylor, an archeologist and the author of Hoof Beats: How Horses Shaped Human History, horses have been part of our story from the earliest of days, helping humans feed our families, acquire power, and travel. THE FOUR HOOF BEATS Taylor segmented his book into four “hoof beats” that represent key points in the history of horses and humans. The first is “Horses and People,” which starts with the first connection: humans hunting horses for food, clothing and other items. “Horses are actually the oldest animal that we have direct evidence of a hunting relationship with people,”…

There’s something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” Cowboys, equine-assisted therapists, and horse lovers around the world all know exactly what this means. But what if I told you that corporate executives do as well? Horses are incredible teachers for both company leaders and teams. Equine-partnered coaching is a form of experiential education that is solution-focused and gaining attention in the professional development space. Traditionally, companies have been known to celebrate and build rapport among their employees by taking them to off-site celebrations at restaurants, bowling alleys, ropes courses, spas, golf courses, and escape rooms. Now, ranches and barns are included among these team-building retreats. LESSONS FOR THE WORKPLACE We often think of a work horse as an equine that plows…