Jacob, a 12-year-old police horse, has been protecting the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida with his partner Officer Jason Hughes since 2009. The handsome stallion has become quite the celebrity in his community, but it isn't just his police work the citizens admire. Jacob is also a talented painter in his spare time! The...
Woman Rescues Horse From Icy Pool Wearing Church Clothes & Heels
Denise Casares of Hopkins County, Kentucky is a former horse trainer. She often cares for her neighbors' horses when they are out of town and has developed a special bond with a handsome chestnut stallion named CD. One Sunday in 2017, CD broke out of his enclosure and fell into a swimming pool when he...
Family Of Murdered Pony Adopts His "Sister"
5-year-old Rylee Brett was inseparable with her family's 25-inch-tall, 80-pound pony, Chicken Nugget. That is, until the early morning hours of November 8, when an unknown person entered the Bretts' Texas ranch and shot Chicken Nugget in the head at close range. Though still in mourning, Rylee and her family have decided to open their hearts...
Little Girl Reads To Her Favorite Horse Every Day Before School
Young Alayna loves riding the horses at her mother, Tera Rae Fauver's stables. Break Away Show Horses in Verona, Virginia offers training programs for riders and features an award-winning show team. When she isn't sitting astride her favorite horse Phantom, Alayna is standing by his side reading him one of her favorite books. In fact, their story...
Study Suggests An 'Emotional Transfer' Between Horses And Humans
It is not uncommon for the heart rates of a loving couple or a parent and child to sync up during intimate moments. Researchers at the Italian University of Pisa Department of Veterinary Sciences designed an experiment to see if this phenomenon also occurs between humans and equines. The preliminary study - which will serve as...
5 Reasons Your Horse May Be Moody & What You Can Do To Help
Much like humans, horses have their mood swings. Some days they are affectionate and eager to work, and other days they seem to wake up with their ears pinned and their teeth grinding! There are several biological and environmental reasons why a horse may be moody, but luckily, there are also a handful of techniques...
"Smiling" Horse Upstages Bride
Patti Womer wanted to find a way to represent her dad in her wedding, even though he passed away in May of last year. She decided to include the first horses they had bought together when she was 8 years old. She rode Cricket down the aisle while leading her dad's horse, Dutch, with an...
The 22 Best Horse Halloween Costumes Of All Time
It's that time of year again! Time for horse Halloween costumes! Every October, equine organizations all over the world hold Halloween-themed shows and events. Some raise money for charity, but most are simply for the sheer love of horses and the fun of dressing up! Some of the best costume ideas are all about partnership....
Neglected Horse Rescued From BC Wildfires Is Still Waiting For His Forever Home
Two draft horses named Poppy and Tony were rescued from a hotspot in Williams Lake, British Columbia this July as wildfires raged. Rescuers from the BC SPCA came across the desperate pair while working behind evacuation lines. It soon became apparent that both horses were in a state of neglect. They were barely able to...
Land Once Planned For Marijuana Grow Becomes Equine Therapy Ranch
Growing marijuana is perfectly legal in California, but that doesn't mean that homeowners want to see it planted in their own backyards. Such was the case when a plot of land just outside Fortuna was purchased by a known grower. Working with county supervisors, community members were able to convince the land owner to sell....
UK Plans New Guidelines To Prevent Horses From Being Injured By "Heavier" Riders
Weight is a growing problem in Britain with 68% of men and 58% of women estimated to be overweight or obese. According to research commissioned by the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) and World Horse Welfare, horses are feeling the burden, and may be at an increased risk for injuries. In response, stables will soon impliment new guidelines to better...
What Killed 25 Wild Horse Foals At A Federal Facility In California?
25 wild horse foals, which were born in captivity at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) corrals in Litchfield, CA, recently passed away. Veterinarians are researching the deaths, and initial test results indicate that the foals died from colitis, which is an inflammation of the colon. Blood and tissue samples have been taken, and results from testing...
Mini Horse Rides Out Of Disaster Zone In A Honda Accord
Important rule to remember when you're a pet owner fleeing a disaster: if it’s not safe for you, it’s not safe for your pets. But what to do when you have three horses and your trailer only fits two? Making two trips wasn’t an option for Lauren Mesaros while fleeing the wildfires closing in on...
Hotel Welcomes Road-Weary Rider AND Her Horse
Any equestrian who has been involved in the competition circuit knows just how exhausting packing, travelling, and competing can be for horses and their humans. Lindsey Partridge and her beloved mare, Here Comes Adri, drove from Ontario, Canada to Lexington, Kentucky in order to compete at the Retired Racehorse Project's annual Thoroughbred Makeover. Partridge arrived at The...
13 Horse Superstitions Perfect For Friday The 13th
It's Friday the 13th! That makes this the perfect time to talk about superstitions. In the past, there were plenty of things in the world that hadn't been explained by science yet, so superstitions were a way for people to feel like they had some sort of control in a world they didn't fully understand....
Rescuer In The Path Of CA Wildfires Refuses To Leave Her 72 Horses Behind
Monica Hardeman is the founder and president of the Equine Rescue Center in Bangor, California. She has devoted her life to rescuing slaughter-bound, neglected, abused and abandoned equines from across the state. On Monday night, the nearby Cascade wildfires spread to LaPorte Road, dangerously close to the ERC sanctuary. Unable to get the 72 horses, 100...
Research Finds That Horses Make Strikingly Similar Facial Expressions To Humans
Scientists have isolated 27 discrete facial movements humans use to communicate, the most of any animal. Recent research conducted by the University of Sussex has found that horses use an impressive 17 distinct movements - one more than dogs and four more than primates. The study authors hope that their findings can help humans better understand the emotional...
Innovative New Horse Shoes Help Prevent Hoof & Leg Injuries
Doesn't it seem a bit strange that our horses have essentially been wearing the same clunky metal shoes since Roman times? Research has shown that although hooves are rigid, they are capable of a much wider range of movement than traditional iron horseshoes allow. Charly Forstner, a former animal welfare inspector responsible for protecting horses in...
Adorable Mini Donkey Escapes His Pen To Visit His Mini Horse BFF
It seems that the equines of the world have two clear messages they want to express to us this week: 1) They don't appreciate being separated from their friends, and 2) There is no enclosure on earth that can keep them from the ones they love. On Sunday, a California horse got stuck in the...
Horse Gets Stuck In Corral Window Attempting "To Be With Companions"
A lovely horse in Ventura County, California found himself in a "sticky" situation one Sunday night when he attempted to climb out the window of his corral to be closer to his pals. The poor guy was trapped with the front half of his body out in the open and the back half inside the...
Meet The Last Budweiser Clydesdale Foal Of The Fall
Whether you're an avid horse lover or you've enjoyed petting a few at local fairs, it seems that no one can resist the big-eyed, leggy adorableness of each new Budweiser Clydesdale foal! Earlier today, the Warm Springs Ranch in Booneville, Missouri introduced their newest family member, named Rave, to the world! The farm, which is...
The #1 Search Engine For Missing Horses Celebrates 20 Years
Harold and Debi Metcalfe of Shelby, North Carolina founded Stolen Horse International in 1997 after their own horse, Idaho was stolen. The couple were reunited with Idaho after a frantic search, but the incident revealed the desperate need for an all equine ID registry. 20 years later, the company also known as NetPosse has become the number...
Stallion Enthusiastically Grooms His New Canine BFF
Alexander Achs' Welsh Corgi, Dezi was a house dog until this summer when she suffered a veterinary emergency. Dezi had surgery to remove a bladder stone and her owners decided that the three-year-old pup should start enjoying "every moment of life." They began bringing her to the stables with them and introduced Dezi to Phoenix,...
Omaha Mounted Police Treat Equine Officer To A Special Retirement "Cake"
After three years with the Omaha Police Department's Mounted Patrol Unit, the time has come for 18-year-old equine officer, Blaze to retire due to chronic problems with his hooves. Instead of walking on harsh concrete, Blaze will spend the rest of his days grazing through soft pastures on his rider, Officer Nathan Waller's family farm...
Mini Horse Goes Shopping To Raise Awareness For Therapeutic Riding Program
Napoleon is one of several specially trained horses from High Horses Therapeutic Riding Center in Sharon, VT. In order to raise awareness about the wonderful work they do for community members with special needs, this handsome Mini headed out on a shopping trip, posting his various activities along the way! Napoleon's first stop was the...
Deputies Rescue 10 Horses & A Dog From Flooded Florida Barn
Deputies from Florida's Highlands County Sheriff's Office and Animal Control Department worked together to rescue 10 horses and a dog trapped in a barn by floodwaters this week. Although Florida is no longer in the terrifying grip of Hurricane Irma, residents and their pets are still feeling her effects. Water levels have risen throughout the state...
Major US City School Board Approves Miniature Horses As Service Animals
The Public School Board of Baltimore, Maryland approved new guidelines regarding the use of service animals in district schools earlier this week. The policy states that students, employees and visitors with disabilities must be permitted access to district property with their service animals - including mini horses “under certain conditions.” While service dogs have become widely...
Florida Roommates Shelter Horses From Hurricane Irma Inside Their Home
Evacuating in anticipation of a hurricane is difficult. Evacuating with pets is even harder. And evacuating with two horses weighing a thousand pounds each is a task unlike any other! Rather than piling their horses Goose and Dixie into trailers and heading north, roommates Georgia Mott and Taittyn Fischer of Okeechobee County, Florida decided to do the...
Pro Athlete Jessi Kopp Helps Save Horses From Texas Flooding
Jessi Kopp is the quarterback for the Houston Energy women's football team - and a hero for horses! Ever since she was a child, Kopp has had a passion for equines. She has raised, trained, showed and competed with her beloved horses all her life, winning multiple World Championship titles along the way. When Hurricane...
Man Is Granted His Dying Wish To Pet A Horse One Last Time
87-year-old Patrick Saunders spent most of his life in the company of horses. He even met his wife of 66 years during a riding lesson! So when hospice workers asked Saunders if there was anything he dreamed of doing before he passed on, his answer came as no surprise. The British-born gentleman asked to pet...
You Can Buy Johnny Depp's Kentucky Horse Farm - If You Have $3 Million
If you love Johnny Depp as much as you love horses, your chance to buy his Kentucky horse farm is coming up soon! The property will be up for public auction on Friday, September 15 at 11 am CST. The auction is being handled by Halfhill Auction Group. The 41-acre property is expected to sell...
Father-Son Duo Become Horseback Heroes For Animals Trapped By Texas Floods
Chance Ward's 17-year-old son Rowdy wrestles a wrought iron fence to free a stranded horse from chest-high flood waters in a video his father shot Monday. Ward cheerfully narrates their heroic adventures and uploads the videos to Facebook where the pair have become instant celebrities. The Wards and several other real-life cowboys have spent the past...
Equine Disaster Relief Fund Is Raising Money For Hoofed Hurricane Victims
Hurricane Harvey decimated parts of Texas this past weekend, but the worst may be yet to come for those in the Houston area. Catastrophic flooding has left countless humans and their pets stranded and at risk. In the midst of one of the country's biggest natural disasters, the United States Equestrian Federation has stepped up...
This Three-Legged "Super Pony" Has A Super Mission Ahead Of Him
This past May, Helping Horses Alabama, an equine rescue organization in Birmingham, located a severely injured mini horse roaming free along a rural highway. They brought him to the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine where it was discovered that he had suffered traumatic amputation of his left hind limb. The horse who would come to be known...
Remarkably Transformed Pony To Compete For Rescued Equine Crown
The upcoming Equifest - East of England Horse Show will feature four very special ponies rescued and rehabilitated by World Horse Welfare. All have made amazing recoveries thanks to the UK-based charity, but none so much as Buggy. The young colt "is now unrecognizable from the listless, emaciated pony he was,” according to a WHW representative....
Retired Police Horse "Cleans House" At His First Show
Murphy is one of several horses retired by the Portland, Oregon Police Bureau’s Mounted Patrol Unit earlier this month when it was officially decommissioned. He has returned to live out his sunset years with his former owners, Randy and Jean Snow. But Murphy is not ready to hang up his saddle just yet. He participated...
Citizens Help Rescue Horses From Blaze At Historic Race Track
Around 6 PM on Wednesday August 23, a fire broke out at the Goshen Historic Track in New York. The flames quickly spread, eventually destroying a barn at the registered historic landmark. All of the 30-plus horses on the property were rescued thanks in part to the actions of nearby community members who dropped what they...
Three-Legged "Super Pony" Survives Wild Dog Attack
In May of 2017, Helping Horses Alabama, an equine rescue organization in Birmingham, located a severely injured mini horse roaming free along a rural highway. They brought him to the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine where it was discovered that he had suffered traumatic amputation of his left hind limb. The horse who would come to...
Foal Gets Special Shoes To Help Him Learn To Walk
Susan and Robert Gilliland describe the newest addition to their family as a "blessing." Chalee's Dream Jet - Jet for short - was born to their beloved mare, Josie in May. Josie underwent surgery at Purdue University's Large Animal Hospital to remove an ovarian tumor four years ago. When she became pregnant at age 18, the...
6 Simple Colic Prevention Tips For Your Horse
Colic is a scary and an all too often deadly occurrence in horses. Luckily, there are precautionary measures you, the serious horse owner, can take towards colic prevention in your horse. RSB Animal Health and Joanie Johnston, founder and product creator of Nose-It! Pet, Nose-It! Equine and Nose-It! Zoo, shared with us 6 tips to...