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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Man faces court after giving sausage roll to police horse

Often wearing riding hats, fluorescent vests, and other equestrian clothing, mounted police units are a common sight at events such as ceremonial occasions, demonstrations, and sports matches.
Although these special officers do not seem to be included in the news that often, they were mentioned in a rather strange article recently.

According to the Daily Telegraph, a man is facing court after feeding a sausage roll to a police horse.
Apparently, the man thought the animal "looked hungry", ignored warnings from the rider, and gave the pastry to the animal. It has also been alleged that he "adopted an aggressive stance" when challenged by police officers.

The man reportedly denies the charges against him and intends to challenge the allegations.
Some individuals have criticised the case, believing that accusing a man of causing a breach of the peace by giving a sausage roll to a police horse is perhaps a touch heavy-handed. Moreover, others state the trial could be a waste of money.

I won't pretend to be a horse nutritionist, but I don't think a sausage roll is a suitable form of food for these animals. However, if the police horse was actually hungry, I hope his or her constabulary gave them a proper meal back at the stables.

The man is expected to stand trial later in February. Hopefully, the court will be able to get to the crust of the matter.

Photo © avlxyz via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Olympic equestrian team to dance Gangnam Style

If you participate in equestrianism, or have been conscious these past few months, you have probably listened – willingly or unwillingly – to Gangnam Style.  After millions of views on YouTube, the song became world famous – claiming the number one spot in countries such as the UK, Finland, Malaysia, and Latvia.

Featuring a dance where participants pretend to ride a horse, individuals such as David Cameron, Boris Johnson, and even the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have ‘strutted their stuff' to this tune.

The Korean pop hit could possibly be compared to Marmite – you either love it or you hate it. Yet, regardless of everyone's thoughts on the matter, the Olympic equestrian team are dancing to Gangnam Style for Children in Need.

The athletes, including Zara Phillips – the Queen's Granddaughter – will reportedly be performing the routine wearing equestrian clothing, including riding hats, (Click here to see our riding hats) all to raise money during the charity telethon.

I would be interested to see how our Olympic team actually handle Gangnam Style's zany moves, as unlike many participants, the athletes actually have a great deal of experience in horse riding. Logically, they shouldn't feel completely out of their depths.

Children in Need, which attempts to raise money for disadvantaged children and young people, broadcasts on Friday the 16th of November. We wish the charity all the best and hope it succeeds in this thoroughly worthy goal.

Photo © yonghokim via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

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Friday, November 16, 2012

Kate Middleton is learning how to ride horses

Some members of the royal family are renowned for horse riding, such as Zara Phillips – the Queen's Granddaughter – who recently won a silver medal at the London Olympic Games.

Yet, Kate Middleton could soon take part in this pastime as she has revealed that she is learning how to ride horses, despite being allegedly allergic to these creatures.

Speaking at a special event held in honour of the Olympic and Paralympic athletes at Buckingham Palace, The Duchess of Cambridge chatted to Lee Pearson about her lessons – and allegedly, he offered her some tuition in dressage.

Considering Pearson has won ten gold medals in four Paralympics, I cannot think of anyone better suited to train up the Duchess. Supposedly, he also advised Kate about how to deal with her horse allergies, stating "so, am I [allergic to horses] – but anti-histamines are wonderful".

Although there is no word as to whether or not the Duchess has taken up Pearson's offer, hopefully she will still receive proper tuition regarding subjects such as horse control and equestrian clothing from an experienced instructor.

Could Kate follow in the footsteps of Zara and someday represent Britain at an Olympic level? Only time will tell...

Photo © UK_repsome via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Rider hit on head by piece of raw chicken

Aren't riding hats fantastic? They help to minimise injury in the event of a fall, keep wearers comfortable in all manner of weather conditions, and provide protection against flying bits of chicken.

Ok, I will admit, the above section will probably not appear in its entirety on a helmet's accompanying safety documentation, but one American rider was recently protected from harm when she was hit on the head by a foot-long piece of raw chicken.

The teenager, who was in the middle of a riding lesson at the time, was wandering around Assawoman in Virginia when three chunks of poultry fell out of the sky. She was hit by the smallest piece and fortunately escaped unharmed – but who or what was behind this unusual incident?

One solution could involve a meat processing plant which is located near where the impact occurred, but managers at the site deny any responsibility. Instead, a bird expert from the Center for Conversation Biology at the College of William and Mary told journalists that seagulls were most likely involved, stating these animals have been known to carry pieces of chicken.

Although an environmental agency will be conducting an investigation into the incident, I think ‘fowl play' is probably the most likely cause.

Reportedly, on the same day, the riding instructor witnessed a couple of other uncommon events, such as a horse bolting with a student and another failing to make a jump. "It was a weird night," she stated.

Seems like an understatement to me...

See Dogwood's range of riding hats on our main site

Photo © MaryTClark via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

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Friday, November 2, 2012

Michael Schumacher - Future western riding champion?

If you are a fan of formula one racing, you will have probably heard of Michael Schumacher. The seven-time world champion has achieved quite a lot in his motoring career, but he will be retiring later this year.

However, his greatest challenge could be just around the corner...
Speaking to an Italian newspaper, Schumacher told journalists that his wife, Corinna, had suggested taking part in equestrianism.

He added, "I'm thinking of getting involved in western riding competitions…
"Corinna, who has been doing these events for years, has already chosen the right horse for me. I'll give it a try…"

The formula one legend already owns a farm in Switzerland and is a fan of cowboy shirts and boots, so it sounds like he might have the basics covered already. As well as picking out the right steed, here's hoping that Corinna has also advised her husband about proper equestrian clothing, such as riding hats and boots.

If this new challenge does not work out, then the driver reportedly has other options which he is considering. Still, I'm personally looking forward to seeing Schumacher in the saddle, especially if he handles a horse as well as he controls a car.

Photo © ph-stop via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

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