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RacingHot
How to Name a Racehorse: Jockey Club Rules and the Merrylegs Rename
Sep 24, 20266 min read
Horse NewsHot
BLM Wild Horse Roundup 2026: Sand Wash, Fifteenmile and the $30M Plan
Sep 23, 20267 min read
RacingHot
Breeders' Cup 2026 at Keeneland: Dates, Post Times and How to Watch
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Horse CultureHot
Charreria National Championship 2026: Dates, Suertes and the Horses
Sep 23, 20267 min read
RacingHot
Who Is Forever Young? Japan's Champion Racehorse Bound for the 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Fun & ViralHot
Funny Horse Names: From 'Fart Blossom' to Racing's Punniest Picks
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Horse CareHot
Hay Shortage 2026: Why Horse Hay Is So Expensive and What to Feed
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Health & AlertsHot
Is Johnson Grass Safe for Horses? Why Sorghum Hay Is a Risky Shortcut
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Horse NewsHot
New World Screwworm in Horses: What the 2026 Texas and New Mexico Cases Mean for Your Barn
Sep 23, 20267 min read
RacingHot
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2026: Date, Favorites and Japan's Bid with Admire Terra
Sep 23, 20268 min read

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Horse News

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Hot
BLM Wild Horse Roundup 2026: Sand Wash, Fifteenmile and the $30M Plan
Two big gathers, a sales investigation and a $30 million bet on birth control. Here's what's confirmed, what each side says and where the horses go next.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Hot
New World Screwworm in Horses: What the 2026 Texas and New Mexico Cases Mean for Your Barn
Two ranch horses, two states, one flesh-eating parasite. Here's what the September 2026 cases mean, how to run a daily wound check and what's changing for hauling and shows.
Sep 23, 20267 min read

Health & Alerts

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Vesicular Stomatitis in Horses: Signs, Quarantine and Colorado Cases
Two more Colorado horse properties are under quarantine for presumptive VSV. Here's what the blisters look like, why vets must report them, and how to protect your horse before fall shows.
Sep 24, 20266 min read
Hot
Early Signs of Colic in Horses and What to Do Until the Vet Arrives
Colic often starts quietly. Here is how to spot it early, take the vital signs your vet will ask for, and keep your horse and yourself safe until help arrives.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Hot
Is Johnson Grass Safe for Horses? Why Sorghum Hay Is a Risky Shortcut
With drought driving up hay prices, cheap sorghum-family hay can look tempting. Here is why Johnson grass, Sudan grass and sorghum can poison or permanently injure horses, how to spot them in a bale and what to feed instead.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Hot
West Nile Virus in Horses: 2026 Cases, Symptoms and How EEE Differs
Kentucky just confirmed its first equine case of 2026, and Michigan lost two horses to the deadlier EEE. Here's what to watch for and why mosquitoes still matter until the first hard frost.
Sep 23, 20267 min read

Horse Care

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Hot
Hay Shortage 2026: Why Horse Hay Is So Expensive and What to Feed
Drought cut the crop, winter hay got eaten in summer and hauling hay in got pricier. Here is what a bale really costs, what you can feed instead and how to avoid a bad bargain.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Hot
How Long Do Horses Live? Senior Care, Feeding and Saying Goodbye
Two much-loved old horses, Big John, a draft horse at a rescue, and Kizen Luck in Japan, died this month at 27 and 31. Here is how long horses really live, how to care for a senior and how to know when it's time to say goodbye.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Hot
Thrush in Horses: What That Smell Means and Wet-Weather Hoof Care
That rotten smell on your hoof pick has a name. Here is how to recognize thrush, why so many treatments fail, and the picking and bedding habits that keep feet healthy through mud season.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Hot
When to Blanket a Horse: 2026 Chart for Clipped, Unclipped and Seniors
Winter coats are coming in and blanket questions are everywhere. Here is a simple temperature, rain and wind chart for full-coated, clipped and senior horses, and why many horses need no blanket at all.
Sep 23, 20268 min read

Grooming & Turnout

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How to Groom a Horse: Beginner Brush Order and a Daily Health Check
Hoof pick, curry, stiff brush, soft brush, mane and tail. Here is the order, the seven items you actually need, and the quick "spot the bump" check that turns grooming into early warning.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Trace Clip vs Full Body Clip: Types of Horse Clips and When to Clip
Clipping season is here. This guide walks through bib, trace, Irish, hunter and full clips, matches each one to workload and turnout, and explains why the blanket comes before the clippers.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
How to Braid a Horse Mane: Running, Hunter and Dragonera Braids
Show season is here. Start with a simple three-strand braid, then learn running, hunter and button braids, Spain's four-strand dragonera and a tail braid, plus which discipline expects which.
Sep 23, 20268 min read

Buying & Costs

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Best Horse for Beginners: Why an Older Schoolmaster Beats a Pretty Young Horse
Why "green on green" ends in bruises, the age and breeds that suit a first-time owner, which stable vices cost you later and the red flags to check before you pay.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Hot
The Cost of Owning a Horse Per Month in 2026: A Line-by-Line Budget
Buying the horse is the small number. Here's what board, hay, farrier, vet care, insurance and a real emergency fund add up to every month.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Hot
How to Adopt a Horse: Rescue Fees, Mustang Events and Real Costs
Rescue adoption fees range from $0 to $5,000, and a BLM mustang starts at $125. Here's how each path works, what BLM requires and why the fee is the cheapest part.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Half Lease, Full Lease or Buy? The Smartest Way to Get Your First Horse
Lesson horse, half lease, full lease, care lease or your own horse: riding days, shared bills, contract must-haves and a five-question family quiz.
Sep 23, 20268 min read

Training

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Buddy Sour Horse? Why It Happens and How to Rebuild Confidence
Why herd bound and barn sour horses panic when they leave their friends, the warning signs to catch early, and a gradual separation plan that builds confidence instead of fear.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Groundwork Exercises for Horses: Round Pen and Give-to-Pressure Basics
A round pen is round so a green horse can't hide in a corner. How pressure and release really works, the pen sizes trainers use, five foundation exercises and the ground-manners checklist to pass before anyone gets on.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Clicker Training for Horses: R+, Targeting and Liberty Basics
The marker-and-reward idea in plain English, a safe first targeting session, treat manners that prevent mugging, and how targeting grows into mark work and liberty at home.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Natural Horsemanship vs Traditional Horse Training: Doma vs Jineteada
Doma is the weeks-long job of making a colt rideable; jineteada is a contest of a few seconds, commonly 8 to 15, on a horse meant to buck. Here is what each word means, what natural horsemanship gets right, and where its marketing outruns the science.
Sep 23, 20268 min read

Riding

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Hot
Horse Safety for Kids: Getting On, Where Not to Stand, Loose Horses
Viral clips this month showed a runaway horse at a show and a small child climbing a gate into a western saddle. Here are the real rules: blind spots, safe mounting, the saddle horn and loose horses, plus a quick quiz.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Am I Too Old to Start Horseback Riding? A Guide for Teens and Adult Beginners
Starting at 19, 40 or 65 next to five-year-olds is normal. Here's how teens and adults should set up lessons, and how to fix the three habits that hold new riders back.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Fear of Riding After a Fall? How to Rebuild Confidence Step by Step
Why your body braces after a fall, when to get checked before you ride again, and a graded plan from groundwork to lunge lessons to your first canter back.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Your First Horseback Riding Lesson: What Happens, What to Wear and What It Costs in 2026
What really happens in the hour, what to wear before you spend money on boots, what lessons cost in 2026 and the red flags that mean you should try another barn.
Sep 23, 20268 min read

Competitions

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What Is Equitation? How Riders Are Judged at the Capital Challenge
The Capital Challenge in Maryland opened the East Coast indoor season on Sept. 23 with five days of equitation finals. Here's what the judges are watching, and how to follow the road to the Maclay.
Sep 24, 20267 min read
Hot
Quarter Horse Congress 2026: Dates, Classes and How to Follow Along
Billed as the world's largest horse show, the Congress opens Sept. 26 in Columbus, Ohio. Here's what reining and western pleasure are, the new health-paper rules, and how the Congress differs from the AQHA World Show.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Hot
What Is Eventing? The 3 Phases Explained with Burghley and Asian Games
Gemma Stevens won Burghley on her dressage score, and Thailand struck team gold in Tokyo. Here's how the three phases, the penalties and the five-star system really work.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
FEI Jumping World Cup 2026/27: American Gold Cup Result and the Puebla, Mexico Qualifier
Switzerland's Beat Mändli opened the North American League with the only double-clear round in Michigan. Next up is a free-to-watch qualifier in Puebla, Mexico, the second of seven stops on the road to Gothenburg.
Sep 23, 20266 min read

Racing

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Hot
How to Name a Racehorse: Jockey Club Rules and the Merrylegs Rename
A debut winner in Indiana was forced to take a new name this week. Here's how Thoroughbred naming really works, from the 18-character limit to the names you can never use.
Sep 24, 20266 min read
Hot
Breeders' Cup 2026 at Keeneland: Dates, Post Times and How to Watch
Future Stars Friday, a Halloween Championship Saturday and a possible Forever Young vs. Sovereignty clash: your family-friendly guide to watching every race.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Hot
Who Is Forever Young? Japan's Champion Racehorse Bound for the 2026 Breeders' Cup Classic
The defending Classic champion tops the rankings after a Belmont win that left his own trainer only half satisfied. Here's his record, his rivalry with Sovereignty and why Japan keeps coming.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Hot
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2026: Date, Favorites and Japan's Bid with Admire Terra
Europe's richest flat race runs Oct. 4 in Paris. Daryz defends his title, and Japan sends Admire Terra and Meisho Tabaru after a first win that has eluded it since 1969.
Sep 23, 20268 min read

Western & Rodeo

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Barrel Racing Pattern: The Cloverleaf, the 5-Second Penalty and Kids
Pendleton's barrel race was decided by two hundredths of a second, and a clip of a child climbing into the saddle on their own went viral. Here's how the cloverleaf works, from the first turn to the first playday.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
How Is Bronc Riding Scored? Pendleton's 92.5 Record Ride Explained
Stetson Wright's 92.5 on The Black Tie set a Pendleton Round-Up arena record, and the same weekend Mandan produced a 92 and a 90. Here's how judges get to those numbers, and how timed events like steer wrestling work instead.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
NFR 2026: Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Dates, Events and the Race to Qualify for Vegas
Ten nights, seven events, eight event titles: the Las Vegas finals are set for Dec. 3–12, and the fight for the last qualifying spots ends Sept. 30.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
What Is Team Roping? Header, Heeler and the Barrier Explained
The Wrangler finals in Billings, running September 22–27, average more than 6,000 teams, while only 15 headers and 15 heelers make the NFR. Here is how the sport works, from the box to the flag.
Sep 23, 20267 min read

Horse Culture

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Hot
Charreria National Championship 2026: Dates, Suertes and the Horses
171 men's teams, 160 escaramuzas and 15 charros completos head to Arena Potosí. Here is the calendar, how a charreada works and what makes a great charro horse.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Hot
What Is Escaramuza Charra? Mexico's Side-Saddle Women Riders Explained
After two Sedena riders fell on the Zócalo pavement on September 16, here is how Mexico's side-saddle team event really works, from the albarda to the scorecard.
Sep 23, 20266 min read
What Is Doma Vaquera? Spain's Working Cowboy Riding Style After the 2026 Copa del Rey
Jerez just crowned Daniel Reyes Aldana and Platino at the 20th Copa del Rey. Here's how Spain's one-handed cattle-country riding works, from the vaquera saddle to the sliding stop.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
What Is a Cabalgata? The Horseback Parade from Guanajuato to Seville
On September 23, Celaya handed Mexico's national symbols back to its Independence riders and Seville broke ground on a home for its Three Kings parade. Here's how both traditions work, and how to ride in one safely.
Sep 23, 20268 min read

Breeds & Famous Horses

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PRE Horse Morphology Show: How Judging Works as Cabalcor'26 Opens
Through Saturday, 88 Pura Raza Española horses from 45 studs are showing at Córdoba's Royal Stables. Here's what the judges look at, how the horses are moved in the ring, and how this all leads to Seville in November.
Sep 24, 20266 min read
Hot
Akhal-Teke Horse: Why It Looks Metallic (and How to Say It)
A golden horse that seems to glow from inside went viral on X this month. Here's the science behind the Akhal-Teke's metallic coat, how to say its name and why fewer than 7,000 exist.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Hot
Andalusian Horse (PRE): History, Traits and the Road to SICAB 2026
As 88 PRE horses from 45 studs head to Córdoba's royal stables (Sept 24-26) on the road to the world championship in Seville, here is what makes the Spanish horse special, how shows judge it, and why a young black PRE is rarely a beginner's horse.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Hot
Gypsy Vanner Horse, Gypsy Cob or Irish Cob? The Fluffy Feathered Breed Explained
A viral breed-ID clip called the same fluffy horse four different names. Here's what a Gypsy Vanner really is, how to tell it from a Shire or Clydesdale, and what that feather means for care and cost.
Sep 23, 20268 min read

Fun & Viral

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Hot
Can Horses Eat Peppermints? Candy, Treats and the Sugar Debate
A run of "IS THIS A SWEET TREAT?" videos and an argument over whether a little candy can hurt an 1,100-lb horse have everyone asking. Here's the sugar math, which horses should skip mints and how to hand-feed safely.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Hot
Can You Touch a King's Guard Horse? Why They Bite and the Rules
Viral clips of tourists ignoring guards and of a blind woman touching a horse, plus an AI-made video of a horse bowing for a girl, have everyone asking the same thing. Here's the answer, the reasons behind the bites and a calm visitor checklist.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Hot
Do Horses Sleep Standing Up? Yes, but They Lie Down for REM Sleep
A viral 'horse going to sleep' animation got a lot of people asking whether horses ever lie down. They do: here's how the stay apparatus lets them nap on their feet, and why REM sleep, the stage linked to dreaming, only happens lying down.
Sep 23, 20268 min read
Hot
Funny Horse Names: From 'Fart Blossom' to Racing's Punniest Picks
A checkered blue stall sign for a horse named Fart Blossom went viral from the Minnesota State Fair. Here are the best kid-safe funny names, the real racehorse puns and the rules behind them.
Sep 23, 20267 min read

Games, Movies & Books

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Hot
Best Horse Games for Kids 2026: Star Stable, Horse Club, Rival Stars
Star Stable's 15th birthday party just wrapped and HORSE CLUB Ride West gallops in on October 9. Here's what to play, what it costs, which ages it suits and what each game really teaches about horses.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Breyer vs Schleich: Best Model Horses for Kids, Sizes and Prices
Traditional, Freedom Series, Stablemates or Schleich? Here's which model horses fit which age, what they cost, the new 2026 Breyer releases and how Schleich's HORSE CLUB links to the Ride West game.
Sep 23, 20267 min read
Schleich's HORSE CLUB Ride West: Release Date, Platforms and Price
Schleich's four HORSE CLUB friends head to the Wild West on October 9. Here's the release date, where to play, what it costs, how it compares with Horse Club Adventures and a parents' note on ages.
Sep 23, 20266 min read
Best Horse Books for Kids: Misty, Black Beauty and New Favorites
Grown-ups on X are naming the horse books that hooked them as kids. Here's a reading list by age, with a one-line pitch for each book, read-alikes, Spanish editions and a heads-up on the sad ones.
Sep 23, 20268 min read