#EHC Coffee Chat with David Ramey

Equine HistoryLeave a comment

When: Thursday February 22, 2024 17.00GMT/12.00EST/09.00PST

Where: online via Zoom:

https://zoom.us/j/97726768280?pwd=SThOTmJlTkpEQkFnRXFJSlhBby9ZQT09

Meeting ID: 977 2676 8280
Passcode: 461420

About the Coffee Chat:

David Ramey D.V.M. is a graduate of the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine. His veterinary practice is in southern California. Since graduation, Dr Ramey has not only built up a reputation for compassionate, science-based therapies for the sports and leisure horses of his clients, but also a dedicated following on social media. Through blogs, publications, and webinars, Dr. Ramey shares his down-to-earth and clear commentaries on all matters relating to health in equines. For several years he has also been working on an exciting project with an international group of scholars: bringing the content of a book on Japanese Horse Medicine dating from 1236 CE to a wider audience, through translation and publication of the text. The EHC officers are delighted that David will be joining us for a coffee chat to talk about this fascinating work – and perhaps a few practical horse care tips too.

The event is free for the current EHC members. Non-members are kindly asked to donate $3,50 to the society as the entry fee: https://equinehistory.org/donate/. Or, indeed, join the society to access this and other events for free: https://equinehistory.org/become-a-member/.
EHC logo

 

 

#EHC Coffee Chat- No Coal: No Thoroughbred

Equine HistoryLeave a comment
EHC logo

#EHC 2023: Two Days until “Close Encounters of the Equid Kind” Starts!

Equine HistoryLeave a comment

There are only two days to go until we kick off our 2023 Equine History Collective conference “Close Encounters of the Equid Kind”!!!  This hybrid event will run from September 28th-October 1, both in-person and online at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island.  Join us for 4 days of exciting talks and alternative presentations on diverse aspects of the human-equid relationship.  There is still time to register for the conference if you haven’t already done so!  To learn more about the different talks, check out the abstract booklet and conference program.

We have a number of different events planned, including a public keynote lecture on Friday night by Dr. Katherine Mooney from Florida State University who will speak on “Superhorses and Horse Girls,” and a trip to the Newport Polo Club for the Turkish Airlines Final on Saturday.

Roger Williams University and the Bristol community have 100% embraced all things equid, as several other events are taking place in conjunction with the conference, including a public talk sponsored by the Rhode Island Historical Society on Thursday evening titled “Equine History in the Ocean State” (Dr. Charlotte Carrington-Farmer and Richard Ring) as well as a reading and talk by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks on Friday, sponsored by The Friends of the Rogers Free Library, Linden Place, and Roger Williams University. It truly is going to be a 4-day equine extravaganza!!! (Note, these related events are not being run by the EHC and may not have online access, but in-person attendees will be able to participate).

Christian Kreuger, our Treasurer extraordinaire and the artist behind Fence Line Studio has designed our 2023 conference logo, and you can pick up your very own EHC conference swag sport our equine UFO via the EHC Bonfire shop.

EHC logo

#EHC Coffee Chat- Life Underground: Pit Ponies and Colliery Stables

Equine HistoryLeave a comment

The EHC officers are pleased to invite you to our next Coffee Chat where we will be discussing the history of pit ponies and their role, care, and management.

When: Monday September 4, 2023, 18.00 BST/13.00 ET/10.00 PT

Where: Online via Zoom

https://univienna.zoom.us/j/67598668524?pwd=UFR0NTRqNVI4K0UxdVdxbk5NQ0I5QT09

Meeting ID: 675 9866 8524

Passcode: 599063

About the event

Of all the working equids that have performed tasks for humans, those working in collieries have often received the greatest scrutiny.  They have been pitied, admired, and mythologised. They have been viewed as victims, co-workers, working-class heroes, and exploited innocents. To gain a comprehensive view of the lives and treatment of the equids in mining, it is important to study the treatment of human miners and their families, and to understand the unique culture of colliery village life.

To talk about this interesting and important topic, we have invited three experts. Dr David Amos is a former miner who now works as a heritage specialist for a not-for-profit educational project, Mine2Minds. Janine Buckley MA has studied both elite and colliery stables in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, and is Historic Environment Officer (Buildings) for Nottinghamshire County Council. Lisa Walker, whose ancestors worked as colliery horsemasters, is owner of Mini Pony Hire. Her ponies enjoy life as engagers at various historic sites in northeast England, including Beamish Museum’s own colliery village. Lisa’s Shetland pony Smurf, a rescue pony, won the Horse and Hound Pony of the year Award in 2019.

Lisa Walker with Marley the Shetland Pony in pit pony gear

We do hope that you can enjoy us for a chat that will be very informative, and perhaps expose a few myths about pit ponies and their treatment.

EHC logo

 

 

#EHC2023 Conference: Keynote Speaker Katherine Mooney

Equine HistoryLeave a comment

Our fifth Equine History Collective conference (and first hybrid conference) will run from September 28th-October 1st at Roger Williams University in beautiful Bristol, Rhode Island.  The theme for our conference is ‘Close Encounters of the Equid Kind,’ and we have a fantastic line up of speakers who will be considering the diverse ways humans have interacted with equids throughout history.  Stay tuned for further information about conference registration (for both in-person and online attendance) and the conference program.

We are thrilled to announce that the keynote speaker for this year’s conference is Dr. Katherine Mooney, Associate Professor of History at Florida State University.  Her research examines the cultural history of inequality in the United States.  She is the author of Race Horse Men: How Slavery and Freedom Were Made at the Racetrack (Harvard University Press, 2014) and Isaac Murphy: The Rise and Fall of a Black Jockey (Yale University Press, 2023).  Dr. Mooney will speak about ‘Superhorses and Horse Girls’ (see abstract below)

Image of Dr. Katherine Mooney
Dr. Katherine Mooney

 

Superhorses and Horse Girls

My mother bought me a mug: it says, in big letters: YOU CAN’T SCARE ME. I RIDE A MARE. The mare I ride now is the fourth mare I’ve owned. I have now also spent most of my professional life looking at horse magazines and horse people’s memoirs from the nineteenth and twentieth century, particularly in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom and in the realm of Thoroughbred raising and racing. I wasn’t looking for information about mares, but I began noticing how assumptions about them had shifted over the relatively brief history I was examining. In the nineteenth century, mares ran in open competition regularly, a practice that still persists in flat racing in Europe. But in the United States, around the turn of the century, attitudes about mares began to shift, and sex-segregated competition became the rule after World War II. I began to think about how the history of mares seemed to map with striking directness onto the history of women. Second-wave feminists embraced mares as barrier breakers; one columnist opined after Genuine Risk’s Kentucky Derby victory, “in your face, Phyllis Schlafly.” And in the twenty-first century, fans have once again idolized superstar mares like Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, and Beholder, following their journeys to the broodmare band on social media. My keynote (and my next book) focuses on the relationship of mares’ history and women’s history in the United States, and it also seeks to more deeply address what that relationship has meant to women in times of personal, professional, and historical change and struggle.  

EHC logo

Meet your New EHC Secretary!

Equine HistoryLeave a comment

The results of the recent EHC officer election are in, and we are pleased to announce that Holly Heartz has been elected as the new EHC Secretary! Holly will be taking over the Secretarial reins from Lonneke Delpeut, who has done a wonderful job in the role of Secretary for the last two years.**

About Holly

I am honoured and excited to have been chosen as your secretary. While my professional background is in nutrition as a Registered Dietitian, my journey has led me to explore various interests over my 25-year career. Among these interests include a deep fascination for horse behaviour and history, as well as fashion and textile design.

My husband and I have 2 dogs (Rally a Bernese Mountain Dog and Little Man, a rescued whippet terrier cross) and 3 horses (Gigi, my first “owned” horse, a thoroughbred, Rooster, a draft mix, and Asher, a Clydesdale).  I have always lived with and had a passion for animals. I started riding at around 8 years of age and into university, including a stint in Pony Club. I took a hiatus from riding until about a decade ago.

Besides a master’s in exercise and sports science, I have studied at Equine Guelph to obtain certifications in Equine Welfare and Equine Science.  Beyond the classroom, I have hands-on experience in equine behaviour through collaboration with certified equine behaviourists. My studies in equine behaviour and psychology allow me to appreciate the horse-human relationship that has occurred through time. 

I love the diversity of the Equine History Collective. From my previous executive committee experience (Dietitians of Canada, New Brunswick Association of Dietitians, the Public Library, International Wool Textile Organisation), I wish to improve performance and usability of the website and provision of more education opportunities.

I look forward to working with everyone and contributing to the growth and success of the organization and celebrating the rich history of our equine companions.

 

**We are still looking for someone to take on the role of Vice President, as our current VP Miriam Bibby will be stepping into the role of President. The VP is responsible for assisting the President as well as stepping into/substituting for the President as needed.  The VP also serves as the Chair of the Program Committee for the Annual Conference, which involves planning and presenting the program of the Annual Conference, developing a theme, contacting speaker candidates, soliciting and reviewing session proposals, and coordinating with the local conference committee of the host institution. The VP automatically becomes president at the expiration of the current president’s term. This is a three-year commitment: year one is spent as VP, year two as President, and year three as Past President (an ex-officio member of the board). If you are interested in joining the EHC officer team as VP or know someone who would suit the role, please email us at admin@equinehistory.org to submit a nomination!

EHC logo

Call for Nominations: Become an EHC Officer!!

Equine HistoryLeave a comment

Do you love equine history? Are you looking for ways to get more involved with the Equine History Collective as we continue to grow and develop new projects and programs such as HippoCampus (next issue, coming soon!), our annual conference, coffee chats, seminars, etc.? Do you have ideas for ways we can share our knowledge and work with diverse audiences and communities around the world?  Then come join us as one of our EHC officers!

The EHC is looking for a new Vice President and Secretary. Nominations are open to all interested individuals until July 10th, but if elected you must become a member of the EHC before taking office (if you are not already a member). Voting will take place from July 15th-18th: only EHC members with an up-to-date membership will be able to cast a vote.

The newly elected officers will shadow their predecessors over the summer, before transitioning into their official role on September 1st. You can nominate yourself, or others, by sending an e-mail to admin@equinehistory.org.

About the elected roles:
Vice-President

The VP is responsible for assisting the President as well as stepping into/substituting for the President as needed.  The VP also serves as the Chair of the Program Committee for the Annual Conference, which involves planning and presenting the program of the Annual Conference, developing a theme, contacting speaker candidates, soliciting and reviewing session proposals, and coordinating with the local conference committee of the host institution. The VP automatically becomes president at the expiration of the current president’s term.

This is a three-year commitment: year one is spent as VP, year two as President, year three as Past President (an ex-officio member of the board).

Secretary

The Secretary is responsible for producing and maintaining written reports and records related to the EHC and its activities, as well as managing communications with members and subscribers. This includes sending official emails to members and subscribers about EHC events, other events of interest, CFPs, and the EHC newsletter through MailChimp.  The secretary maintains the EHC handbook, maintains and organizes reports from meetings, summarizes board meetings and action items, and gives notice of meetings. They are also involved in updating and maintaining member lists.

This is a two-year commitment.

If you have any questions about these roles, or would like to nominate someone (including yourself) please get in touch by emailing admin@equinehistory.org

EHC logo

#HippoCampus: Volume 2 Call For Submissions!

Equine HistoryLeave a comment

We hope that you all enjoyed the inaugural edition of HippoCampus, the online magazine for Equine History Collective members. We’ve certainly received lots of positive feedback. It’s time for our next call for articles and this time we’re promoting a theme that’s close to our hearts.

The HippoCampus logo

Our HippoCampus logo and title reflect the ongoing fascination with fabulous and mysterious animals, especially those with equine or equid characteristics. Now, we’re turning our attention to another fantastic equid: the unicorn.

Did you know that the 9th April is National Unicorn Day in the UK? The unicorn is famously Scotland’s national animal. Unicorns also have meaning and symbolism for diverse communities for diverse reasons. Help us celebrate unicorns together, internationally and inclusively, with photos, artwork, imagery, and words in our next issue of HippoCampus.

The Unicorn Rests in a Garden. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cloisters 1495-1505

 

Share your experiences and encounters with unicorns in every kind of space: books, movies, on the street, and in artwork and historic artefacts. What’s more, our next photo competition gives you the opportunity to share your own images of unicorns anywhere and everywhere. “Encountering Unicorns” is the theme, and for those of you who would like to develop it more academically, why not prepare a paper for our forthcoming conference hosted by Roger Williams University in September 2023?

Don’t forget you can also submit reviews, views, good-read suggestions, research updates, good news stories, and more, with or without unicorns!  

  • Brief stories about successes in your research or equine endeavours
  • Updates about research projects (keep it light and lively though, as this is a magazine rather than a scholarly journal)
  • Memorials of hooved and human inspirations
  • Historical notes of the “Did you know?” or “I found this!” variety
  • Vexing questions for the membership to answer
  • Photos of you and your study buddies/support networks, four-legged or otherwise
  • Reviews of equid-related fiction, non-fiction, travel destinations, films, exhibits, and conferences

Send your questions, photos, and other contributions to communications@equinehistory.org by May 1, 2023.  Don’t forget: HippoCampus is available to members of the Equine History Collective only, and if you’d like to continue to have access to the magazine, you need to join the EHC.

And finally: a big thank you to secretary Lonneke Delpeut for the theme proposal. Lonneke’s own fascination with unicorns is, as the saying goes in academic circles, well-documented, and we’re pretty sure she’ll be planning something special for this issue!

 

 

Introducing HippoCampus!

Equine HistoryLeave a comment

The officers of the Equine History Collective wish a Happy New Year 2023 to all our members!

We’re starting off our new year events and activities for you with a call for submissions to the inaugural issue of HippoCampus, our new quarterly magazine. It’s exclusively for EHC members, and we want to hear about you and your work. We’re looking for lively reads about things you’ve discovered, places you’ve been, and books and people that have inspired you. We want to hear about your equine (and other non-human) friends and colleagues too! Plus photos!

Be inspired and inspire others too, through HippoCampus! Submissions for the first issue should be made by 25th January 2023. For full details of how to submit your features and photos, and for further details on the publication, see the attached flyer.

If you are not yet an EHC member but would like to join, you can find out more about membership and sign up here.

 

 

 

#EHC Coffee Chat: Happy Horsidays!!!

Equine HistoryLeave a comment

When: Tuesday December 20th 9am PST/noon EST/17:00 GMT

Where: Online via Zoom.  Register for the link here.

Join us on Tuesday December 20th for our very festive Happy Horsidays Coffee Chat! Let’s close out the year together with fun, festivities, and of course, some equid related learning.

Trivent Publishing has two fascinating new volumes in their Rewriting Equestrian History series.  Anastasija Ropa will tell us about one of these books: Historical Practices in Horsemanship and Equestrian Sports which she edited with Timothy Dawson, which is now available for pre-order through Trivent. 

Miriam Bibby will talk about the other forthcoming volume, which she edited: Saints and Sinners on Horseback.

We will also be revealing the details for an exciting new EHC members initiative: our very own online magazine, Hippocampus! We can’t wait to tell you all about it and to have members get involved with our very first issue.

Princess Anne letting us know that she is a jousting horse, not a festive reindeer. Photo: Society of Tilt and Lance Cavalry

Speaking of Hippocampus and member submissions, you can get a head start by joining in our festive critters photo shoot as part of this Coffee Chat. Submit your favourite critter-related holiday photos to president@equinehistory.org by Sunday December 18th and we will include them in our festive critters slideshow. Humans can be included in the photos, but they must be accompanied by a non-human critter. The owner of the winning photo will receive a copy of Trivent’s Historical Practices in Horsemanship and Equestrian Sports, and all member entries have the option of being included in the photo gallery section of the first issue of Hippocampus.

Finally, what is a holiday get together without some wonderful festive storytelling? Our EHC VP, Miriam, will regale us with a ghostly tale for the season that includes horses and archaeology, and we hope that some of you will have some festive-esque equid or other critter stories/folktales/myths etc. to share as well!