Horse Podcast Ep 99: Horse Riding, Skiing And Eating Cheese!

Skijordue = Skijoring + Fonduing

What started out as an afternoon with friends has turned into an event you don’t want to miss out on: Skijordue. Who doesn’t like to eat cheese, gallop on a horse while pulling a skier or snowboarder. Today Heather is speaking with Sam Mitchell from Millarville Alberta, CEO of Skijor Canada. They are discussing this amazing event she started as a way to bring the cowboy culture together with the ski community all while enjoying some cheese fondue and maybe a few beers. Skijoring may have started in Scandinavia but today has conquered the world. So dig out your fur, fringe, colour, spandex, sun glasses and a cowboy hat, so you will fit in with your skijoring style.

The Ins and Outs of Skijoring

To start you need a great partnership, the teamwork between horse, rider and skier is what you need to get to that winning finish line. Safety is always taken into consideration at the highest level. Horses are ridden in western saddles, with a horn. Ropes are dallied not tied and must be a minimum of 30 to a maximum 50n feet long. Skiers are to wear approved sport helmets and riders should also be wearing proactive vests along with helmets. Traction shoes and protective boots are also recommended for horses.

Sample course could include

Circuit around a horseshoe track with jumps along the way no taller than 1 meter or 3.38 feet
Relay race where a rider and slider race down a track 100 meters or 110 yards turn and race back, where the rope is dropped and a second slider complete the3 same track
Sprint on the straight line 200 meters or 220 yards
Long Jump where rider races up beside a ramp and skier completes long jump 2 meters or 6.5 feet in height

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Your Guests today:

Sam Mitchell (Canada)

Don’t forget to check out the resources section in this article!

Highlights

Two sport cultures coming together
Community and volunteer support
Wild and wooly costumes
Cowboy/Ski, Old/Young, Man/Women all on equal terms

Thank you for tuning in and happy trails!

Special Announcement

Today’s episode is sponsored by Horse India

Horse India aims to give you a holiday to remember, to ensure that through our safaris you can experience the passion we hold for the Marwari horse and Rajasthan. We want to share with you the thrill of riding the unique and spirited Marwari.

Ride through magical Rajasthan, feel the spirit of the Marwari horse as you discover history, culture, forts and palaces, by retracing old routes through the forests of the Aravalli (A-ra-Valley) Hills, and riding over the sand dunes of the Thar Desert. You may have heard of the “Golden Triangle” – well we ride the bit in the middle! Between the blue city of Jodhpur, the lake city of Udaipur, and within easy reach of the pink city of Jaipur. Join us to ride Marwari horses in their homeland. Horse India welcomes groups of 4 – 12 riders. They can cater to all riding abilities, but to get the most from the holidays you should be comfortable at a canter in the open countryside.

You can book your own private group, join one of our open groups, or if short on time ask us for Day rates. The most popular time to ride in Rajasthan is between October and March however, the rides can be booked for any time of year to suit your required dates, and will be tailored to suit the weather conditions (summer heat / monsoon rain etc) as well as your riding abilities and requirements. Families with children, and non-riding partners welcome.

For more information please check out their website and facebook pages.

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Equestrian Adventuresses Book Store

Do you love to read or listen to horsey books and stories? Then you should have a look at our EQA Book Series, now available as paperbacks, e-books, and audio books.

Packed with exciting true-life stories written by women from all around the world about their adventures they had with horses!

Follow a vet on her adventures in the Namibian Bush, an expat winning a show jumping medal in Italy, a British family with two toddlers crossing Patagonia on horseback or a German girl finding her dream horse on an Indian horse market.