The Near Side: This Week in Horses — August 21, 2015

Hello and happy Friday, everyone! Here’s what you and your barn buddies will be chatting about this weekend.

• This week, we ran a news item about the #WillYouSlowDownForMeNow campaign in which riders pose naked with their horses to raise awareness of equestrian safety on public roads. Meanwhile in New Zealand, The Naked Challenge asks riders to show that they’d rather go naked than not wear a helmet. Personally, I’m all for equestrian safety, but I’m also all for pants.
  
• Sheridan, Wyoming will be the home of the newest replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s Horse sculpture. The official unveiling is tonight, and it’ll be broadcast online.
  


A replica of da Vinci’s Horse in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Photo: Pietro Sorrento/Creative Commons
• A film called “Running Wild” has been announced, and the one-sentence plot description makes me think that it’s going to do well with the people-who-post-on-Horse-Illustrated’s-Facebook demographic:
  

  
  

  
  

  “Running Wild”… centers on a widow who saves her ranch by working with convicts to rehabilitate a herd of wild horses that wandered onto her property.

• This Instagram of actor/all-around good guy Channing Tatum with his rescue horse, Smoke, is quite popular on the equestrian Internet this week. I’m sure the comment about Smoke only enjoying the scent of beer was to stave off criticism, but Mr. Tatum should know that if it’s good enough for Zenyatta, a beer probably won’t hurt Smoke. Just make it a Guinness.
• As a non-New Yorker working in equine media, my entire perception of Mayor Bill de Blasio is that he’s a guy who wants to get carriage horses out of the city. I mean, I’m sure he does other stuff in that role, but it’s not like I hear about it. So the news that he’s sort of giving up on that one issue was a bit jarring to me. But again, I’m not a New Yorker.
• Best wishes to dressage great Totilas, who was officially retired from competition after being withdrawn from the European Championships last week.
• Chronicle of the Horse brings this story of Kelly McKnight, a show jumping trainer who shows one of his horses in a halter with reins attached. Spend some time on YouTube and you’ll know that jumping big fences without a bridle isn’t all that unusual. I’m just surprised it’s show-ring legal. In any case, props to McKnight for doing what it takes to keep his horse happy!
• And finally, happy birthday to U.S. eventer Denny Emerson, who turned 74 yesterday and celebrated in the usual fashion, posting a fantastic Facebook post to honor the occasion.

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

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