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Arthur Sterling

Arthur Sterling is the Lead Specialist and Editorial Director of Equestrian Heritage & Horsemanship. With over 15 years of practical field experience in classical dressage training, equine biomechanics, and stable environmental design, Arthur collaborates extensively with certified master farriers, veterinary researchers, and classical academies across Europe and North America to advance ethical horsemanship, sound anatomical development, and evidence-based equine wellness.

Understanding Carbohydrates and Equine Metabolic Health

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Managing Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSC, comprising Ethanol Soluble Carbohydrates / ESC and starch) represents the single most critical, life-saving dietary discipline in modern veterinary clinical nutrition. For horses suffering from endocrine and muscle glycogen storage pathologies—including Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID / Cushing’s disease), Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM Type 1 and Type … Read more

Understanding Thrush and White Line Conditions

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Thrush, White Line Disease (WLD, clinically termed onychomycosis or “seedy toe”), and Equine Canker (Pododermatitis chronica verrucosa) represent the three most destructive, insidious microbial and proliferative pathologies compromising the structural integrity of the equine foot. While frequently grouped together under general hoof hygiene complaints, these conditions occupy entirely distinct anatomical niches and stem from fundamentally … Read more

The Historical Development of the Classical German Training Scale

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The Classical German Training Scale (Skala der Ausbildung) stands as the definitive, globally recognized physiological and biomechanical roadmap for the ethical, progressive gymnastic development of the ridden horse. Formulated over centuries of classical equitation—tracing its lineage from the ancient Greek treatises of Xenophon, through the Renaissance academies of Antoine de Pluvinel and François Robichon de … Read more

How to Implement Bio-Secure Protocols in Equine Boarding Facilities

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Biosecurity in equine boarding, training, and breeding facilities is the systematic implementation of physical architectures, sanitation chemistries, and operational protocols designed to prevent the introduction, transmission, and establishment of infectious equine pathogens. Equine facilities operate in an environment of continuous microbiological risk—accommodating transient competition horses, new boarding intakes, visiting veterinary haul-ins, and international bloodstock. Outbreaks … Read more

The Heritage and Working Capabilities of the Friesian Breed

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The Friesian horse, with its commanding jet-black coat, luxuriant flowing mane, feathered fetlocks, and expressive elevated gaits, stands as one of the world’s most recognizable, historically profound, and aesthetically majestic equine breeds. Originating in the isolated northern province of Friesland in the Netherlands, this ancient baroque breed has undergone a remarkable historical evolution—transitioning across centuries … Read more

How to Assess Body Condition Scoring Using the Henneke Scale

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The Henneke Body Condition Scoring (BCS) system represents the universally accepted, scientifically validated gold standard for evaluating subcutaneous adipose reserves and metabolic health in equines. Developed in 1983 by Dr. Don Henneke and his research team at Texas A&M University, this standardized 1-to-9 numerical scale provides equine veterinarians, nutritionists, and horse owners with an objective, … Read more

How Nutrition and Biotin Supplementation Influence Hoof Horn Growth

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The structural strength, horn growth rate, and microscopic tubule density of the equine hoof capsule are fundamentally governed by internal nutritional biochemistry and systemic metabolic health. Because the equine hoof wall grows at an average rate of 6 to 10 millimeters per month—requiring nine to twelve full months for newly formed horn at the coronary … Read more

The Classical Application and History of the Double Bridle

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The double bridle (known in classical German equitation as Kandare und Trense, and in the French academic tradition as la bride complète) represents the most delicate, refined, and misunderstood instrument of advanced equestrian art. Far from being a severe coercive brake designed to force submission, the classical double bridle functions as an exquisite musical instrument—often … Read more

How to Design an Optimum Passive Ventilation System for Equine Stables

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Proper stable ventilation is the single most critical environmental engineering factor governing equine respiratory health, athletic longevity, and stable structural preservation. Horses are obligate nasal breathers possessing an immense pulmonary capacity, inhaling between 60,000 and 90,000 liters of ambient air every 24 hours at rest. In an unventilated or poorly engineered barn, the rapid accumulation … Read more

Key Fundamentals of Preservation Breeding in Rare Equine Heritage Strains

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Preservation breeding of rare and endangered equine heritage strains is one of the most vital, complex, and urgent responsibilities in contemporary conservation biology and livestock genomics. Following the global industrialization of agriculture and the commercial homogenization of modern sport horse and racing registries, dozens of historic, genetically unique equine breeds face imminent extinction. These heritage … Read more