The Horse: An Exhibit at the Field Museum

Mother nature seems loathe to let winter go in the Chicago area. Temps below freezing, icy blasts of wind, snow flurries and only the occasional peek of the sun from behind high flying clouds have kept most of us either bundled up or indoors.

The promise of spring and warmer weather has left most of us horse lovers yearning for more! As we patiently wait for the sun to come out, the paddocks to dry out and the outdoor arenas to be dragged there are some fun things that we can do.

The Field Museum is holding a special exhibition called The Horse. The special exhibit opened mid- February and runs through August.


This is what Chicago CBS had to say about it:

CHICAGO (CBS) – Equestrians and horse lovers will flock to the Field Museum starting Wednesday, as a new exhibit opens depicting horses as the most important animal to ever interact with humans.

The exhibit, called “The Horse,” shows how humans domesticated the horse and includes a timeline on how their relationships with humans evolved.

Visitors can explore more than 200 breeds and learn why horses can stand all day without becoming fatigued.

Items on display include a full suit of armor from 15th century Germany and a 19th century horse-drawn fire engine. Also on display is a life-size, interactive video looking inside a horse,

“Experience the beauty, grace, and strength of these extraordinary animals through a high-definition projection of a horse in motion. Set to the sound of thundering hoof beats, the footage highlights the horse’s lithe musculature and movement,” the museum says.

Fossils, and cave paintings showing the relationship between horses and prehistoric man will be on display. There will also be a re-creation of the archaeological site of Krasnyi Yar in Kazakhstan, where researchers have found a 5,000-year-old village that shows early signs of horse domestication, according to the museum.

The exhibit will review how humans have used domesticated horses in warfare and work in coal mines, to trade, transportation and sports.

Finally, three videos will be on display documenting people’s bonds with horses, including a disabled girl who is involved in therapeutic riding; a mounted police officer; and a teenage cowgirl.

“The Horse” opened Wednesday, and runs through Aug. 14.

So, my fellow Chicago Equestrians, have you been downtown to see the exhibit yet? I am very curious to hear some opinions...

Dinner at Ledges Winter Series

Last night Chicago Equestrian sponsored dinner for the attendees and riders at Showplace Productions Winter Series at Ledges in Roscoe Illinois.

I must say what a great time we had! Dinner of course was a huge hit and every last bit of delicious lasagna, salad, sandwiches and of course yummy deserts were gone by the end of the evening. We really had a lot of fun chatting it up with all the area riders, trainers and parents. It was nice to be able to just mingle and talk horses. No better way to do it than good food, great people, interesting conversation and watching the jumpers go around. 

Walking through the barn aisles and handing out flyer's gave me the opportunity to chat with everyone. Reminding them about dinner and breakfast, talked about the website, asked people about things they would find interesting or things that they would like to see on the website. And who doesn't like walking through the barns... you get to see the horses, check out the ribbons and see every ones smart barn setups.

 

I also spent some time with my camera out, we all know how I love to shoot pictures! I must admit that shooting action shoots, indoors at night without a flash is just not an easy task. Did my best to get some fun shots of the festivities to share with everyone. 

Meanwhile, Brenda manned the table and had her laptop out and setup to show off the website and to of course talk with all the professionals.  

Winter series at Ledges is always such an intimate affair and we want to thank everyone that came out last night to enjoy the horse show, partake in our dinner and a special thanks to all the new subscribers! 

Chicago Equestrian Sponsoring Dinner and Breakfast

It actually feels like Spring is here!! The windows are wide open, the barn doors are open and the horses all have a serious case of Spring Fever.

Us ladies from Chicago Equestrian will be up at Ledges this Friday evening and Saturday morning. Brenda has been hard at work putting together a dinner and breakfast to support Chicago's area riders.

If you are at Ledges showing this weekend make sure to stop by and say Hi!, Grab a bite to eat, put your name in for a free drawing of shin boots and tell us whats going on in your horse world! We really want to know!!


If your not showing but just coming to watch the Jumpers Friday night or the Hunters Saturday morning we still want you to stop by! It's going to be tons of fun :)

Chicago Area Participants of Emerging Athletes Program

Chicago had two young riders that experienced the USHJA's Emerging Athletes Program upper levels. Anna Hallene made it all the way to the Horsemastership Class and Lauren Ditallo made it to the Level 3 Training class.

Anna Hallene of Hinsdale, IL successfully completed all 3 levels of training sessions which earned her a coveted spot in the 2011 US Equestrian Federation's George H Morris Horsemastership Training Session in January at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL.

There is an excellent article on Anna's experience in the EAP program on our website, Chicago Equestrian. Make sure to head on over and read all about her exciting adventure!


Congratulations to all the Chicago area riders who are participating in this exciting USHJA program! For more information in the Emerging Athletes Program visit the USHJA website.
 

Where will we be this show season?

If you are going to be horse showing in the Chicago area this season keep a look out for the gals from Chicago Equestrian!

We are planning on lots of different things. We are sponsoring some NIHJA Derby classes, we will be covering the Midwest Horse Fair Nutrena Grand Prix in Madison, WI. You will see our happy faces at Lamplight and Ledges as well as a bunch of other areas shows. Don't be surprised if you see a Chicago Equestrian sponsored fence in a class or two!

Let us know if you have an event coming up that you would like covered in the Chicago Equestrian online magazine. You certainly don't want to miss out on this opportunity to connect with the Chicago area equestrian community.

See you around!