Friday News & Notes from FLAIR Nasal Strips

The infamous warmup at Pine Top. Photo by Carrie Meehan.

The famous warmup at Pine Top. Photo by Carrie Meehan.

Yesterday I did some gallops in a huge field that magically has a long slow uphill on one side and somehow a much less steep downhill on the other side, which makes it incredibly fun and involves a lot less pulling from the beast. It was very windy, and briskly cold enough to start with a trot set with a wool quarter sheet, and then once we warmed up, take that off. I was listening to my “guilty pleasures” mix on my phone, and Nyls was thrilled to be doing gallops (he knows the beeping patterns of the big yellow watch and behaves accordingly). I was thinking that there is almost nothing better than sitting on an incredibly powerful horse that knows his job, loves it, and is just about as smart as you, hiking up your stirrups, and going for some gallops alone on a brisk day. I mean, this is basically why we are horse junkies, for moments like that.

U.S. Weekend Preview:

Rocking Horse II H.T.  [Website] [Entry Status]

Paradise Farm H.T. [Website] [Ride Times]

Fresno County Horse Park CIC & H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times]

News From Around The Globe:

Congratulations to our 10 winners from this week’s Fab Freebie giveaway! If you see your name on this list, then check your email to find out how to claim your new pair of Equiflexsleeves! Our winners are: Jeannie Baggett, Marianne Blackmore, Michelle Eubanks, Stephanie Fitkin, Page Brooke Ferguson, Sarah Garber, Louise Jordan-Beam, Danielle Molnar, Catie Morgan, and Katie Wood. Congratulations to all! [Fab Freebie: Equiflexsleeve]

Do you have a crazy and/or weird talent that you’re dying to show off and use to win a cash prize?? Carolina International has a spot for you, with their inaugural talent show on March 21st! For $1,000 prize money, you can sing, dance, or juggle your way into infamy. You have to be affiliated with Eventing (duh) and submit an audition video via Facebook. [Enter Carolina’s Most Talented Here]

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we want to see your “Smooch Selfies”! Snap a photo of you smooching your horse and send it to us for a chance to win a prize pack from Kentucky Performance Products — horses make the best Valentines, right? [Smoochin’ Selfies for Valentine’s Day]

Photographing horses on the flat: an impressive skill that sometimes takes hours of practice, a good eye, and maybe a few extra throw away images. However, if you know what to look for, you can improve your ability to market your horses, and impress your friends! Horse & Hound has some great tips. [Photographing Dressage Horses]

As I just bought a load of beautiful timothy for my horses just two days ago, I’ve got hay on the mind. Knowing how and when to source your hay is one thing, but understanding the different types and their corresponding nutritional values is another. Good quality hay is the key to a good healthy horse, and that’s the goal for everyone. How do you balance having retirees or air ferns in the same barn as high performance athletes? Dr. David Ramey breaks it down. [Hay And Such]

Long-haired girls, let’s get together on this one. Now that the FEI has made it mandatory for the ladies (and the men, I’m looking at you Ludvig Svennerstal) to make sure their hair is neat and tidy under helmets, this means two things: 1) The FEI has made approximately one rule change so far that makes any sense and 2) You are probably in search of the ultimate hairnet that is sturdy and will contain all of your hair perfectly all day. I have hair that is….well….basically too long to be allowed, and I have found the only one that works for me is Real Women Ride No Knot Hairnet. Seriously, it keeps it on lockdown! [SmartPak Product Of The Day]

I love this idea, pairs teams of top show jumpers with little kids on ponies. How cool!

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