Features

As dancers, our desire is quite different from the objective of an equestrian…Our desire is about finding shared moments of engagement, perhaps co-creating a shared movement language. Our team of filmmakers and dancers have been a constant presence in these young equines’ lives.

HRL‘s Mustang Month celebrates the influence of horses in every capacity, including music! Whether referring to horses literally or symbolically, here are a few musical classics to enjoy.

In April 2022, Publisher Barb Godwin and Creative Director Cristina Moore were invited to attend the Florida premiere of Filipe Leite’s The Long Rider at the SunScreen Film Festival in St. Petersburg. Our first collaborative article digs into our heartfelt reactions to this powerful, touching documentary.

The horses I stood with in the Utah sun and wind who once had shining coats, full bellies and bright eyes are wasting away physically and spiritually in filthy over-crowded holding pens…And this is a Federally protected animal. Our government has failed them, and our country is poorer for it.

Filipe Masetti Leite began his epic journey on horseback from Calgary to Brazil – 8 years, over 15,500 miles, 12 international borders, and documented with more than 500 hours of footage. The Long Rider is a once in a lifetime event – and now available for your viewing pleasure.

Tiny Houses are a popular part of a worldwide movement to minimize and mobilize their lives – but the craze is not a new one. Being mobile was a way of life for Gypsies (Romani and Irish Travelers), who started out on foot, then to horse, then horse and carts called “Vardo”…the first mobile homes!

As part of our “Everything Irish” theme this month, HRL is delighted to once again feature the extraordinary art of Lisa Stockdell and her dedication to the Gypsy Vanner, a breed of horse originating in Ireland!

A championship show horse from equine royalty, he was so large we affectionately called him Battleship Bismarck. He was also a one-of-a-kind gentle giant, my protector, and my best friend. Jacksonville, FL artist Mary Joan Hinson of Brush & Oil shares the touching story of the horse that inspired her Equestrian Series.

If you are tired of shopping online or at big box stores, take a pleasant drive through the scenic fields of Ocala, Florida horse farm country and visit Horse Country Trading Company, a retail shop for equestrians nestled into the 56 acres known as Kimberden.

The jewelry designs are her own, and so is the craftsmanship. Each item is hand produced by Cindy in her shop, designed in clay, cast in pewter – no China out-sourcing here! She has designed jewelry for many Fortune 500 companies, and her market stretches from coast to coast. It is easy to see why; If you love jewelry and love horses, she creates just for you.

Cracker Barrel Restaurant and Old Country Store is not only fun, it’s convenient. Where else can you shop for horse-themed home goods and indulge your taste buds with homestyle cooking at the same time?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and welcome to the HRL Holiday Gifting Page! We’re celebrating the horse life with unique gift items with an equine flair from Tractor Supply, Cracker Barrel, talented local artisans, and more!

On the front cover of the book, it states The Gift is “A Treasury Of Practical Mental Strategies To Empower our Riding”; Barbra explains it as ”life lessons learned from the back of a horse.” While that may be true, this book is an inspiration for all lives lived, with horses or not. It suggests that not only can we survive, but we can also thrive.

Need a Halloween costume for your horse, but don't have a lot of time or money? Check out this video for ideas and inspiration! (Thanks to Michelle Padgett from Unicorn & Centaur for sharing this awesome content with HRL!)

Due to a divorce and illness, Bernice moved from Seattle to her grandparent’s home state of Montana, where the saga of Lady Long Rider began: one fateful day, Bernice had a vision of herself riding horseback across a desert. It was a life-changing moment – and in the following months, the vision took form, beginning a journey one could only imagine. With her beloved dog Claire, who was her companion on 20,000 of those long rider miles, she set out to become Lady Long Rider.

James Ricketson is an artist. From wood-sculpted Mahi Mahi fish and patriotic flags to metal sculpting with horseshoes, his barn is an artist's workshop dream.

An artist who also works with horses, John began as a clay sculptor and eventually made the transition to sculpting with the discarded metals of farm implements and machinery that no longer served.

This book is a good read for anyone, horses or no horses. It is a testament to truly seeking out what we want to learn and striving to be the best – no matter what that might be.

That love of horses led to drawing them, which led to me choosing a career in art. I’ve been horseless since leaving home, but they’ve never really left me.

Even though the book relates tragedies such as Highway’s, it is a light-hearted and easy read. While it touches on the heartache as well as the satisfaction of healing that comes with being in the medical field, it also highlights the joys of everyday living with our animal and human companions.

Interestingly, Kit discovered her illustrative talents fairly recently – in 2015, when she was gifted a large box set of colored pencils from her mom for the holidays.  Her systemic lupus had become life-threatening, and she was forced to stop the work she loved as a park ranger and educator in order to focus on the necessary work of stabilizing her health…drawing gave her an outlet and sense of direction.

“I have never been more enamored with a medium than I am with pastel. The tactile experience of working with pastels, the brilliancy of the colors, and the immediacy of the medium were exactly what I’d been searching for all these years.”

Mike reclaims wood and creates living environments for those who choose that lifestyle. After years of building boat docks and discovering the rich patina and texture of old wood, it was a natural transition.