RECREATION & LIFESTYLE

Recreation & Lifestyle

Welcome to Recreation & Lifestyle, which includes leisure riding and other aspects of the equestrian lifestyle for you and your horse loving friends and family.

Looking for the perfect present? See the Gifts & Jewelry section. Redecorating? Find a Painting, Photograph or Sculpture in the Artwork section. Need to check out a movie or crawl up with a good book or magazine? See our Entertainment section where you will find and Books, Movies, Games, and Magazines. And don't forget about Fine Art in some specialty Museums that might surprise you.

Looking for love or a trail buddy? Riding Partners is the spot to seek other riders who share your passion. Find a place to ride with that special person in our Trail Riding section and if you need more time away, take a look at Vacations. Want to know about the next horse show or special event? Don’t miss it! Dates and locations are included in the Calendar of Events for Recreation & Lifestyle.

Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!

There is a long history of horses in films and TV, from spaghetti westerns to modern-day classics such as War Horse.

Sometimes, the actors and actresses look as comfortable in the saddle as anyone, whilst with others, their discomfort is plain to see. In some instances, the stars even have stunt doubles to perform their riding scenes, such is their inability to effectively control their mount.

In flicks such as Secretariat, a lot of basic handling seemingly goes out the window, whilst other low-budget movies and TV shows often cannot stretch to training riders for prolonged periods of time. With a larger budget, some excellent riding can be taught over time, and some stars are even good enough for experienced riders to spot and commend.

Viggo Mortensen, for instance, has been known to buy his horses after filming and is a well-known equine fan. He even purchased the horse who played Shadowfax in Lord of the Rings, and not for the first time.

"I bought the one [horse] in Lord of the Rings even though I wasn't with him all the time, I just developed a real good friendship with him,” said the star, who played Aragorn. “His name is Eurayus. He kind of came into the movie like the way I did. You know, did not have much preparation and was just thrown in and had to swim, basically. And it was rough on him and it took a while for us to kind of get in sync and for him to be comfortable around the set.”

by the Equine Info Exchange Editorial Team

It has been a challenging year for most people and a heartbreaking time for many of us. We recently lost an advisor who quickly became a good friend, Bonnie Marlewski-Probert. We first met Bonnie prior to the launch of the global equine website EquineInfoExchange.com, and she quickly became the “go-to” woman for many aspiring writers and fledgling small business owners whom she encouraged to “push off the edge of the pool” and not to fear sinking. If there’s something about business or technology which she didn’t know (which only happened occasionally), she would research it, learn it, do it, then teach it to anyone who wanted to learn too.

She shared her news with us when she was first diagnosed with colon cancer and then spent two fervent years battling it while writing about her personal journey. Always upbeat, Bonnie was a fighter until the end – many didn’t realize the degree of her illness until she passed away.

We will remember her as a strong and independent, determined woman who had more energy than the Energizer bunny. In her 20’s she ran her own horse farm. She trained many young people to ride and love horses as she did. She was an accomplished author, wrote over 1000 articles for various magazines, was a syndicated columnist, and published many books. She also owned her own publishing company, Whitehall Publishing, where she helped authors through the book publishing process, provided marketing services, and helped build brands. Through this endeavor, she helped hundreds of people realize their dreams of becoming authors and telling their tales. Through her company, Bonnie also worked with many nonprofits to help them raise funds for their charities.

Bonnie is survived by her husband Keith Probert and three sisters, Deb Marlewski, Marie Laschinski, and Pam Marlewski. Per her wishes, please follow the guidelines from the American Cancer Society for cancer screening. An ounce of prevention is worth 100 pounds of cure.

Shortly before her passing, she posted a quote by Mary Anne Radmacher: "Courage does not always roar, sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”

by Rae Rankin

Named Best Children's Book at the 2019 Equus Film and Arts Festival!

For every kid who loves horses. Cowgirl Lessons is a charming story of a girl gathering her gear to head out to the farm and take her weekly riding lesson. From her exasperated mother digging her lost boot from her laundry mound to driving to the barn to see the horse she loves, this story paints the picture of one girl's devotion to horses. Cowgirl Lessons is inspired by a real girl, Duchess the horse, and all the little girls who took their first riding lessons on the sweetest horse ever.

Here's an excerpt!

The first thing I need is a great pair of jeans,
Momma found this pair in a cowgirl magazine.
These are the coolest blue britches I ever did own,
With a horseshoe on the pocket and tiny rhinestones.

From the depths of my closet I grab a clean shirt,
Not one that is covered in grimy, brown dirt.
I pick out my favorite, which is totally cool,
It says in bright letters, “Cowgirls Rule!”

I can’t find my left boot, it’s nowhere to be found,
I look under the bed and through my huge laundry mound.
Momma finds it real quick, she has eyes like a hawk,
I take it from her without as much as a squawk.

Distant Skies: An American Journey on Horseback from Horse & Rider Books

By Melissa A. Priblo Chapman

Rainy, Gypsy, and I enjoyed the quiet trail much of the day, but it came to an abrupt end, feeding out onto a busy road just as it clouded up and started to rain with gusto. All three of us stood at the edge of the pavement, shocked by the soaking downpour, when I heard someone shouting.

“Over here! Right here!” A barely visible figure on the other side of the street was waving and jumping up and down. I looked for a break in the traffic and urged Rainy across the road.

The man continued shouting, even though I stopped right in front of him. “Hey! Are you the girl who’s riding the horse around the world?”

I laughed and nodded as he gestured for me to follow him down a driveway and through a garage door. I leaned over and put Gypsy on the ground, then pulled off my hood and jumped down from the saddle. I was surprised to find myself surrounded by people in white aprons, beaming at us. Everyone was talking at once, and I heard several comments of disbelief that “Louie” was actually backing his Cadillac out into the rain for us.

Melissa, her horse Rainy, and her dog Gypsy (photo courtesy of Melissa Chapman)

We’d stumbled upon Louie’s Coral Lounge, a tavern and restaurant tucked in the hills of western Pennsylvania. It was Louie himself who pulled me, with Gypsy at my heels, into the kitchen of the restaurant, assuring me his workers would take good care of Rainy while I had something to eat. He handed me a bunch of white tablecloths to use to dry myself off.

“We got a horse in the garage!” Louie proudly informed the staff as he led me through a set of swinging doors into the dining area.

An excerpt from the novel "In the Reins" by Carly Kade

I felt hot, embarrassed and self-conscious. If I was going to win this cowboy over and get him to train us, I was going to have to learn his rules and follow them. A soft nicker broke my self-admonishment, and there she was. Faith was calling to me, soothing my frayed nerves, slowing the pace of my heart, offering peace in her wide brown eyes, ears pricked forward at my presence almost as if she sensed this was a different kind of day, the kind of day plump with opportunity and heavy with newness.

Faith was my gravity. She brought me back to earth and out of my head. I opened the heavy stall door, and she blinked expectantly at me, pushing her muzzle into the palm of my hand, her breath warm and moist on my skin. I put my chin to my shoulder and demurely peeked over it to catch a glimpse of McKennon. He was at Star’s side, hand on his stallion’s neck as Star continued his strain against the cross ties.

“Whoa now, boy,” he purred, steely eyes on me, catching my glance. “Whoa,” he murmured, his voice like silk running over my eardrums.

The stallion flexed his neck upward, ear turned toward him, and relaxed his head low in the cross ties at McKennon’s wiry hip, calm again in the width of his palm.

Watching, I clung to Faith as she pressed her blaze to my chest. I took a slight step backward as she nudged me out of the stall into the aisle. I wrapped my arms around her sorrel and white painted head, across either side of her jowl, and under her throat, letting Faith’s contentment at my presence press into me. Calm washed over me, and I stole a second over-the-shoulder look at McKennon as he adjusted the leathers at Star’s side. I sighed at the spectacular realization that I had never really allowed myself to believe that real cowboys might actually exist, especially not one with brains and killer blue eyes, alive and breathing in my barn. This man was a real cowboy, not on the big screen, in my dreams or in my imagination, but here in my barn.

by Heather Wallace

My first time independently on a horse was…interesting.

I was what you would call a horse-obsessed child. Shocking, I know. Instead of imaginary friends I had an imaginary barn full of horses in my backyard. I dreamed of owning a barn one day and breeding Arabians, because they were the most beautiful horses I could dream of at the time. I had stuffed horses, Breyer horses, and read as many fiction and non-fiction horse books as I could get my hands on. Obsessed? Perhaps. I prefer extremely passionate.

There is something inherently noble and graceful about horses. The fact that they trust humans, and allow us to share their lives, is a never ending blessing for me. We all have something we feel connected to- and for me it has always been horses.

I begged to do pony rides at every local circus, party, or event I attended as a child. My parents would shake their heads and laugh, but it was so exciting!

My first independent experience on horseback didn’t go the way I’d dreamed and planned. In fact, it didn’t really go at all.

Family vacations should be filled with wonderful memories. And they usually are quite memorable. The petty family squabbles or sisterly bickering takes a back seat to the new and amazing experiences. You mostly remember the good times. A trick of our brains that make us do it again and again.

So goes our family trip to Arizona when I was about 9 years old. I can still see the dust kicking up as our rental car pulled into the stable yard. My young brain did not take into account the details of the landscape, or the wooden sign marked “Trail Rides”. Oh no, the anticipation of riding a horse in the desert like a cowgirl was all that I could imagine. Finally, my daydreams and backyard imaginings were coming true. I was a cowgirl!

Well, the day dream and the reality could not have been farther apart.

Donnie Crevier: Vintage Cars and Fast Horses

In a vast cavern of a building like an aircraft-hanger just a tad more than a stone’s throw from Newport Beach is a sparkling chrome vista that would set any motorhead’s heart a flutter. This waltz through recent history takes you from a sturdy-looking 1931 Ford Model A to a plushly upholstered 1948 Hudson Commodore to a 1956 Ford Thunderbird Convertible the color of a brightly polished London bus, and onwards.

The oldest, most venerable member of the gang is an open-topped 1911 Hudson Speedster—a throw-back to a bygone era of over-sized motor-goggles and Ahooga horns and white scarves fluttering in the wind. Among the rarest is a ’42 Hudson Super Six Wagon—one of only a few surviving “Woodies.”

When Tammy Pate was first dreaming about Art of the Cowgirl, bringing together experienced western artists with aspiring makers and providing mentorship was the ultimate goal. Now in its third year, the Art of the Cowgirl event attracts thousands of guests and generates the funds and support necessary to bring Pate’s dream to life.

“I thought it was very important that we honor women in the industry and let them be mentors,” Pate says. “Our Fellowship Program encourages arts and trades among western women, both continuing tradition and inspiring innovation.”

Art of the Cowgirl’s Fellowship Program provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for western artists to learn or refine their passion with some of the most talented makers in the business. Whether it’s fine art, functional trade or horsemanship, Art of the Cowgirl Fellowships seek to enrich, empower and educate, while honoring western heritage.

Melinda Van Dyck (photo by Shawna Simmons)

By Hope Ellis-Ashburn

Portraits by Shawna Simmons

Actress Melinda Van Dyck is a lifelong equestrian with Hollywood roots. The daughter of thespian Joan Bennett and screenwriter and producer Gene Markey, she was born in the 1930s and raised in the bright lights of Hollywood, California. While her childhood was unusual for most, it wasn’t uncommon for her social group.

Growing up on South Mapleton Drive in nearby Homby Hills, Melinda was surrounded by neighbors who composed a who’s who list of old-world Hollywood including Art Linkletter, Liza Minelli, Ronald Reagan, Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart and Bing Crosby. Her father, also a United States Navy rear admiral, counted John Wayne among his best friends.

Later in life, Melinda reconnected with Ronald Reagan. Since she and the future president had once been neighbors, she attended a rally during his candidacy. She was delighted to be given the opportunity to speak with him and to learn that he not only remembered her but fondly recalled her mother as well.

Johnny Depp and Silver during the filming of The Long Ranger (photo credit Flickr: Wonderlane)

By Louise Dando for Equine Info Exchange

Equestrians around the world may have different opinions on many topics, but all agree on one universal experience: falling or being thrown from a horse is the worst part of riding. Whether seasoned or novice, all agree that this common experience can be frightening, embarrassing and annoying—sometimes, all in the same moment. Despite this, I find consolation in the knowledge that it happens to everyone. These celebrities all have taken tumbles off of their horses. Read on and decide: who do you think suffered the worst fall?

Johnny Depp - During the filming of The Lone Ranger, Johnny Depp was thrown from his horse and narrowly missed being trampled. As the horses picked up speed, Depp's steed started bucking, causing the actor to lose his grip and fall to the side. The horse continued to gallop as Depp clung to its mane, before eventually falling onto the ground. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Depp said “There was one moment in particular where it got unpleasant… My horse decided to jump a couple of obstacles in the desert but the horse was unaware that the saddle was fake - to give the effect that I was riding bareback. So when we came down the saddle slipped and I went to the left, and grabbed the mane of the horse. And then the next thing I saw were these very muscular horse legs, this death machine, and one word popped into my head: "Hooves". I figured fear would kick in but it didn't, I was very calm.”

Audrey Hepburn had a bad riding accident while filming the western The Unforgiven in 1959. Her horse was spooked by one of the crew members and the pregnant actress was thrown, breaking her back in four places. Also, one of her feet suffered a bad sprain. Hepburn recovered in six weeks from the back and ankle injuries and was able to finish filming — but sadly, the fall caused her to miscarry her baby. Fortunately, she did give birth to her first child, Sean, less than a year later.