Monday News and Notes from Success Equestrian

Photo courtesy John Kelly Photo courtesy John Kelly

John Kelly, father of Mattie Kelly, who is the barn manager/head groom at Kim Severson Eventing, sent EN a big hello from the other side of the world. He also sent the above feature photo for today’s news! He’s in Saudi Arabia for work and was on his way to dinner when he passed by the “local beach/flea market/bizarre/outdoor food course” when he saw a group of gentlemen advertising pony and camel rides and snapped a few photos to share with us back here at home. Thanks, John!

U.S. Weekend Action:

Pine Top Spring H.T. [Results]

MeadowCreek Park H.T. [Results]

Full Gallop Farm March I H.T. [Results]

Copper Meadows H.T. [Results]

Monday News and Notes:

What are you thinking about right before you enter the ring? Are you reviewing your test? Trying to suppress your nerves? Do you just tell yourself not to fall off? [Ask Five: What Are You Thinking?]

When it comes time to wean a foal from its dam, the weeks and days that follow are stressful not only for the mare and foal, but also their caretakers who have to listen to the constant whinnying. Depending on your barn setup, weaning may be done several different ways, but one recent study pointed to a foal quitting its mom cold-turkey and being moved to a totally new location was the least stressful scenario for the foals. [More radical weaning approach better in long term]

What makes an event horse? Sign up to attend Tik Maynard’s “The Making of an Event Horse” clinic April 18-19 in Bluemont, Virginia to find out. Tik is a professional event rider who specializes in performance horse psychology, giving him a unique edge to thoughtful training and development. [The Making of an Event Horse]

When it comes to colic, fast and accurate diagnosis is paramount. The two main methods of identifying the source of a horse’s abdominal pain are palpation per rectum and percutaneous (through the skin) ultrasound. Using the two methods together are now considered the best tools for diagnosis. [Ultrasound, palpation to diagnose colic]

Take the #roundtheworld challenge. The #roundtheworld challenge is a fundraiser for SPANA, an international animal charity based in London. The challenge is to see how many times you can go around the world in the saddle in 30 seconds. You remember doing this as kids, right? [Round the World Challenge]

Monday Video: Ben Hobday currently holds the #roundtheworld challenge record.