For what the horse does under compulsion is done without understanding; and there is no beauty in it either, any more than if one should whip and spur a dancer.
Xenophon
When I bestride him, I soar. I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes”
William Shakespeare
I call horses ’divine mirrors‘ – they reflect back the emotions you put in. If you put in love and respect and kindness and curiosity, the horse will return that.
Allan Hamilton
Without the horse, none of this would be possible. We owe them our lives. They give us so much and ask only for basic kindness in return. I believe that horses and humans have a connection that draws us to each other. I believe, in their own way, they know we need them, and they are pleased to be our partner, whether it be in work or sport. We need to remember never to take advantage of this privilege of working and living with horses for granted. To never lose our appreciation for what they have given us throughout the history of time, and to be sure that their relevance in our society does not fade away. This is our greatest responsibility as equestrians.”
McLain Ward
USEF Equestrian of the Year
I like to windsurf and ski, and most of all I love to ride horses. The wilder and faster the better! If I‘m presented with a fast horse or a fast boat, I still get that shiver of excitement and I cannot resist. Luckily I never seem to have any accidents, and thank God for that.
Andrea Bocelli
My horses are my friends, not my slaves
Reiner Klimke
A horse is a thing of beauty… none will tire of looking at him as long as he displays himself in his splendor.
Xenophon
There’s something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man
Winston Churchill
Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy, or beauty without vanity?
Here where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined.
He serves without servility; he has fought without enmity.
There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent; there is nothing so quick, nothing more patient.
England’s past has been borne on his back. All our history is in his industry.
We are his heirs; He is our inheritance.
Ode to the Horse by Ronald Duncan