Interviews & Profiles

The Equestrian Athlete: An Interview with Olympian Gina Smith

Updated:

February 15, 2020

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I had the privilege of interviewing three-time Olympic dressage team member Gina Smith about her views on equestrians as athletes. Smith and her horse Malte were a part of the Olympic dressage team that won bronze in Seoul, Korea in 1988, with team members Cindy Ishoy, Eva-Maria Pracht, and Ashley Nicoll.

Horses in Hollywood Movies

Updated:

February 7, 2020

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Hoofbeats Across the Silver Screen - As anyone who has spent real time with horses knows, they are so often the teachers in this journey through life. “As we strive to learn the best ways to motivate our horses, they motivate us to be the best that we can be,” says retired movie stunt rider and double, Martha Crawford-Cantarini.

Simulating the Horse for Veterinary Education

Updated:

January 22, 2020

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“I used to build props and worked in film and television production, and I had a shop in my garage at home,” says Russ Gray, cofounder of Veterinary Simulator Industries (VSI) in Calgary, Alberta. “My neighbour was the dean for the University of Calgary’s new Veterinary School. He knew that I built weird things, so he asked me if I could build the back end of a cow just to garner some interest for the new school at the agricultural fair in Calgary. He wanted the back end of three cows so that kids could reach up into the rectum and palpate a calf’s head. I contacted my business partner, Bryan Pfahl, and we created them for him. At the time we were doing all kinds of jobs for science centres and things like that during the course of our careers, so we just took it on as another project.”

Soldiers Saddle Up and Find Healing with the RCMP

Updated:

September 30, 2019

Soldier On program for injured soldiers and veterans, horse program for trauma survivors

During their training, soldiers learn to work together as a single unit. Effective communication between individuals is necessary for a team to come together and beat the odds. Riding a horse is no different. To be successful, a rider must put aside their emotions and communicate clearly with their horse through the use of body language and voice commands. The ability to separate from personal problems while working with the horses is a big help to those who have experienced traumatic illness or injury.

Cornell Veterinarians Help Horse Return to Ring After Kissing Spine

Updated:

September 19, 2019

When Wrangler, an 11-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, bolted at a horse show in 2018, owner Anjanette Nicolazzo knew something was amiss. “I was baffled,” Nicolazzo said. “I had ridden him for eight months prior to this, and he had never done anything of the sort. I knew his bolting was a cry for help because it was so out of character for him.”

#MeToo In The Horse Industry

Updated:

July 20, 2019

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He stood there. Distant. Detached. From the centre of the ring, his blue eyes cruised the riders in the equitation hunter class as he called for them to change gait. Yesterday, I would have assessed the gaze of this horse show judge as critically observant of the skills and presentation of the riders.

Canada’s Horse Industry Builders

Updated:

July 8, 2019

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This article shares the careers and stories of extraordinary horse industry builders who blazed new trails and took Canada’s equine industry to new heights, while at the same time motivating and inspiring the next generation of equestrians. Driving the growth and success of Canada’s horse industry are thousands of people who demonstrate an amazing level of skill, talent, dedication, diversity, and vision. This feature profiles just a few of these luminary individuals who have helped place Canada among the very best of the world’s equestrian nations.

Senior Senator’s Triumph

Updated:

July 6, 2019

Steeplechaser senior Senator, Hunt Cup, Vicki Crawford, Penn Vet New Bolton Center, tomography system, equine science breakthrough

April 29, 2017, was a clear, sunny day in Worthington Valley, Maryland, United States. Crowds were gathering as restless Thoroughbreds full of anticipation were being saddled and warmed up for the 121st running of the Maryland Hunt Cup, a steeplechase over solid fences. On the board, 13 horses were listed as entered, but after three scratches, 10 horses lined up.

Back on Top: An Interview with Beth Underhill

Updated:

June 21, 2019

beth underhill at spruce meadows with the canadian show jumping team

Beth Underhill is one of Canada’s best known show jumpers, having competed in over 25 Nations’ Cup competitions as well as multiple Olympic Games, Pan Am Games, and World Equestrian Games. I have distinct childhood memories of sitting in front of the TV cheering her on as she and the black Monopoly flew over the fences at Calgary, Alberta’s Spruce Meadows.

Nova Scotia Rider Jessica McNutt Loses Equine Canada Amateur Status

Updated:

June 10, 2019

Why did Jessica McNutt lose amateur status? Jessica McNutt speaks out against Equestrian Canada, Should Jessica McNutt have accepted money from Dalhousie University?

In 2015, Jessica McNutt, who lives with her family in Truro, Nova Scotia and competes in hunter classes at the amateur level, was approached by Dalhousie University Agriculture Campus to provide volunteer coaching for their equestrian team as their (then) current instructor was no longer available. The school did not want to lose the program and, as a Dalhousie alumnus, McNutt was eager to offer her assistance. She had attended the university for six years, then returned as a distance student to obtain her Masters in Social Work in 2017.