Latest news with #horsebackriding
New York Times
26-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
The Proper Saddle Can Bring Harmony to a Horse and Rider
When people first started riding horses, sometime late in the first millennium B.C., according to archaeologists, they did so bareback. The evidence for this, experts said, is in skeletons unearthed from the Eurasian steppes of ancient horses and riders, whose damaged bones bear the evidence of the lack of shock absorbers. A few centuries later, as cavalry warfare emerged, rudimentary saddles evolved from pads strapped to horses' backs to something more substantial, to keep riders on their mounts in battle, according to the book 'Early Riders: The Beginnings of Mounted Warfare in Asia' by Robert Drews. Today they can be high-tech works of craftsmanship, blending materials like handcrafted leather work and Kevlar struts. But above all, they must fit properly to ensure harmony between horse and rider. For about 30 years, the Society of Master Saddlers, a licensing association based in England, has trained master saddle fitters to do the job. Custom-made saddles can cost about $4,000 or above. Lizzy Freeman, of North Yorkshire, England, is the marketing, media and partnerships coordinator for the society and a registered saddle fitter. She said it takes three years to become a registered saddle fitter and seven before a person can apply to become a master — if a board of the fitter's peers approves. The society has about 300 fitters across the world. She explained what goes into making the perfect match for horse, rider and saddle. The interview has been edited and condensed. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Times of Oman
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
HH Sayyid Ali Al Said seals FEI Endurance World Championship berth in AlUla
MUSCAT: Oman's endurance rider His Highness Sayyid Ali Ghalib al Said secured a slot in the 2026 FEI Endurance World Championship finals which will take place in AlUla city in Saudi Arabia next year following his successful completion of the prestigious Buchen 160km international endurance race in Germany recently. The race, conducted under the supervision of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), was a crucial qualification milestone and a challenging test for elite riders. This marks the second time that HH Sayyid Ali officially qualified for the World Endurance Championship finals and it is showcasing his remarkable presence on the global endurance stage. HH Sayyid Ali completed the six-phase 160 km course which was divided into several segments including 35 km, 25 km, 35 km, 25 km, 20 km, and 20 km in aboard through horse Attila with a timing of 10 hours, 23 minutes, and 20 seconds. The race, which began at 5:30 AM and concluded by 7:20 PM, featured particularly tough weather conditions with temperatures reaching 31°C and it was demanding strategic endurance, heat management and expert horsemanship. The competition included elite riders from nine different countries and this leaded for further underscoring the international competitive intensity of the event. This achievement followed an intensive training camp that spanned several weeks, focusing on both physical and technical preparation for the rider and the horse. The high-level conditioning enabled HH Sayyid Ali to excel in one of the most demanding endurance races of the season. HH Sayyid Ali dedicated this qualification to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and to His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, in recognition of their unwavering support and patronage for equestrian sports and Omani riders. In his remarks following the race, HH Sayyid Ali expressed his deep gratitude to the organising committee, the veterinary and technical teams, and all those who contributed to the success of this journey. He affirmed his commitment to continuing his preparations and representing the Sultanate of Oman with pride and excellence at the 2026 Endurance World Championship Finals.
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Travel + Leisure
14-06-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This 80-mile Horseback Ride Across Idaho's Wild Plains Is the Ultimate Horse Girls' Trip
In front of me were six miles of open plain, distant peaks, blue sky, and a herd of nearly 50 horses thundering through sagebrush and wildflowers, flinging rocks from under their shoes. I held the reins in one hand and used the loose ends to thwap my mare, Honey, to keep her moving. She kicked out as if offended, then abruptly stopped and grabbed a mouthful of grass. I swooped her around and drove her back to the pack with a 'Yeehaw!' On the other side of the herd, my best pal, Victoria, was flying on her paint horse, Axel, and smiling from ear to ear. From Left: Silver Spur riders making camp at Warm Springs, south of the ranch; a decorative bit. Form Left: Carrie Dennis; Silver Spur Ranch We had just begun a three-day, 80-mile horse drive across Idaho, a trip Vic and I had booked impulsively a year and a half earlier. Well before that, the two of us were second-grade friends who held invisible reins while hauling ourselves over brooms balanced between two lawn chairs. Sometime before we turned 10, we started riding real horses and spent summers at our trainer's 15-acre farm in Pennsylvania, waking up at 6 a.m. to haul feed to a dozen horses. It was bliss. So when Vic, who traded our native New York home for Los Angeles more than a decade ago, suggested we reunite for the ultimate horse-girl vacation, I said, 'Let's go.' There are different flavors of horse girls. Some show, some barrel race, some have never ridden a horse but love the works of Marguerite Henry. When we were kids, Vic and I just wanted to choose horses and pretend they had preternatural connections to us and no one else, get crud under our fingernails, and go fast and jump high. Not much has changed, except we both now live in places unfriendly to horses galloping free. We booked the trip through the family-owned Silver Spur Ranch in Dubois, where trout-filled creeks nourish willow trees that moose nibble at all year long. Visitors can also look for antelope, mule deer, and badgers; harder to spot are coyotes. If you're really lucky, you'll see a cougar. Cattle, by law, have the right of way. LT and Lana Tomlinson founded the ranch 30 years ago on a slice of Lana's grandfather's land. Cowboys in the area didn't understand what the couple was building; they were skeptical that anyone would pay to taste their rugged way of life. But the Tomlinsons' vision resonates with guests, who come to ride across a medley of family-owned and public property. Running the show is LT and Lana's son, Dax Tomlinson, and his wife, Kylee, who lead drives with hired guides like Wyoming-born Stetson Curtis, whose name really is Stetson. A rotating cast of grandkids and family friends cook, serve, and strike camp. The herd drives are part ranch tourism, part hands-on horse training. It works like this: vacationers mount experienced horses and then drive dozens of unridden steeds across the terrain, weaving through trees on steep forest paths, to teach the herd to be more surefooted. Some of these novice animals then stay with the ranch; others are sold. For riders, the ability to control a horse is required, and stamina is also crucial: the horses will take you where you need to be without pause, if you let them. You'll be sorry if you don't have the muscle to endure the pace and the fortitude to endure chafed thighs for the sake of fun. Our first day was a six-hour, in-the-saddle orientation to get the 13 of us—almost all women, all weird and wonderfully tough—used to our horses and comfortable in our stirrups. It was also a filter intended to weed out anyone who wouldn't be able to handle hours at a fast trot. (There was one man among us, a bemused trail-riding electrician from Saskatchewan.) To begin, Curtis loaded our tacked horses into a trailer with the help of another ranch hand, Bodie May, who is Dax's cousin. Then the group split up to find the herd horses. I climbed into the truck of a neighbor named Randy Grover. As his weather-beaten hands spun the steering wheel, Grover told us tales about his tractors, named Susie Magoo and Betsy; of a moose who cornered a neighbor on his porch; and local lore about a man dressed in a loincloth who went hunting on an area bison farm. (Later, May told us that Grover has something of a reputation for spinning dubious yarns.) We spent the next three days riding hard, making sure to give the sassy white horse at the head of the pack plenty of space, so she didn't kick out and crush our kneecaps. We camped in sturdy tents, took baths in creeks, and fumbled toward creaky outhouses in the rain. At night, horses brushed against our tent as they grazed. It wasn't exactly roughing it, but it wasn't glamorous either. As Curtis put it, 'We want you safe, but not high-maintenance.' During the day, we would stop at watering holes, tie our mounts to trees, and lunch on pulled-pork sandwiches and Laffy Taffy pulled from our saddlebags. Soon enough, Curtis's all-black border collie, Steve, and a ragamuffin of a dog, Jack, would emerge from the trees to beg for sandwich scraps. During one break, Curtis hopped off his horse and beheaded a rattlesnake with a stroke of his whip. He held up the body with a grin, daring us to squeal. On our final day, I was out in front with Vic and a few other women when the trail crossed an unpaved service road. We inadvertently detoured down the road, a giddy girl gang yipping as we egged the horses on, faster, faster, our little wild herd. We were so distracted by our joy that we pushed beyond the view of the pack of horses we were supposed to lead—the whole point of the trip. That untamed feeling, though, was also the point of the journey. May caught up to us, bellowing above the clamor of hooves for us to turn back. We stopped and spun our steeds around, just a few breathless, giggling horse girls, momentarily lost but free. A version of this story first appeared in the July 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "A Horse Girl Grows Up."
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Dutch Princess Amalia undergoes surgery after breaking arm in horse riding fall
Dutch Princess Amalia poses for the media in The Hague, Netherlands, Friday, June 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, Pool) THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The heir to the Dutch throne, Princess Amalia, was recovering in a hospital Wednesday after undergoing surgery to one of her arms that she broke a day earlier when she fell off her horse, the Royal House announced. The 21-year-old, formally known as the Princess of Orange, sustained the injury on Tuesday and underwent surgery the same evening at the University Medical Center Utrecht hospital, according to a Royal House statement. 'The operation went well. She will remain at the UMC Utrecht for monitoring at least until tomorrow,' the statement said. Amalia revealed in a book written about her by a popular Dutch comedian that she is a keen horseback rider. The Associated Press
Associated Press
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Dutch Princess Amalia undergoes surgery after breaking arm in horse riding fall
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The heir to the Dutch throne, Princess Amalia, was recovering in a hospital Wednesday after undergoing surgery to one of her arms that she broke a day earlier when she fell off her horse, the Royal House announced. The 21-year-old, formally known as the Princess of Orange, sustained the injury on Tuesday and underwent surgery the same evening at the University Medical Center Utrecht hospital, according to a Royal House statement. 'The operation went well. She will remain at the UMC Utrecht for monitoring at least until tomorrow,' the statement said. Amalia revealed in a book written about her by a popular Dutch comedian that she is a keen horseback rider.
