Students who ride primarily on trails often ask me what kinds of exercises they can do to benefit their horses. If they don’t plan to be in an arena anytime soon, does that mean they can’t give their horses the gymnastic and core exercises that optimize their bodies and comfort?

Aldergrove, BC, June 30, 2020 - Horses generate an estimated $784 million dollars in economic activity in British Columbia, and that translates to over $63 million in tax revenue to the province. The 2019 Economic Impact Study conducted by Horse Council BC (HCBC) with funding through Canadian Agricultural Partnership, indicates more than 88 percent of horse owners say they will be either maintaining or increasing their involvement in the industry in the next five years.

2012 Readers' Choice Award Winner - As a National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) millionaire (having surpassed the $1 million rider NRHA lifetime earnings mark), NRHA Futurity Champion, the winner of six American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Championships, and two-time World Equestrian Game (WEG) individual medalist, Duane Latimer is a member of Canada’s reining royalty.

2012 Readers' Choice Award Winner - Why does Hickstead deserve to be recognized as one of Canada’s 10 most remarkable horses and people? “Because,” as Henry Swierenga of Smithville, Ontario, succinctly put it, “he was Hickstead.” The legendary stallion became a Canadian icon in 2008 when, with rider Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, Ontario, he won the Individual Gold and Team Silver medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

2012 Readers' Choice Award Winner - For almost 30 years, Pippa Hodge has been an advocate for the benefits of horses and therapeutic riding for riders with mental and physical disabilities. Originally from England and now living in Langley, BC, Pippa is a paediatric physiotherapist specializing in Clinical Hippotherapy and a founding member of the American Hippotherapy Association, an organization dedicated to educating and promoting excellence in the field of Equine Assisted Therapy.

In this article I will describe the procedure I use to safely mount a horse, and point out some important things to be aware of when mounting and dismounting. Whether you are preparing your young horse for the future or developing good habits with your older horse, there are several key points every horseperson should know.

With the coronavirus pandemic expected to continue for an unspecified length of time, horse industry businesses have been considering how best to reduce the spread of the virus, maintain a healthy environment for staff, horses, and clients, while also operating effectively. In many operations, participants can easily maintain a physical distance of two metres, which provincial and federal governments continue to encourage to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. However, some businesses have shared spaces — for example, tack rooms at boarding facilities — where riders and owners are more likely to touch the same surfaces. As such, riders, trainers, owners, grooms, transporters, professionals, and caregivers who work in the horse industry are struggling to figure out how to operate in these uncertain times.

It is extremely important that your horse respects your space. Any number of situations could arise: the horse moves toward you and steps on your foot or clips your heel, or you go to halter or bridle him and he pulls his head away or pushes it toward you, causing you to lose your balance.

November 17, 2019 was a normal day in Canada. With the show season over, riders, coaches, trainers, and barn owners were settling in for some downtime over winter, and anticipating the upcoming holiday season. They had no idea that, half a world away, a 55-year-old resident in Hubei province, China, had fallen sick with a novel coronavirus.