The Near Side: This Week in Horses

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.
• 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.

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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.

That’s it for this week. Have a good weekend!

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Leslie Potter is Sr. Associate Web Editor of horseillustrated.com. Follow her on Twitter: @LeslieInLex.