The Near Side: This Week in Horses

March 6, 2015

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Hello and happy Friday, everyone. This weekend is a good one for those of us who prefer to ride in the evenings as Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday. It’s almost spring, you guys! (Even if the view out my window says otherwise.)

Here’s what’s been going on in the horse world this week.

You’ll love this heartwarming story of a boy who used his birthday money toward saving a slaughter-bound OTTB. Earlier this week, we celebrated some wonderful chestnut mares. I think Karazan, the red horse saved by this red-headed boy, should be added to the list.

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Sweet Briar College, a Virginia college known for its successful equestrian program, has announced that it will close at the end of this school year. This is just one year after Virginia Intermont, also a well-known equestrian school, closed its doors. Some area colleges have extended their application deadlines to help Sweet Briar students plan for next year.

WSET.com – ABC13

The snow disaster continues in New England. Another barn roof collapse happened in the Massachusetts town of Norwell; fortunately, all 15 horses were rescued.

Relief for Samantha in Norwell #wbz pic.twitter.com/OORnJZqxwk
— Nicole Jacobs (@NicoleJacobsWBZ) March 2, 2015

A short documentary will show how horses help veterans with PTSD. Find out more about it here and watch the trailer below.

This story about an escaped horse who was corralled at a local gas station isn’t all that exciting. I just really like how the horse is standing around, totally unrestrained and maybe looking a little guilty in the first photo in the article.
An elderly pony was shot by a police officer in Oregon this week in a sad and strange incident. The officer claims that when he responded to a call about a loose horse, he found that the pony was severely injured and needed to be put down immediately, but the owners disagree. They had a necropsy performed, which showed that there were no injuries. A heartbreaking incident either way.
There’s a new horse statue in London’s Trafalgar Square as of this week. Sort of. It’s a horse skeleton. Actually, it’s a political statement. See for yourself.

Horses will find trouble. You’ve heard people say this. You’ve probably said it yourself. You can have a perfectly safe, beautiful pasture for your horse, and he’ll find a way to get himself stuck somewhere. This goes double if your horse’s name is Mayhem.