Like all mammals, equines have three core needs: food, shelter, and security. In the grasslands of Eurasia, where the modern horse evolved, these needs were met quite differently than they are for most domesticated horses today. A wild horse lives in a herd, travels many miles each day, grazes constantly, and seeks shelter from whatever…
Category: Mounted Combat
English or Western, part II
Last week we looked at the relative merits English and Western saddles. This week we're looking at the much thornier issue of reining style. It's one of the hardest adjustments to make when switching from one type of riding to the other, and proponents of each will often argue fiercely against the other. In dressage,…
English or Western?
I'm often asked why we use English saddles in our Cavaliere program. After all, doesn't the western saddle, with it's high pommel and cantle, better mimic the shape of the medieval jousting saddle? Isn't it easier for beginners to stay secure in the embrace of all that extra leather? The short answer to both these…
Cavaliere 2012
What's up in the next few months in the Mounted Combat Program? Riding & Horsemanship Our next series of Riding & Horsemanship classes begin Sunday January 15th. These classes are for all levels and cover the information needed to progress through our Horsemanship levels, followed by a minimum 30 minute Riding session to help you…
Horsey Holiday Fun
A mixed bag of (sometimes barely) equine related frivolity for you this week: Bronies Seriously? When I heard this interview on Q a couple of weeks ago I had to do a reality check to make sure it wasn't actually April 1st. But apparently there's a sub-culture of twenty-something guys who watch My Little Pony…
New for 2012 - Cavaliere Integrated Training Packages
We're really excited to be able to offer our new Integrated Training Packages for the Cavaliere Program. Starting in January you'll be able to pay a single monthly rate of $120+HST for all your mounted combat training. This includes the monthly Mounted Combat workshop and two Riding & Horsemanship sessions, saving you $60 off the…
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Congratulations to Our New Horsemen & Last Chance for Mounted Combat 2011
Last Sunday six participants in the Riding & Horsemanship series enjoyed the beautiful weather at Red Colt while they proved their prowess at handling and caring for their mounts in assessing Horsemanship 1. Congrats to Alex, Rick, Percy, Moutie, Kat and Tyrel who are now ready to move onto Horsemanship 2. Kat and Moutie also…
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Open wide!
It was dentistry day at Red Colt yesterday. Unlike us, horses have teeth that grow throughout their lives. In the wild equines forage constantly on tough plants, which causes them to wear their molars down. Domesticated horses don't get the same chewing regime and can wear their teeth down unevenly, causing sharp hooks or points…
Test your knowledge
The UK Pony Club has just launched a new 'Pony Prep' website: http://www.ponyprep.org/training.php While it is quite obviously aimed at the younger set, it nonetheless has some good instructional videos and simple quizzes you can take to test your knowledge: especially useful for those assessing Horsemanship level 1 on the 27th. You don't need to…
Are you game?
Excellence takes many forms in the equestrian world. There is the elegance of dressage, the precision of jumping, the savvy of a good cow-horse and the bravery of an eventer. But for breathtaking 'wow' factor it's hard to beat the excitement of Mounted Games and the amazing athleticism of the riders and ponies who play…
Cavaliere Tournament, part the second
Here are but a few of the 300-plus pictures Blake & Chris took on Sunday: The rest will be made available in some easy-viewing format soon. And for those of you who like to keep track of these sorts of things, here are the full results from the tournament. Results.pdf Download this file Note: if…