Grate Expectations - There is a deafening silence when a living legend becomes a legend. The roar of fandom becomes an echo and the anticipation of a show that only they can deliver will never again radiate through the crowd.

Selecting athletes for any team is hard. Selecting athletes for the first Canadian team that a fledgling organization has ever sent to a World Championships is doubly difficult. However, using subjective selection criteria which results in the highest ranked rider being left off the team pretty much guarantees that sport enthusiasts will question the selection process, the organization, and whether they want to be involved in future.

Running a successful horse farm or boarding stable takes more than excellent horsemanship—it also requires strong leadership. Whether you manage a large equine operation or a small private barn, finding dependable employees to handle horse care, lessons, training, and daily barn chores can be one of the biggest challenges. Many horse professionals admit they are more comfortable managing horses than managing people, but the skills needed to lead a team are easier to develop than you might expect. These practical strategies can help you build a stronger, more effective workplace.

Some weather experts consider drought to be any time in which precipitation falls by 25 percent below average. On a horse farm with seasonal hay and pasture production, this requires attention to the amount of snowfall prior to the growing season and to the rain that falls prior to and during the growing season.

Regenerative Land Management Practices - My partner, Patrick, and I — along with our herd of four horses — have spent the past year settling into our five-acre property in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. It’s been a whirlwind of learning and experimentation, from creating a healthier, more natural habitat for our horses to exploring food production, biodiversity, and regenerative land design.

In the summer of 2017, we celebrated Canada’s 150th anniversary with stories of 20 exceptional horses that have reflected our values and fired our national pride. One of those horses was Midnight.

Essentially, a gate is a transition from here to there. It’s a transition from one pasture to another, replicated in competition. Learning to work a gate can be part of your horse’s training transition into a more attentive, patient, and handy partner.

Choosing the right horse fencing is one of the most important decisions when planning or upgrading an equine property. Beyond defining boundaries, fencing represents a significant long-term investment that influences horse safety, property security, day-to-day management, and the overall appearance of a farm or stable. A well-designed fence should safely contain horses while discouraging unwanted visitors, including loose dogs and trespassers. It also makes it easier to manage grazing and separate horses according to age, sex, value, or intended use. However, not every type of fencing is appropriate for horses.

A healthy respiratory system is essential to every horse's well-being and athletic performance. Like humans, horses rely on their lungs and airways to deliver oxygen throughout the body, but the demands placed on their respiratory system increase dramatically during exercise. Efficient oxygen exchange allows working muscles to perform, while the respiratory tract also serves as an important defence system by filtering and removing dust, bacteria, ammonia, and other airborne irritants. Although mucus, coughing, sneezing, and nasal discharge help clear the airways, excessive amounts of these signs may indicate an underlying respiratory problem.