The Arizona Coyotes defenseman recently posted a photo on his Instagram account showing him on horseback, the horse standing on its hind legs.
"Social distancing with my best friend," Ekman-Larsson said on the post.
Instagram from @oel23: Social distancing with my best friend. 🐴 #yeezysandhorsies
"Yeah, a lot of people thought it was fake, but I have a video of it, too," Ekman-Larsson said during a video call arranged by the NHL with Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano and Vancouver Canucks forward Bo Horvat. "But I actually have a video of it, too, so I was going to post that in a couple of days to show that I actually can ride."
Video evidence of Ekman-Larsson's riding skills already exists. In February 2018 he took a group from HopeKids, a local nonprofit that supports kids struggling with different medical challenges, horseback riding at McDonald's Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Ekman-Larsson rides horses
"I grew up around horses, my mom had a lot of horses," Ekman-Larsson said. "So I go up north here in Scottsdale once in a while and just clear my mind a little bit, and [in the Instagram photo], I wanted to show off a little bit."