Horse Podcast Ep 146: Where to Next? Horse Destination Scotland!

Today we are visiting Scotland, Land of Glens, Lochs and Castles! Scotland is horse country with four native horse and pony breeds and plenty of great trail riding countryside. Besides horse riding Scotland offers a lot of other activities, sightseeing and fun for the whole family. Visiting vibrant Edinburgh, driving through the rugged and beautiful Highlands or touring the Western Isles, adventures can be found everywhere. Ever since Braveheart or the Outlander Series, Scotland is on the bucket list of many and it is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime destination. For horse riders, the Cairngorm100 endurance ride is a prime event, also called Europe’s Tevis Cup and the Outlander Trail Ride allows you to follow in the footprints of Claire and Jamie.

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Horse Podcast Ep 145: Equine Asthma – Ask Your Vet!

Equine Asthma, Equine Asthma syndrome, or Heaves another vet topic that can affect us all. In today’s episode, Heather is chatting with Julia Montgomery a large animal Vet from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan Canada on Equine Asthma. They discuss the different levels and severities, how to prevent and some tips to help horses with it.  We learn about warning signs and some triggers that can cause it. Choosing the right feed and doing your best to eliminate environmental challenges will greatly help with Equine Asthma.

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Horse Podcast Ep 144: Saving the Ponies of the Gili Islands

Today our podcast travels to Indonesia, to the tiny group of the Gili Islands. Indonesia has a few native pony breeds which is unusual for a tropical island nation. Horses have always played an important economic as well as religious role in Indonesia and especially so on the Gili Islands, where all motorised vehicles are banned. So pony carts are the main way of transportation there. At the same time the odds are striking: Hardly any natural sweet water sources, very little grass and few skilled vets or farriers. Add Corona and suddenly the situation gets really bad for most of the ponies and their owners.

I am talking with Tori Taylor, an American who made the Gili Islands her home and as a veterinary technician, is predestined to help the ponies. She has founded the charity Horses of Gili and helps to feed and care for them. Additionally she has started to teach local kids riding on rescue ponies, all in the middle of the Corona pandemic.

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Horse Podcast Ep 143: Bosnian Mountain Horse – Pony of the Balkans

Another episode of our Horse Breeds around the World Series. Today we turn our attention towards South-Eastern Europe which is home to a little known horse breed, the Bosnian Mountain Horse. These small horses are sure-footed, tough and can carry heavy loads up and down their rugged home of the Dinaric Alps. Today there is little use for horses, except in the remote villages, so the Bosnian Mountain Horse is disappearing in its home countries of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, Croatia and Montenegro.

However, people all over the world have recognised the potential of this horse breed as trail and leisure horse and there are some efforts in breeding and popularising the breed again. Above all, it is important to let people know about it and establish Bosnia-Herzegovina and the other countries of the Balkans firmly as horse tourism destination. I am talking today with Zorica Bukinac, a Slovenian horse lover and rider, who fell in love with the breed.

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Horse Podcast Ep 142: Horse Riding Holidays – How to Pick?

All it takes is one friend to suggest a horse riding holiday and you are hooked. But how do you pick the destination? How long to go for? Which friends to invite? Those are the questions and hopefully answers we provide in today’s episode. Heather chats with Kari a fellow adventuress about these topics. These gals have done a few horse riding holidays and have worked through the questions that do arise. Stay tuned for a great episode that will help you get your next horse riding holiday and adventure planned.

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Horse Podcast Ep 141: Travel Insurance – What To Do If You Get Hurt

Travel insurance, your best friend when traveling internationally. Today’s episode is all about what to do if you get hurt while traveling. Krystal, Ute, and Heather discuss the importance of travel insurance in a unique episode that they recorded partially live. They share experiences of themselves getting hurt, as well as the clients that were hurt on safari and how insurance saved the day. Travel insurance is one of the most important pieces of travel documents you can have, besides your passport. This episode gives some tips on where to keep your insurance information and who you should be sharing the information with.

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Horse Podcast Ep 140: Horse Equipment – Fly and Rain Sheets

Can you ever really have too much horse equipment or tack? In today’s episode, Heather discusses some pros and cons of both fly and rain sheets.  The first question you need to ask when looking at horse equipment is, does my horse really need this? Well of course they do they’re our pets, lol.  Horse equipment needs to have a purpose to justify the purchase so make sure it fits correctly and will give you the protection you are looking for.  Things like wither protection, tail cover, and good leg straps are important when looking at a sheet. Keep in mind that horses can be very hard on sheets and the material isn’t really designed for abusive use.  Fly sheets only usually survive one season if you can get two bravoes. Rain sheets are usually a little more durable so you may get a few more years from them.

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Horse Riding in Every Country and Every State

We have worked hard to dig deep and find horse trail riding stables, polo clubs, and equestrian travel agencies around the world for you to book your next horse vacation, seek volunteer/working positions, go on adventures with, and more! The result is a Horse Riding Book with listings in (almost) Every Country in the World and in Every US State! And the best thing is: You can download it for free.

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Horse Podcast Ep 139: Where to Next? Horse Destination Ecuador!

Another destination episode, Ute talks about one of her favourite countries today: Ecuador. A horse rider’s paradise, Ecuador is a small country with a great diversity both in countryside as well as in flora and fauna. Mountains, volcanos, Inca monuments, colonial cities, beaches and islands, all can be found in this small country in Northern South America. Join us today on the podcast to learn what all you can see and do in Ecuador and which are the best places to ride!

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Horse Podcast Ep 138: EQA Book Club: Discovering the Genre of Equestrian Fiction

If you love books, this is the perfect place for you. Once a month, Heather, Ute, and sometimes Krystal, will talk about their favorite horsey book. In today’s episode of the EQA Book Club, Heather and Ute talk about the new genre of Equestrian Fiction and how it has evolved from pony books, a genre we all know from our childhood. We talk about some of the books we read as children and some we have read more recently. We also discuss what it takes to write equestrian fiction successfully and why it has seen a huge proliferation in the last fifteen years. Join us on this journey through the world of horse books and down memory lane.

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