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The Long Riders Guild Academic Foundation |
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Equestrian Wisdom & History Books Astonishing Rides, Rescues & Races
Website designed by Basha O'Reilly
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Rise in Large Scale Equine Starvation Cases Highlights Urgent Need for Social Change and Legal Action. Because of its constant access to international equestrian developments, and thanks to a network of allied equestrian editors and journalists, the Long Riders' Guild Academic Foundation has been monitoring the alarming rise of large scale equine neglect in the United States and Canada. A survey of international news stories revealed an 800% increase in the last year, confirming that the LRG's misgivings about the rise of equine neglect were not only correct, they were in fact far worse than we suspected.
Because of various historical, social and scientific factors, the Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation has launched the Voices of Authority program. It is an ongoing, international, multi-lingual project which includes Question & Answer interviews gathered from the world’s leading equestrian experts, including university scientists, college professors, leading authors, independent researchers, social activists, crusading editors, ground-breaking artists and museum curators. Designed to inspire the spirit of academic cooperation, and nurture an interest in all forms of equestrian science, the VoA program includes answers and insights that will surprise our readers.
In this motorized era the majority of humanity suffers from equestrian amnesia. Consequently finding correct facts about horses, saddles, distances, etc. is increasingly difficult, which explains why the LRG-AF routinely receives requests from authors in desperate need of truthful equestrian knowledge which they can incorporate into their work. To help encourage equestrian literary accuracy the Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation commissioned the creation of the most precise and detailed Equestrian Writer’s Guide ever created. Leading the project was author Susan Craft, who had incorporated the LRG-AF’s equestrian advice into her own fictional work. Assisted by an international team of published, best-selling Long Rider authors, the result is an extraordinary set of equestrian facts, figures, distances and writing rules which reflect the honesty of true equestrian experience.
The Economic Impact of a Ban on Horse Slaughter – The LRG-AF has launched a new section devoted to the study of equine slaughter and hippophagy, the practice of eating horse meat. Highlighting this vital international effort is the ground-breaking research project undertaken by North American equestrian researcher, Michael Shane North. In a special thesis written for the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, the author reveals stunning facts and figures which explain the tremendous social and financial implications connected to the operation of American equine slaughter facilities. This landmark document makes for prophetic reading.
Savin’ All My Love for You – It was the 1920s and a new product called Ken-L-Ration dog food was an instant hit. The only problem was that the plant’s owner needed hundreds of thousands of horses to fill the cans of dog food he was selling. After having decimated the domestic horse population, the plant owner unleashed an unprecedented assault on America’s wild horse herds. The result was horse slaughter on an unimaginable scale, with the Ken-L-Ration company bleeding the country dry of horses in its quest for even greater profits. That’s when one man single handedly attempted to stop the equinocide. The result was a war over the fate the nation’s horses which still rages today.
Reflections on Equine Totemism – Before he became widely known as one of America’s leading anthropologists, Princeton Professor John Borneman was an equestrian scholar and avid dressage rider who studied at the German Equestrian Olympic School. Thanks to his unique combination of hands-on equine knowledge, and academic insight, Borneman created a landmark study in order to complete his Ph.D. at Harvard University. The result was an investigation into how breeds are culturally constructed and are structured on the model of ethnicity in the US. Considered a milestone in equestrian scholarship, Professor Borneman’s updated study presents the North American and European horse world in an exciting and startling new manner.
Siberia’s Yakut Horses – Though the world is full of strange and exotic horses, few can equal the amazing abilities of Siberia’s extraordinary Yakut horses, who routinely endure winters with temperatures which dip down to minus sixty. Thanks to a study written by Pearl Duval, and appearing courtesy of the Association Quebec a Cheval, these astonishing equine survivors are examined in depth.
Deciphering Mankind’s First Equestrian Training Text – While the debate may still rage regarding who first rode the horse, historians credit the Mittani horse trainer, Kikkuli, for having composed mankind’s first equestrian training manual. Approximately 4,000 years ago the mighty Hittite kingdom needed horses to draw their deadly chariots into battle. It was Kikkuli who not only devised a 184 day training regime for the horses, additionally he recorded his methods on clay tablets. While previous studies have inspected a portion of this ancient wisdom, the noted Kikkuli expert, Peter Raulwing, has authored an exhaustive illustrated study which reveals many new insights into this still fascinating equestrian work.
To Amaze the People: Newcastle’s Horsemanship Manuals – One cannot study mankind’s attempts to understand, and train, the horse without considering the remarkable career of English horseman, William Cavendish, the Duke of Newcastle. In 1658 Newcastle authored one of the world’s most enlightened books on equestrian training. British writer and Newcastle scholar, Dr. Elaine Walker, has undertaken an in-depth study of the Duke's horsemanship manuals, considering them as key texts in the history of the relationship between humans and the horse. This academic research paper is a prequel to her forthcoming analysis of the famous Duke, his books and his horses. Additionally, Walker will also be releasing a new annotated edition of Newcastle’s second horsemanship manual of 1667. Both books will soon be available via the Long Riders’ Guild Press and will be featured in the Equestrian Wisdom and History Collection.
Trust – It’s a small word, yet this single concept has always laid at the heart of the horse-human connection. How can two animals, who in many ways differ so dramatically, manage to overcome their differences and create such a unique emotional and physical team? British equestrian expert Emma Kurrels investigates the topic of trust.
University Level Equestrian History Course Launched – Western Carolina University recently authorized Professor David Dorondo to teach the first class of its kind, entitled The Horse In European History. During a recent interview, Dorondo reflected on his belief that educators have “an enormous historical responsibility not to allow the collective memory of human-horse relations to die away.” The ground-breaking lecture series uses two titles in the Long Riders’ Guild’s Equestrian Wisdom and History Collection as texts.
Don’t get scammed on Internet Horse Deals – We all know about the various scam artists who infest the internet. They prowl online classified sites intent on making a tidy profit by pretending to sell bogus Rolex watches or offering to share millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains, if only you’ll reveal your bank details. Sadly, a new type of internet equestrian criminal has now appeared. This one attempts to defraud people into believing that they can obtain a $30,000 Friesian horse in exchange for paying the nominal cost $3,000 involved in transporting the animal to the new owner. Once the funds have been transferred, the sting is complete as there is no horse, nor anyway to trace the criminal. With the assistance of the LRG-AF, a counter internet action against these sly thieves has been enacted by horse owners world-wide.
Equestrian Deception – After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the Americans vowed revenge. One of the strangest demonstrations of that national obsession was the country’s determination to capture the white charger rode by Emperor Hirohito. According to propaganda widely circulated at the conclusion of the war, the legendary horse was paraded in triumph across the United States. Yet LRG-AF researcher Judi Daly has uncovered evidence indicating that the Emperor’s horse was never captured and that an elaborate equestrian deception was perpetrated on the public.
In Defense of the Horse: Major General John K. Herr, Chief of Cavalry – With the rise of the motorized age, the majority of politicians were calling for the disbanding of the American mounted forces. Sadly, many officers agreed with this short sighted decision. Not General Herr. He fought a heroic defense of the mounted soldier, arguing that the tactical strengths of the cavalry charger, and the pack mule, could be adapted to modern warfare. Though Herr was out voted, and the cavalry disbanded, recent events in Afghanistan have proved him right. Robert Seals, a retired Army Special Forces officer who has previously documented other cavalry events, has produced a special report for the LRG-AF which thoroughly explains Herr’s attempts to keep the US army mounted.
The Horse that led Lahore to War – There have been many stories of mighty horses who went to war, but none were so magnificent that they inspired not one, but two wars to be fought over them. Asl-I-Laila was the horse of such legendary beauty that his owner hung the famous Koh-I-Noor diamond round his neck.
A Day in the Life of a Cavalry Troop Horse – Thanks to a former Cavalry general in India, this timeless illustrated story explains how the mount of an ordinary sowar saw life back in the days of the Bengal Lancers.
The Remarkable Ride of General Miles – It was the summer of 1903. The temperature was soaring around the 100 degree mark. The man in the saddle was sixty-three-years old and his employer, the US Army, was forcing him to retire in a few months time. Ahead of him were two options. He could either fade into obscurity or he could ride 90 miles from Fort Reno to Fort Sill, just to prove that he still had the grit that had made him famous. Could Medal of Honour winner General Nelson Miles, who had served in the Civil War, the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American War make such a ride? He could – and he did !
Hot off the Press – An extraordinary series of Historical News stories containing startling reports from the recent past including the stable fire that killed more than a thousand horses and the horse that travelled 55,000 miles.
Ireland’s Forgotten Cowboys – Though history books focus on Texans taking long horn cattle to Dodge City, in fact it was Irish riders, driving cattle to Boston in the 1670s, who started the legend of the North American cowboy.
The Sea Horses of Hamburg - It takes a seasoned urban explorer like famed travel-writer, Duncan J. D. Smith, to uncover one of the world's most astonishing equestrian journeys. Though Hollywood has dedicated miles of film to stories about cavalry charges, Pony Express Riders and daredevil steeplechase jockeys, when it comes to cool nerve the story of the Sea Horses of Hamburg rules the roost. These amazing equines pull carriages through the ocean for two hours to a distant island off the coast of Germany.
The Horse and the Nakkaskhana – The ancient city of Lahore is rightly known for many things including beauty and art, however its fabled streets were once crowded with hordes of horses. Here is a tale of that lost equestrian legacy.
Strider: The Story of Tolstoy’s Horse – Considered one of the most powerful equestrian tales ever written, Strider was written by Russia’s legendary author, Count Leo Tolstoy. It tells the story of Kholstomer, translated as Strider in English. Tolstoy’s timeless tale recounts a horse whose journey through life in many ways mirrors that of Black Beauty.
Tea with Tolstoy – Thomas Stevens had already made a name for himself by becoming the first man in history to bicycle around the world. Nevertheless, upon returning to New York his newspaper editor ordered to undertake another trip. This time he was to “ride across Russia on a mustang.” Not only did Stevens make the journey, along the way he stayed with Russia’s avid horseman, and celebrated author, Count Leo Tolstoy.
With its treasure trove of rare books, documents, images and contacts, the LRG-AF continues to encourage the creation of new equestrian research papers, investigative articles and books by talented writers and authors. There is an overabundance of neglected equestrian ideas, personalities, and practices which could serve as inspiration for writers and authors. To view some of these important story ideas on offer, please click here.
The Man Eater of Lucknow – It’s one of the modern horse world’s most enduring myths, that the horse is a placid, grass eating, peaceful animal who is frightened of that predator known as man. In a preamble to a forthcoming study into meat-eating horses, the LRG-AF is publishing the story of the infamous equine that terrorized India.
Support the LRG-AF A Request from the Founders of the Long Riders’ Guild We are asking you to make a donation to support the LRG and the LRG-AF. Basha and CuChullaine O’Reilly began The Guild website in early 2001, and since then they have been amazed at the thousands of people who have written with questions regarding equestrian travel, and who have enthusiastically thanked them for the help and advice found on the LRG and LRG-AF websites. If each of them had donated one dollar, there would be no need to make this appeal. CuChullaine and Basha have literally given nine years of their lives and funds to build this treasure-trove of open source equestrian wisdom, much of which might have been irretrievably lost had they not recovered and published it as a public service on the Internet. There is a need to protect the commercial-free websites where this ground-breaking equestrian research is maintained, so as to ensure that the world’s riders, readers and researchers continue to have access to mankind’s endangered equestrian wisdom.
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