Sites to Inspire

As we head into the New Year 2011, I wanted to share a few equine sites I visited recently that you might find useful and inspiring.

First, here is an outfit similar to Netflix that specializes in renting horse videos. It's called GiddyUpFlix and boasts more than 1000 training and horse info videos. I have never used it, but with the price of training videos being so high, the concept seems interesting. Here is the link: http://www.giddyupflix.com/

Second, most of you may know that the legendary racehorse Zenyatta was just retired to begin her life as a broodmare. Arriving at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky during a December snowstorm, she spent her time inside her huge new stall, with time outside being limited to handwalking in a snowfilled paddock. Finally acclimated to her surroundings and calming down to her new life away from the racetrack, she was allowed to run free and play.

Here are photos from that first day: http://www.drf.com/news/photos-zenyatta-play-her-lanes-end-paddock

and here is a video of Zenyatta on the first day of her release: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/videos/watch/7BA0A106-8A93-4BDD-A926-78F30706DDD7

And Third, in a post sure to inspire us to never again complain about our circumstances, meet Bettina Eistel, a woman born without arms, who cares for, saddles, rides, and competes in dressage on her horse Fabuleax 5. Here is the link: http://horseandman.com/people-and-places/the-determined-bettina-eistel-and-her-very-special-horse-fabuleax-5/ This is truly amazing.

Happy New Year, Everyone!