Southeast Equine Magazine

09/06/2026

Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker

09/04/2026

🐴 Twenty-eight horses were shown nothing but a photograph of a stranger's face, and their heart rates rose faster, and they turned their left eye toward it, when the face in the picture was angry.

The study was published in Biology Letters in February 2016 by Amy Smith, Leanne Proops, Kate Grounds, Jennifer Wathan and Karen McComb of the University of Sussex. Horses at riding yards across Sussex were shown large photographs of unfamiliar men, either angry or happy.

Two things were measurable. The horses preferred to view the angry faces with the left eye, and the left visual field feeds the right hemisphere, which in many species handles threat. Their heart rates also climbed more quickly.

The follow-up, in Current Biology on 26 April 2018, went further. McComb, Proops, Grounds and Smith showed horses a photograph of a person looking angry or happy, then introduced them to that actual person hours later, now with a neutral face. The horses behaved more negatively toward the individual they had seen photographed angry. The effect was person-specific, and did not spread to anyone else.

The horses had never met these people. Everything they responded to came off photographic paper, which rules out scent, voice, tension on the rein and any unconscious cue from a handler.

Do you think your horse reads your face, or your body?

09/03/2026

Hi I am Orville I help children discover kindness, responsibility, and other good character traits.

09/02/2026

🌟🐴 Bianca Vogel & Roquefort 16: An Extraordinary Partnership of Courage, Elegance and Excellence 🐴🌟

There are some partnerships in equestrian sport that make you stop, watch and admire. Bianca Vogel and Roquefort 16 are undoubtedly one of them. 💙

Together in the dressage arena, they represent something truly special: determination, trust, elegance and an inspiring commitment to excellence. Bianca’s achievements as a Paralympic dressage rider deserve enormous admiration, while the beautiful partnership she shares with Roquefort 16 is a wonderful example of everything that makes para equestrian sport so remarkable. 🏆🐎

💙 A Truly Inspirational Rider

Bianca Vogel deserves tremendous praise for the dedication and skill required to compete in Paralympic dressage.

Dressage at this level demands extraordinary concentration. Every transition, every turn and every carefully controlled movement depends upon communication between horse and rider. Bianca demonstrates that communication with remarkable determination and composure. 🌟

There is something particularly admirable about seeing an athlete pursue excellence while adapting conventional riding techniques to suit their individual abilities.

Rather than allowing physical limitations to define what is possible, Bianca demonstrates what can be achieved through talent, perseverance, ingenuity and an exceptional relationship with a horse.

That deserves not simply recognition, but genuine applause. 👏💐

🐴 Magnificent Roquefort 16

And then there is Roquefort 16 — Bianca's magnificent equine partner. ❤️

A para dressage horse has an incredibly important responsibility. Sensitivity, patience, intelligence and trust are essential qualities, because the horse must understand the rider's individual aids and respond confidently to subtle communication.

Watching Bianca and Roquefort 16 together beautifully demonstrates why dressage is described as a partnership.

Roquefort 16 is not simply carrying a rider around an arena. He is participating in a sophisticated conversation. Every movement is produced through cooperation between two athletes who have learned to understand one another.

That relationship is wonderful to see. 🤝🐎

✨ Trust That Cannot Be Faked

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Bianca and Roquefort 16 is the trust their partnership represents.

Dressage harmony cannot simply be switched on when a competition begins. It is developed through training, repetition, patience and countless hours spent together.

Behind every polished appearance in the arena are days when things went brilliantly and undoubtedly others when horse and rider had to keep working until everything finally came together.

That makes the finished performance even more admirable. 🌟

Every successful movement is a small celebration of teamwork.

🏅 Celebrating the Brilliance of Para Dressage

Paralympic dressage deserves enormous admiration in its own right.

These athletes demonstrate that elite sporting excellence comes in many forms. Para riders don't simply compete — they innovate. They discover highly individual ways of communicating with their horses while maintaining the precision and harmony expected within competitive dressage.

That requires tremendous ability. 💪💙

Bianca Vogel exemplifies those qualities beautifully.

Seeing her proudly mounted on Roquefort 16 is a powerful reminder of the confidence, courage and dedication required to enter an international arena and perform under scrutiny.

🌍 An Inspiration Beyond the Arena

What makes Bianca's story particularly meaningful is its ability to reach beyond equestrian sport.

Her performances can inspire people who may never have ridden a horse. They demonstrate that ambition can coexist with adaptation and that excellence does not have one predetermined appearance.

There is dignity in that message and enormous strength behind it. ❤️

Bianca deserves admiration for representing her sport with such determination, while Roquefort 16 deserves equal affection as the remarkable horse beside her.

👏🐴 A Partnership to Celebrate

Bianca Vogel and Roquefort 16 are a wonderful team worthy of celebration.

The rider brings courage, skill and determination. The horse brings sensitivity, generosity and trust. Together, they create the harmony that lies at the very heart of dressage.

Their partnership is beautiful, their dedication admirable and their presence in Paralympic dressage genuinely inspiring. 🌟🏆

Bravo, Bianca Vogel and Roquefort 16! 👏💙🐴

A remarkable rider.
A magnificent horse.
And above all, an extraordinary partnership worthy of the highest admiration. ✨🏅❤️

09/01/2026