Winter 2023/2024 - Lancaster City Police Department Will Disband Mounted Unit The Lancaster City Police Bureau will disband its mounted police unit as of Jan. 1. The mounted police unit was established in 1979 and was proposed by former mayor Albert Wohlsen. The unit consists of three full time and one part time officer and three police horses. The horses are draft and draft crosses Angus, Jake and King. They are stabled at Long’s Park in the city and cared for by city staff. Read full article >>
Winter 2023/2024 - Farm’s Goodbye is a Fundraiser for Zimbabwean Therapeutic Riding Program Callie Rae King is a taking a major turn in her career with horses and using that moment to benefit disabled children and rescued horses in Zimbabwe. King’s family farm in Honey Brook, PA has been sold and will be transitioned from a horse farm to food production. King will be continuing her Horse Class online education program, but equine operations at the farm will cease. Read full article >>
Winter 2023/2024 - Older Equestrians Experience Great Rewards: Never Let Age Stop the Passion While Nancy practices as an orthodontist, Denise is a senior director of payroll for a global manufacturing firm. Miles away, Mary retired from Millersville University and volunteers in her community. At the same time, Fran authored a book while facing cancer. All are successful in their own right, treading far separate journeys, juggling careers, family, and challenges. Yet these women share a common ground – a passion for horses. Read full article >>
Winter 2023/2024 - Saving Maryland Racing: Becoming Not-For-Profit is One Possibility The parent company of Maryland’s premier racetracks and the group representing owners and trainers made dueling proposals before a state racetrack authority on how to save the nearly $600 million racing industry, including creating a non-for-profit entity to oversee racing. Read full article >>
October 2023 - The Triathlon of Equestrian Sport Returns for the Third Annual MARS MD 5 Star Back for the third consecutive year and coming off a highly successful second edition, the MARS Maryland 5 Star presented by Brown Advisory returns to the iconic Fair Hill Special Event Zone in Elkton (Cecil County), MD, October 19-22. Read full article >>
October 2023 - Escaped Murderer Puts Chester County Horse Community on Edge Riding is usually a good way to get away from the worrisome issues that fill the news channels, but sometimes danger comes to your own backyard and your barn. In parts of Chester County PA, trailer drivers had to navigate around roadblocks to get to horse shows, trail rides were a potentially dangerous activity and even entering a barn required caution since no one knew where an escaped murderer might be hiding. Read full article >>
October 2023 - Trooper Perillo Cruelty Case Postponed Again Martin Luther King, Jr. frequently reminded people that justice doesn’t happen overnight. “The arc of the moral universe is long,” he said. “But it bends toward justice.” The possibility that justice may seem elusive but is not beyond the grasp of courts and plaintiffs and regular people is comforting. Read full article >>
October 2023 - Quentin Riding Club: Little Remains But Memories For almost a century, the Quentin Riding Club was a hub of horse activity. From its start as a hackney breeding farm to its pinnacle as host to some of the largest shows in the east, the name “Quentin” was legend in the horse world. Read full article >>
October 2023 - Organizations Promote Diversity in the Equine Industry Shelly Watts started riding in her pre-teen years, but only because her friend owned horses. “As a daughter of Asian immigrants, I would have never started riding if it wasn’t for my friend Jessica. I remember riding horses and never seeing anyone that looked like me.” Later, when her daughter begged her to ride horses, Shelly was a willing advocate. Read full article >>
September 2023 - Dressage at Devon is Ready to Create Even More Magic for Its 48th Year! As Dressage at Devon prepares for its 48th installment of one of the most beloved dressage shows and USEF Heritage Competitions in the country, the team who reinvents the “magic” of the event each year, has stepped up to the plate in 2023 to offer one of their most exciting, action-packed events to date. Read full article >>
September 2023 - New Northeast Endurance Organization Plans FEI Fair Hill Ride for 2024 Endurance. For some, the word conjures up the fortitude required to achieve an extraordinary feat, such as running a marathon. For others, endurance is what was required of them during a root canal. For Holly Corcoran of Stroudsburg, PA, endurance is a hundred miles or so on horseback, enjoying quality time with a superbly trained horse. Read full article >>
September 2023 - So Much More Than Just a Horse Show, Dressage at Devon Offers Something for Everyone! Event listings for the 2023 Dressage at Devon Horse Show Read full article >>
August 2023 - Delays Continue in Trial of Trooper Who Repeatedly Rammed, Killed Horse in 2021 On December 21, 2021, just before midnight, Pennsylvania State Police were called to respond to a minor traffic accident near the Borough of Oxford, in Chester County. A motorist had hit a horse that was walking along the road. Neither the horse nor the driver of the car was injured. When the State troopers arrived on the scene, the horse was standing on the shoulder of Route 1. Read full article >>
August 2023 - Twin Foals Come as a Surprise to Pennsylvania Dressage Trainer Cara Klothe of Walnutport, PA had a very big surprise on June 14 when her mare Blondie gave birth to twin foals- a colt and a filly. Twins are a rarity in the horse world. Finding out that a mare is carrying twins is not normally good news. The result could be the spontaneous abortion of one or both foals; one foal could die and be reabsorbed or cause complications at birth. In the worst case both foals and the mare could die. Read full article >>
August 2023 - It’s Foal Season on the East Coast, Bringing Joy and Stress Green pastures glisten with morning dew. Mares graze alongside foals that grow tall as summer rolls on. It’s a familiar backdrop for those with breeding mares. In nature, most mares foal in the spring and summer when grass is plentiful and milk production is high. It’s an exciting time for breeders - whether expecting one foal or hundreds – but it can also be stressful. Read full article >>
August 2023 - Innovative Sensor Program Can Predict ‘Trouble Ahead’ for Racehorse “We have a big responsibility to these horses,” Dale Romans explains. He’s not inclined to argue with people who hate horseracing, but Romans, who has been training Thoroughbreds for more than 35 years, isn’t about to apologize for what he does, either. Read full article >>
June/July 2023 - Rite of Passage: Work to Ride Graduates Head to Harvard, North Texas Polo Teams Sitting at a picnic table at Chamounix Equestrian Center on a drizzly Saturday morning, Alyssa Perren talked about her dream of becoming a veterinarian. A barn cat pestered her for attention. The dream, it turns out, revolves around a cat. “My cat—everybody remembers my cat that I had,” she explains. “He had passed away mysteriously. Even the vets didn’t know what was wrong.” She looked over at the student riders in the ring nearby. Read full article >>
June/July 2023 - Reenactors Bring the World of Revolutionary War Dragoons to Life Reenactors bring history to life for the modern world, and some of them do it with horses. The 4th Continental Light Dragoons carefully replicate one of four mounted units that existed during the American Revolutionary War. In the 18th century, dragoons were mounted soldiers, which would later be called cavalry. Read full article >>
June/July 2023 - Museum of Chincoteague Signs Contract to Save the Beebe Ranch After Marguerite Henry’s 1947 book, “Misty of Chincoteague” was released, crowds flocked to the island where two pony-loving siblings brought home a wild pony of their own. In the April issue of East Coast Equestrian, we shared how the iconic Beebe Ranch where Misty was raised was on the market. Read full article >>
June/July 2023 - Caisson Horses Get Vacation to Improve Health and Performance The U.S. Army Caisson Platoon has temporarily suspended operations at Arlington National Cemetery to develop a plan to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of the herd, according to Lauren Mick, media relations chief/ joint task force of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, D.C. Read full article >>
May 2023 - World Class Competition Highlights Devon Horse Show, “Where Champions Meet” Known as the place “Where Champions Meet,” the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair heralds in their 127th year of world class competition, May 25th to June 4th, 2023, at the historic Devon Show Grounds. The oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed horse show in North America, this year once again brings together elite equestrians from varied disciplines in one extraordinary 11-day event. Read full article >>
May 2023 - Special Events and Exhibitions Make the Devon Horse Show Fun for All First Night at Devon, Wednesday, May 24, brings together Devon Horse Show and Country Fair supporters and art enthusiasts for a fun and festive celebration of art, horsemanship, and philanthropy. Partygoers mingle in the company of exhibiting artists and are treated to a special preview of the art showcased in the Art Gallery. All proceeds benefit the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair Foundation. Read full article >>
May 2023 - Don’t Miss These Special Events and Exhibitions at the 2023 Devon Horse Show! Joining the show this year is the Budweiser Clydesdales! Celebrating their 90th Anniversary, these majestic horses and iconic Budweiser wagon appear in the Dixon Oval each evening, Thursday, June 1st through Saturday, June 3rd. Read full article >>
April 2023 - Saving Misty of Chincoteague’s Home – the Beebe Ranch In the children’s book “Misty of Chincoteague,” siblings Paul and Maureen Beebe live out the dream of every horse-crazy kid in America. Now, after 100 years in the Beebe family, the iconic Beebe Ranch is for sale and the Museum of Chincoteague is asking YOU to help them preserve this piece of history, so visitors can come and relive the dream. Read full article >>
April 2023 - Parx Announcer Jessica Paquette is Industry’s First Female There is a new voice at Parx Racing. Jessica Paquette has the distinction of being the country’s first and only full time, year-round, female announcer at a major track. “We are thrilled to welcome Jessica to the Parx family.” said Joe Wilson, Chief Operating Officer for Parx Racing, Bensalem, PA. “The high regard with which she is held in our industry along with a tremendous work ethic makes her the perfect person to usher in this new era for Parx.” Read full article >>
April 2023 - Is the Finish Line for HISA in Sight? A horse is a horse, of course, unless that horse is a racehorse in America. In that case the horse is at the center of an expensive—often heated—debate at the heart of a declining industry. For years a patchwork of regulations has governed the country’s 38 racing jurisdictions. So, racetracks in Pennsylvania and racetracks in West Virginia likely have different standards regarding racetrack safety, pre-race and post-race veterinary examinations of horses, even the types of riding crops jockeys are permitted to use. Read full article >>
April 2023 - Diane Naylor: Dedicated Woman Beyond the Irons In April 1999, Diane Naylor’s husband of over two decades, 63-year-old Irv, took a devastating spill in the Grand National timber race. He had promised her this ride would be his next to last race. The fall left him a quadriplegic. The story of Irv’s remarkable journey is not for the faint at heart. But what would have destroyed and embittered others left neither husband nor wife paralyzed by defeat. Instead, they’ve coursed the obstacle like a jockey determined to win and developed an even deeper passion for life—and most surprisingly, for the equine industry and the sport of steeplechase. Read full article >>
March 2023 - Horse World Expo Celebrates 20 Years with World Class Shopping, Exciting Competitions, Family Entertainment, Top Clinicians & Theatre Equus The world of all things horses returns to the 25-acre climate-controlled Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, PA March 2-5. Horse World Expo, the east coast’s largest and best attended equestrian expo, features four days of non-stop education, entertainment and shopping. Scores of horses of all breeds and types and leading equestrian clinicians and entertainers draw tens of thousands of horse enthusiasts from across the eastern United States and beyond. Read full article >>
March 2023 - Guy McLean: Innate Sense, Gentle Techniques Yield Amazing Results In the movie, The Man from Snowy River, Jack seems to have a magical ability that enables him to speak to horses beyond conventional methods. Indeed, there are equestrians who carry an innate sense through gentle techniques to understand and communicate with horses. One such horseman is Guy McLean. Read full article >>
March 2023 - NRHA Top 20 Professional Matt Palmer Brings It Back to PA A reining pattern, when executed correctly, is nothing short of an artistic dance. A series of maneuvers between rider and horse that implements lead changes, spins, perfectly paced circles, and the anticipated sliding stop in what appears to be effortless. The grace of a skilled rider-horse combination can bring equestrians of any discipline as well as non-horse spectators to a standing ovation, even tears. Professional Matt Palmer is one of the talented reiners who, with strict practice and unconditional drive, performs the dance in the competitive arena. Read full article >>
March 2023 - Trial Date Set for Officer Who Killed Horse On December 21, 2021 a motorist hit a horse that was walking along the shoulder of Route 1 near Avondale, PA. It was almost midnight and there was very little traffic. The motorist was not hurt, and the horse was still standing and walking. The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) dispatched two officers to the scene and within an hour the horse was dead. One police officer, Corporal Michael Perillo, repeatedly rammed the horse with his vehicle, chasing the frightened animal along the road, shooting at it, and finally trapping it under the wheels of the police car. Read full article >>
February 2023 - Pennsylvania Saddlebred Chosen to Appear in Tournament of Roses Parade For a big segment of the population, horses are something they only see on television or possibly in a parade. Each New Year’s Day, horses are the stars as troops of equestrians take part in America’s perennially popular Tournament of Roses Parade, in Pasadena, California. This year, American Saddlebred CH Winsdown Edgecliff of Wentz Stables in Orefield, PA made his appearance on the west coast in the Tournament of Roses Parade. Read full article >>
February 2023 - Chincoteague Island Loses Oldest Stallion, Wild Thing As winter approached Assateague Island, the oldest wild stallion on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge left this world at age 27, without lingering and with his devoted mare, Summer Breeze at his side. In a December 1st post on the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company’s Facebook page, public relations officer and saltwater cowboy Hunter Leonard wrote: “Wild Thing was the oldest pony in our herd and the longest living stallion in quite some time. Read full article >>
February 2023 - Virginia Tech Releases Helmet Ratings; Swedish Researchers Raise Questions Over the past two years, the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab has analyzed over 100 videos of riders falling off horses. Precisely measured the hardness of the sand, dirt, grass, and synthetic surfaces underfoot at equestrian events. Dragged dummy heads and necks and pendulums and other equipment — and boxes and boxes of helmets — out to Virginia Tech’s equestrian facilities to simulate falls. Read full article >>
Winter 2022/2023 - Philadelphia Polo Classic Brings High Goal Polo to the City of Brotherly Love September 24 was a historic day for Philadelphia. It was the culmination of nearly a year of planning, to bring the first Philadelphia Polo Classic and the Sport of Kings to Fairmount Park. There were rows of pristine white tents set against an almost too-blue sky, and beautiful horses and polo-themed cocktails and fancy hats and well-behaved dogs and kids chasing each other around the tents and across the field. Read full article >>
Winter 2022/2023 - Get on the Bus: Tour of Regional Tack Shops Planned A visit to the tack shop is often a necessity, but it is also a fun shopping experience. Now imagine spending the whole day at tack shops and horse themed locations. Bring some friends along or make new ones. Throw in raffle prizes, horse games, and good food and it sounds even better. And to top it all off, you don’t have to drive. Read full article >>
Winter 2022/2023 - Gentle Giants Rescue Receives International Accreditation A Maryland horse rescue has been recognized as this year’s top equine sanctuary worldwide by an international accreditation organization. Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue in Mt. Airy, was named best equine sanctuary of 2022 by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). Read full article >>
Winter 2022/2023 - World #1 Tim Price of New Zealand Captures Second Maryland 5 Star Olympic veterans and first-time 5 Star horses from three countries were the ones to beat for the show jumping finale of the 2022 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory. In the end, World #1 Tim Price (NZL) jumped clear aboard Jean-Louis Stauffer’s 10-year-old Selle Français stallion Coup De Coeur Dudevin to take top honors, with a score of 28.2. Read full article >>
