December 2021 / January 2022 - It’s All Good News as Work to Ride Breaks Ground on $8 Million Facility Chamounix Equestrian Center occupies just 3.5 acres in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, but its impact stretches far beyond the park’s boundaries. Since its founding in 1994, Chamounix’s iconic Work to Ride program (WTR) has been a lifeline for young people in Philadelphia’s under-resourced communities. Read full article >>
December 2021 / January 2022 - Local Authors Pen Horse Books for Holiday Giving Christmas is around the corner and the shopping has begun. Here are some books for you to consider when searching for gifts for horse-lovers. They are all from authors who live in our coverage area - Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. We hope you find the perfect gift! Read full article >>
December 2021 / January 2022 - Owner of Troubled Riding Stable Charged with Torture of Horses The operator of a long-troubled trail riding and lesson facility in Maryland could get jail time for the starvation deaths of horses in her care. Nichole Reinke, of Sykesville, who ran Misty Manor Riding Stable, was arrested in October and charged with 64 counts of animal cruelty including 11 felony charges of torture. Charging documents filed in Carroll County Circuit Court allege that horses at Reinke’s property were intentionally tortured, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun. Read full article >>
December 2021 / January 2022 - Upstart Beats the Veterans at 2021 Pennsylvania Hunt Cup With two previous winners in the running, an unexpected winner made the 87th running of the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup an exciting race. Sunday, Nov. 7 in Unionville, PA, was a beautiful day for the four-mile race over timber with a purse of $35,000. Five starters went to the post including 2019 and 2020 Hunt Cup winner Mystic Strike and 2018 winner Stand Down. Read full article >>
November 2021 - Rescuer Charged with Cruelty Gets Seven Years’ Probation A former Lancaster County horse rescue operator has been sentenced to seven years’ probation after pleading guilty to 25 counts of animal cruelty involving the death of a foal and the suffering of scores of other animals. Joanna Fleming, 45, who now lives in Fleetwood (Berks County), PA pleaded guilty in October to the charges including five felony charges for aggravated cruelty causing significant bodily injury or death, according to the Pennsylvania SPCA. Read full article >>
November 2021 - Inaugural Maryland 5 Star Victory Goes to Local Boyd Martin and On Cue The packed crowd at the inaugural Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill erupted in cheers as the world’s number one eventer, Great Britain’s Oliver Townend, dropped a show jumping rail to give the win to hometown favorite Boyd Martin and On Cue – by 0.1 point. The three-time Olympian became the first American to win a CCI5*-L since 2008. Read full article >>
November 2021 - Friends to Ride from Delaware to California to Promote Mustang Adoption On a balmy day in late September, two girls mounted their mustangs in Delaware. It was the start of a 12-month, 5,000-mile ride across America, dubbed The Mustang Discovery Ride©. At various stops they’ll attend events set up to promote the Mustang. A film crew will document their hoofprints along the way. Read full article >>
November 2021 - Young American Endurance Team Finishes Fifth in the Netherlands “It takes a village to raise a child.” The African proverb is quoted so often that it sometimes seems cliché. But the meaning behind the proverb is indisputable. It’s nearly impossible for any one child to thrive without guidance, support, affirmation and love. Maybe not a village-full of that support, but enough to inspire them. And children who grow up believing they can achieve their goals turn into remarkable young adults, courageous and determined. Read full article >>
November 2021 - ECRRA is Back in the Arena with a Record-Breaking Event After the pandemic brought horse shows to a near halt, equestrians are finally back in the saddle. In October, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex hosted the East Coast Ranch Riding 2021 Championship in conjunction with the Keystone International Livestock Exposition. Read full article >>
November 2021 - Standardbred Retirement Foundation Launches Program for Companion Adoptions For six years Lori Zeigler boarded her draft cross mare, Willow, while living in Chester County (PA), but she longed for an arrangement where she and her horse could live on the same property. When the opportunity arose to purchase a small farm in neighboring Berks County she jumped on it, investing in a new barn and fencing for her four-acre farmette. Read full article >>
October 2021 - Get Ready for the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill! New Event to Feature World-Class Eventing and So Much More! The inaugural Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill is set to make its spectacular debut, October 14-17 at the newly constructed Fair Hill Special Event Zone in Elkton, Maryland (Cecil County). The Maryland 5 Star is one of only two 5 Star events in the United States, and just the seventh worldwide, joining Eventing’s other elite 5 star events at Badminton and Burghley in England; Luhmuhlen in Germany; Pau in France; Adelaide in Australia and the Kentucky Three-Day Event in the U.S. The event’s prestigious 5 Star (CCI5*) designation is the pinnacle of the Olympic sport of Eventing. Read full article >>
October 2021 - Stronach Group Saves Injured Maryland Racehorses by Footing the Surgery Bill When Boss Life was severely injured during a race at Pimlico in April he was taken back to the barn for evaluation and sent to New Bolton Center for surgery to repair a fractured right leg. Had he suffered this kind of serious injury 18 months ago the five-year-old thoroughbred likely would have been euthanized. But now his owners had a choice. When they decided they didn’t want to cover the cost of the stallion’s surgery, The Stronach Group, which owns Pimlico, stepped in. Read full article >>
October 2021 - From Muncy to Mongolia, an Endurance Rider Chases Thrills “Wherever you go,” Confucius said, “go with all your heart.” Go with courage and an open heart. Go with a willingness to learn and to challenge what you think you know for sure. There are people who go places and look at the world. And then there are those who accept Confucius’ challenge and go with all their hearts—embracing the experience and seeing the world. People like Sally Jellison, an endurance rider from Muncy, PA. Read full article >>
October 2021 - Horses Help National IEA Sportsmanship Award Winner John Price Flourish Nearly 700 Interscholastic Equestrian Association riders were eligible for the 2021 National Sportsmanship Award, but first-place went to 18-year-old John Price of Danville, PA. The IEA National Sportsmanship Award is given annually to a student rider, selected from a group of applicants who have earned a Sportsmanship Award that year at a local, regional or zone IEA show. Read full article >>
September 2021 - Dressage at Devon 2021 – It’s On! We’ve all been holding our breath, waiting to see how things will play out. But Dressage at Devon is going ahead in 2021, and will be held September 28 to October 3 at the Devon Horse Show Grounds in Devon, PA. There is something for everyone here – from exciting equine performances, to gourmet food, to more than 60 vendors offering exclusive apparel, fine arts, jewelry and antiques – for equestrians and non-equestrians alike. Take a break and enjoy a full meal or a light snack in The Pub with its closed-circuit coverage of the competition. Read full article >>
September 2021 - Young Pennsylvania Endurance Riders Set to Compete in World Championships “Take care of the horse, and the horse takes care of the rest.” There is a lot of wisdom packed into that tip from champion endurance rider Holly Corcoran, when asked what advice she would give young riders who are thinking about trying long-distance riding. Endurance riding is demanding—physically and emotionally, for both horse and rider. It’s not for the timid or the faint-of-heart. The timed, long-distance rides, over varying terrain require fitness of both horse and rider. Read full article >>
September 2021 - Philadelphia’s Last Carriage Stable May Be Developed. Activists Applaud. The fate of Philadelphia’s last carriage horse company may still be an open question, but the horses appear poised for eviction from their stables. A developer has proposed a mixed-use building on the site of the 76 Carriage Company stables in the Olde Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. According to Rising Real Estate, which first reported the proposal in March, a 6-story building with 110 residential units and commercial space is planned for 1640-48 N. Hancock, the site of the stable where the carriage horses are housed. Read full article >>
September 2021 - Local Veteran Finds Healing Through Horses – and a Career Corey Briggs, a veteran from New Jersey, discovered the healing power of horses through Project Horses for Forces, of Long Valley, NJ. Growing up in Baldwinsville, NY, Corey always thought that being a soldier would be exciting, but he never knew that would be the path he would take. “I remember drawing a picture for my dad when I was about 8 or 9 and it was me as a soldier,” Corey explained. Read full article >>
August 2021 - The Quentin Riding Club Will Be Developed, But Some Equestrian Use Will Remain The Quentin Riding Club, the storied and deeply-loved show grounds in Lebanon County, PA may soon have a new life - one that includes horses. Local developer Louis Hurst, who purchased the 44-acre site for $2.1 million in 2019, told East Coast Equestrian he plans to develop a little more than half the site, while reserving almost 18 acres to build a therapeutic horse center for veterans. Read full article >>
August 2021 - Rescuer Discovers Her Mini Hinny is a Hermaphrodite His name is Hinny and he is a hinny, but he is even more unusual that that. This miniature horse sized cross of a horse stallion and a female donkey is a true hermaphrodite. The opposite of a mule, which is a donkey sire on a horse dam, a hinny is typically smaller than a mule with shorter ears and rounder hooves. “For my birthday I wanted to adopt either a mini or a donkey that needs my help,” Denise Barnes of Grantville, PA said. Read full article >>
August 2021 - Pandemic Sends Horse Prices – and Participation – Soaring It is quiet on a Tuesday afternoon at the Eyler auction stables, but on a Saturday there can be over 90 horses being shown for sale. Buyers are local farmers and horsemen crowding its historic stands, and those clicking in online from all over the country and just down the road. Read full article >>
August 2021 - Riding in College is a Very Attainable Goal for Students For many young equestrians, the absence of horses or riding during college is simply not an option. Luckily for these students, countless colleges and universities on the east coast have their own riding teams, often with barns and riding facilities on or within a short distance of campus. These teams provide students with the opportunity to ride often, typically once a week in practice, and additional days, should the students wish to ride in their free time. Read full article >>
August 2021 - Corcoran, US Team Withdraw from Endurance World Championships Grit. It’s a buzzword, thanks to the work of Angela Duckworth, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and prolific author, writer, podcaster and advocate for children. Her book, Grit, the Power of Passion and Perseverance, was a New York Times best-seller. In her research into what makes some people successful, while others are not, she has identified common traits shared by people with grit. Guess what! It’s not magic! Read full article >>
July 2021 - Maryland Trainer Selects a Feral Mule for the Appalachian Trainer Face-Off Trainer, Lacey Mackintosh grew up with horses in her life. Before opening her own training barn in Frederick, MD she graduated from Wilson College with a degree in equine business management and worked in multiple equine settings, including at the racetrack, at an eventing barn, at Days End Horse Rescue, and managing an equine breeding program. Now, after choosing the only mule in the Appalachian Trainer Face-Off (AFTO), she has embarked on a whole new adventure. Read full article >>
July 2021 - Plantation Field is Up and Running – and Jumping – Again Last fall it looked like the end of the line for one of the region’s biggest and most respected horse sport venues. Property owner Cuyler Walker cancelled the lease with event organizers after a controversy erupted over the venue’s name. But while the events and shows will go on at Plantation Field, and the organizers have maintained the name, the governing body of horse sports will refer to its owned events there as “Unionville,” the community where it is located. Read full article >>
July 2021 - A Permanent Home Is on the Horizon for Urban Riders Philadelphia boasts lots of traditions, from cheese steaks to Tastykakes, from the Dad Vail Regatta to the Reading Terminal Market. There is art and music and history—celebrated in world-class museums and concert venues. These traditions in aggregate offer a portrait of a city that is rich in culture, history and whimsy. Read full article >>
July 2021 - The Hill, a One of a Kind Equestrian Facility, Opens in Far Hills, NJ A first of its kind equestrian facility has opened in Far Hills, NJ to allow equestrians to train at the top of the sport while enjoying the amenities of a beautiful property, stunning barn, and unparalleled quality of horse care. The Hill was founded by top hunter/jumper/equitation trainers Michael Dowling and Michael Meyers, along with their close friends Tracy Howe and her husband Peter Kraft. Read full article >>
June 2021 - Packed with the State’s PPE, the Farm Show Complex Plans to Reopen There has been some contentious grumbling in recent weeks about the state of the state’s Farm Show Complex. Lawmakers are anxious to reopen the Complex for shows, exhibits and fairs, but it remains closed, in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Groups that host events at the Complex are anxious to get on with things and put this whole pandemic in the rear-view mirror. Read full article >>
June 2021 - Former Baltimore Mayor Rescues Country’s Oldest Mounted Patrol Just under a year ago, the Baltimore Police Mounted Unit was on the verge of being put out to pasture, its budget axed by the City Council during a contentious debate over the future of police funding. But reports of the demise of the oldest continuously operating mounted police unit in the country were premature. Read full article >>
June 2021 - Renegade River Wins 27th Annual Willowdale Steeplechase Held Sat., May 8, steeplechase racing at Willowdale, in Kennett Square, PA had a different look this year, as Covid-19 restrictions limited crowd sizes and tempered the usual party atmosphere. There were no additional attractions such as terrier races, car show and shopping tents. Spectators were asked to remain with their groups as much as possible, wear masks, and not crowd along the racecourse sideline fence. Read full article >>
June 2021 - My Parents Disapprove of My Horse A year ago I graduated from college, and got my first job, with a paycheck that doesn’t have to be used for school. It has been both liberating and nerve-wracking. But that didn’t stop me from buying a horse…and, as my parents describe it, buying a host of problems. So, this is the first summer that I will be a horse owner! Read full article >>
May 2021 - Local Equestrian Heads for Endurance World Championship in Italy Holly Corcoran was destined to be an endurance rider, even though that destiny took a while to reveal itself. “When I was young, my family showed Morgan horses,” she says. She literally started on horseback as a toddler, and she recalls as a teenager riding her family’s horses for multi-hour trail rides. Read full article >>
May 2021 - EquiFest Will Showcase the Talents of Rescued Horses In 2018, faced with scores of horses to place from one of the largest mass seizures in Maryland history, rescue groups and the Maryland Fund for Horses realized they needed a way to showcase them. So, they created Appyfest, a low-key horse show for the herd of mainly Appaloosas where trainers and the homeless horses were able to demonstrate their progress and meet potential adopters. Read full article >>
May 2021 - ASPCA Dedicates the Month of May to Horses in Need of Homes The ASPCA is promising to make a lot of noise throughout May, all on behalf of adoptable horses living in foster care, on rescue farms and in shelters. The organization’s first-ever Adopt a Horse Month will leverage the full weight of the nation’s first humane society against the stigma and the misconceptions about equine adoption. Read full article >>
May 2021 - Thanks to Benefactors, Gettysburg, PA Adds a Mounted Patrol Steeped in history, the small town of Gettysburg, PA is turning to community-oriented policing, a strategy of policing that focuses on strengthening relationships with residents. The department already utilizes bike patrols, foot patrols and neighborhood beats. Just one community policing component was missing, until someone stepped forward to add that tool -- a mounted patrol. Read full article >>
April 2021 - Team Effort Saves 37 Year Old Horse Mired in Mud When Christine Hajek got the call from the Howard County Fire Department on February 22 that an aged horse was stuck in the mud not too far from her farm in Mt. Airy, she rallied her husband and volunteers and raced to the scene. But these were not simply good-hearted volunteers with work gloves. Hajek, founder of Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue and her husband Jamie are retired firefighters and they brought with them the skills and equipment that would make the difference between life and death for the entrapped horse. Read full article >>
April 2021 - Equine Events Will Benefit from Multi-Million Dollar Farm Show Upgrade The reopening date for the Pennsylvania Farm Show and Expo Center complex is still uncertain, but when it’s deemed safe to return, equine events will benefit from a multi-million renovation. The 90-year-old complex, with its maze of corridors, interlocking buildings, sprawling exhibit spaces and two large arenas, is undergoing a $21 million improvement project scheduled to be completed by the summer. Read full article >>
April 2021 - Light at the End of the Tunnel: Shows, Events Carefully Resume Spring is here! Bluebirds and juncos are flocking to the Northeast, along with supplies of COVID-19 vaccines. The concentrated sunlight is melting snow and ice, and the bitter winds are changing into soft breezes. Sadly, though, the stubborn virus that has ravaged the world is sticking around, continuing to disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. And, as it did last year, the virus is dashing the hopes of equestrians and event sponsors for a more normal season of horse shows, steeplechases and timber races. Read full article >>
April 2021 - Cases of EHM Confirmed in the Region The Equine Disease Communications Center reported in early March that a horse with the neurologic disease EHV-1 was euthanized at New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, PA. Other horses which were potentially exposed were being monitored. New Bolton Center’s clinical hospital operations have not been affected. Read full article >>
March 2021 - By Educating Children, Days End Farm Horse Rescue Hopes to End Cruelty For more than 30 years, Days End Farm Horse Rescue has been working with law enforcement and animal control organizations to provide help to horses suffering from abuse and neglect. To date they have saved more than 2,300 horses. Read full article >>
March 2021 - Kim Walnes Was Talking to Horses Long Before It Was a Thing Kim Walnes pulled her Chevrolet 250-diesel, double-cab truck she calls Wave Dancer up the short hill to Harvest View Stables in Manheim, PA on a bitterly cold, beautiful January day. As she unpacked the supplies she would use for her clinic, which included a bucket of essential oils, it was clear her methods are different. Read full article >>
March 2021 - A Lifeline for the Disabled, the Retreat at Beckleysville Fundraises for an Indoor Arena When Debbie Brodsky talks about The Retreat at Beckleysville, her voice brims with emotion. “It is the most wonderful place, and we are so glad we found it,” she said. Brodsky is one of many parents who speak highly of the Retreat and how therapeutic riding has benefitted their children, all of whom who deal with a myriad of varied disabilities. And now, the nonprofit Retreat is working to raise money for a covered riding arena. Read full article >>
March 2021 - The Right Horse Initiative: Horses Flourish When They Find the Right Person One of the easiest things to do is fall in love with horses. One might even say it’s “as easy as falling off a horse.” But that would be demeaning a truly remarkable human/animal connection. The idea of having a horse of one’s own—a partner for adventures on the trails, a teammate in the show ring, a non-judgmental pal who is always glad to see you. Read full article >>
February 2021 - ‘Game Changer’: Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act Becomes Law Advocates are praising the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) as the most important equine welfare legislation to ever become federal law. The HISA, which is aimed at curbing doping of thoroughbred racehorses and improving track safety, was signed into law by President Trump as part of the COVID-19 Relief Bill on December 27. Read full article >>
February 2021 - What’s Driving USTA Objection to Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act? As 2020 lurched to an end, a hopeful nation looked ahead to a New Year that might deliver something other than death by COVID. Like busy elves in Santa’s workshop, legislators in Washington were wrapping up some business before the dawn of 2021, putting the final touches on little goodies that could be tucked into the major spending bill that would keep the government running. Read full article >>
February 2021 - More Horses Seized from Rescue Charged with Neglect A Lancaster County horse rescue operator is facing more than two dozen animal cruelty charges after humane society police officers returned to her property late last year for a second time in three months and removed 95 animals, including two horses. Read full article >>
February 2021 - PURA Launches; Philadelphia’s Urban Equestrians Look for a Leg Up When she was a child, Erin Brown discovered horses in an unlikely spot: an urban farm in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia. The farm was Fletcher Street Stables, a haven for horses and humans, where kids learned discipline and how to ride and care for horses. Read full article >>
February 2021 - Rutgers University Has the Nation’s Only Student Run Mounted Patrol Many colleges and universities have riding clubs or equestrian teams, but Rutgers University is the only one in the United States to have a student run mounted patrol unit. Historically, the mounted patrol at Rutgers was originally a part of the campus police starting in the 1970s. When the department dropped the patrol, students brought it back as a club, bringing their own horses to use. Read full article >>
December 2020/January 2021 - Out of Tragedy, New Film and Organization Cement the Legacy of the Urban Cowboy Erin Brown’s love of horses has taken her far, but not far from home. She’s a Philly girl, with all the “baggage” Philly girls carry. Proudly. She’s loyal to her friends, kind to horses, not afraid to speak her mind and always ready help others. On top of all that, there’s the movie thing. Concrete Cowboy? Read full article >>
December 2020/January 2021 - Behind Prison Walls, Inmates Learn Skills and Horses Thrive They advertised it as “a horse show like no other,” and it lived up to its billing. Actually, it surpassed its promise and provided an authentic, heartfelt demonstration of horse/human relationships built on trust, respect and the wonder of discovery. Read full article >>
December 2020/January 2021 - From Dark Days to a Bright Future Mark Garner had been on a couple of trail rides as a kid, but he never had a lot of actual, meaningful contact with horses until he arrived at the Central Maryland Correctional Facility (CMCF) in Sykesville. He soon realized that horses could change his life. Read full article >>
December 2020/January 2021 - Horse Books From Regional Authors are Perfect for Holiday Giving For most of us, the Christmas shopping rush has begun. But what do you get for your horse-loving friends and family members? To that we say, you can’t go wrong with a book. We’ve gathered a collection of suggestions – horse books from authors who live in our coverage area - Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. We hope you find, the perfect gift! Read full article >>
December 2020/January 2021 - Virtual Showing Earns a Blue Ribbon During COVID In 2017, a new association called East Coast Ranch Riding Association, or ECRRA, proved itself to meet the needs of equestrians and the growing popular discipline of Ranch Riding in a struggling industry. The association spread from its simple beginning in three states; in just three years it progressed to three regions which included over a dozen states, even hosting the first ever Regional Championship in conjunction with the Keystone International Livestock Exposition, KILE, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in the fall of 2019. Read full article >>
