Big Top Circus Parade - Downtown Baraboo Celebration

Although quite a chilly day for July, the rain held off and the Big Top Circus Parade and Downtown Baraboo Celebration on July 27th came off very well, with many thousands of people lining the streets of my hometown to watch an old-fashioned circus parade, complete with elephant, marching bands, circus wagons, and mounted units. The Wisconsin Morgan Horse Club had a booth on the square, the star of which was Vicki, an 11 month old filly, who lives with Barb Holder and LUVS Morgan Rescue.  Vicki drew many folks to the booth, and volunteers answered lots of question.  The Morgan Parade Unit, human and equine, also looked great and performed like the professionals that they are.  While the parade has had to be on hiatus during the pandemic, we are hopeful it will return in 2022. 

"The Living Flag" from Witwen and elephant lead off the Big Top Parade.

 Wisconsin Morgan Horse Club Parade Unit participating in the Big Top Parade

 Club booth on the Square in Baraboo with star attraction, Vicki, an 11 month old Morgan filly. All photos copyright Ed Kearns. Used with permission.

Baraboo named a top five small town by Smithsonian Magazine

Baraboo, Wisconsin was recently named one of the top five small towns to visit in the US in 2013 by Smithsonian Magazine based on its abudance of natural beauty, cultural and historical offerings, museums and activities.

This isn't really news to Baraboo natives, but we are very proud that our town is included with such historically significant places as Gettysburg, PA and St. Augustine, FL in the top 5.

A link to the Smithsonian article is here.

Click on the link to the City of Baraboo page to get a calendar of upcoming events.

Book recommendation: "The Horse's Mind," by Lucy Rees

"The Horse's Mind," by Lucy Rees (Prentice Hall Press 1985).  The author notes (pages 22-24) that when a horse rolls its eye back and you see the white, it doesn't necessarily indicate temper or viciousness but only that he is trying to look behind him. This is just one example of the insights provided by this oustanding book, which is, hands down, the best explanation and analysis of how horses think and behave in respond to stimulus that I have ever read.  The book jacket says, "Lucy Rees runs a riding school and breaking and training center in Wales.  The skills she brings to training 'problem' horses are the result of lifelong experience with horses and her education, which includes years of study of zoology, neurophysiology, and behavioral science.  She has worked with totally wild horses, polo ponies, show jumpers an din the United States each year, with Morgans, Saddlebreds, cow ponies, and rodeo ponies."  I believe this book is out of print now so you might have to work to find it, but it's worth it.