Gone are the days when a horse has many functions, from working, to transportation to companionship. Nowadays, especially in the hunter/jumper world, horses are trained in very particular skill sets. In the competitive equestrian world, horses are increasingly sold to fit niche roles for specific [...]
I, like most ladies and many a gentleman, like shoes very much. Flat ones are my forte, as I am not a trained runway model and I like to be prepared for a quick escape. Usually anything above two inches prohibits a good sprint, in [...]
There is no grander welcome than a stable of horses stirring from sleep, nickering for your attention in the soft morning light. Mornings like this create a feeling of complete serenity, serving as a reset button for the chaos of modern life. On this particular [...]
“I NEED to ride,” I blurted in my mom’s ear as I turned our car onto the road leading up towards the HITS show grounds in Saugerties, NY. I could barely make out the permanent stabling barns in the distance, but that’s all it took [...]
In early August, I was selected to participate in the Burbank, CA session of the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program. The five-day program was taught by Olympic Show Jumping Gold Medalist Joe Fargis and the deeply knowledgeable Certified Equine Practitioner Anne Thornbury. During the entire week, [...]
Donna Chopp doesn't usually believe in signs. But on July 26, she found herself being pulled into an unexpected situation as she sat ringside during the $30,000 Equine Insurance Grand Prix at Sonoma Horse Park. Let's back up a little. Donna Chopp and her fiancé, [...]
[Petaluma, CA] On Friday afternoon, before the slightly more serious events got underway at the Giant Steps Charity Classic Presented by Gucci, the Sonoma Horse Park's first annual Junior Team Relay took over the Wells Fargo Grand Prix Arena. Teams of costumed kids and ponies [...]
[Wellington, FL] Walt Peterson is a gifted portrait artist who specializes in realistic paintings of people, pets and horses. In the spring of 2014, Peterson and his brother Rob attended a party that kicked off the festivities of The 5th Annual Gay Polo Week at the [...]
Here’s your mandatory summer reading list, brought to you and approved by Horse & Style and Shiny Ponies. Just kidding, it’s not mandatory. But really, read these. They’ll make you happy. Pony people. HOW cute is the cover of Jumping Jack? 21 hands cute, that’s how [...]
Richard Spooner cleared time in his international show jumping schedule (such as competing at Spruce Meadows, above, on July 14th) to visit the Bay Area this past Friday and Saturday. He came to give a jumping clinic at the Fairmont Riding Club in Pleasanton, CA [...]