Horse Illustrated Magazine

Once again, we here in the Northern Hemisphere are in the doldrums of winter. Depending on where you live, it is likely some variation on cold, icy, and dark. Your horse misses the green grass. You miss the long daylight hours for afternoon and evening rides. Winter is a bummer. And that’s why it’s time for a virtual vacation.

In this edition, we join Charlotte Littlefield of Hayfields Racing in Australia. In this video, posted via Facebook Live back in October, Littlefield and a group of horses and riders are out for a workout at the beach when some of them wade into the ocean. There, they meet a pod of friendly dolphins.

Some horses would certainly run for the dry sand upon seeing some large sea creatures swim up to them, but these horses are mostly curious. The dolphins seem curious, too, and they spend some time mingling with the horses even though they could very easily swim off into the ocean.

Dolphins are commonly believed to be one of the most intelligent animal species on the planet. You have to wonder what they thought of these big, four-legged creatures splashing into the ocean, and what the horses thought of them.

Enjoy this peaceful interspecies interaction and a virtual day at the beach thanks to Hayfields Racing.

Leslie Potter is a writer and photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. www.lesliepotterphoto.com