SubscribeGift a Sub
Enable cache 100

Rider Insider: Equine Mysteries

When you first get started in the equestrian world, everything is brand new and confusing. You might have been surprised to find out there were different kinds of saddles, subdivided beyond those familiar English and western designations. When you heard people talk about ringbone, navicular and laminitis, you were likely left with questions. And when your new barn friends started breaking out the horse-show lingo? Forget it.



But over time, we start to become immersed in our new equestrian culture. The vocabulary becomes second nature. While we may stick to our own discipline, we develop a working knowledge of some of the others. We might even learn what horse-show judges are looking for. Eventually.



Still, no matter how long you’ve worked with horses, some things undoubtedly remain a mystery. Why DO gray horses seem more likely to roll in the mud after a bath than brown horses? How does your horse seem to know when you’re coming to take him for a nice ride vs. when you’re heading out to administer dewormer? And why is it that everything in a barn that comes in even numbers—bell boots, polo wraps—will eventually turn up in odd numbers (where did that third spur come from?)

Tell us about the horse-world mysteries that keep you wondering, whether they’re about the individual equines in your barn or the horse world at large. Some of the editors’ favorite responses will appear in an upcoming issue of Horse Illustrated!

This month, Noble Outfitters
is sponsoring the Rider Insider column in Horse Illustrated with a
prize for the selected featured response. If you’d like to be considered
for a prize, make sure to include your contact info in the email field
of the comment form (emails will not be publicly displayed.)

Back to Rider Insider >>

View Comments

  • I always wonder why my 4-year old one-eyed rescue mare sleeps blind-side up. She is clearly content at her barn...or severely lacks life-preservation skills!

  • I braid my gelding's long mane and tail before a show and will occasionally place his tail inside a tail bag. How he manages to successfully get his hair out of every single braid with ease, I have no idea. You'll never find the rubber band again, and his mane will look like you never even had it brushed, cleaned, and in a braid. You would think he had opposable thumbs. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if he commissioned his best buddy to help him out.

  • My mystery is this; Why is the love between a horse and its rider so special? Why is it horses who install the sense of belonging and love and overall peace in us? Why can we forget about all the wrongs in life and yet never can the smell of horse leave us? Why is this special bond impossible to sever and even harder to forget? Why is it I go to the barn every day even after I retired my first horse, even after that bad fall, even after the worst days imaginable? Why is this love so strong? Honestly, though, I don't think I need the answer.

  • I've always wondered why the 2yr. old filly at our barn will only drink water on the other side of the fence. The water dispenser dispenses water at the same point on both sides of the fence, but the filly refuses to drink on her side of the fence. Does "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" apply to water dispensers too?

  • It never ceases to amaze me how my horses come in from pasture with their halters completely on and yet their fly mask which goes on underneath the halter is missing. Although it can be annoying to search for the fly masks, I will never complain about the chance to ride bareback in the pasture searching for it.

  • I have a gray horse, and yes, I do wonder why he rolls in the dirt after a bath. Almost seems a wasted effort to even bother giving him one!!!

  • My pony always knew when she was in the show ring, she was perfect then. If we were schooling in the same ring the day before she was her normal mean self. I always was sad when we left the show!

  • I'm bamboozled how my horse can always tell whether or not I have a hidden treat in my pocket every time I come walking across the field. Accidentally forget it back at the barn? It can be a long walk all the way out to get her.

Recent Posts

AHP Equine Industry Survey Returns in 2025

Horse owners who live in the United States, are 18 years of age and older, and currently own or manage…

2 days ago

Is My Horse Cold? – An Excerpt from Keeping Horses Outdoors by Iveta Jebáčková-Lažanská

Is your horse cold in the winter? The following excerpt from Keeping Horses Outdoors by Iveta Jebáčková-Lažanská helps answer that question…

2 days ago

ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Hali

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…

3 days ago

Common Horse Training Mistakes

These four common horse training mistakes are easier to catch and correct when you’re aware of them. As a clinician,…

4 days ago

All About the American Warmblood

If you appreciate sport horses of many different breeding backgrounds, types and colors, the American Warmblood will unite you with…

6 days ago

Waste: ReImagined – ZahnTech Repurposes Waste for a Permanent Fencing Solution

LENNOX, S.D. — Every great innovation begins with a moment of clarity, and for ZahnTech's founder, Avery Zahn, it came…

1 week ago