May thunderstorms bring … muddy horses and pretty rainbows??
Ah spring … the time of year when you have to pull out the old tick jar. You know the one. The jar that lives in your barn near where you groom the horses, is filled with rubbing alcohol, and usually labelled with some sort of crap illustration of a dead tick (at least mine is). Now daily grooming also includes a rather aggressive and invasive inspection of all the weird hidden folds of your horse, including armpits and between the back legs, for teeny tiny little blood suckers. This is an age old tradition which is equal parts satisfying and disgusting, and regular humans would be revolted to hear that we collect them in jars.
National Holiday: National Cherry Cobbler Day
Major Events:
Event Rider Masters @ Wiesbaden Website, Start Times, Results, Live Stream
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Hitching Post Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Kent School Spring H.T. [Website] [Live Scores]
Fair Hill May H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Chattahoochee Hill May H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Otter Creek Spring H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
CCC Spring Gulch H.T. [Website]
News From Around the Globe:
Fair Hill has been approved for a $1 million grant towards improvements for the future 4* or 5* event. The Board of Public Works unanimously approved a Maryland Department of Natural Resources item that will authorize $1 million for design improvement services at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area in anticipation of the Cecil County site hosting a newly-designated, international equestrian event. Hoping to become one of only seven sights across the world to host the highest level of competition, and the second in North America, this is a big step for Fair Hill. [Board Approves Fair Hill Funding]
The USEA announced the six new inductees to the Eventing Hall of Fame for 2018. These inductees, which include horses, riders, veterinarians, and owners, have all made contributions to the sport that will last forever, and will be formally inducted during the Hall of Fame Gala at the 2018 USEA Annual Meeting this December. The list included Kerry Millikin’s Olympic partner Out and About, Nina and Tim Gardner, Captain Mark Phillips, Karen O’Connor, Howard Simpson and Dr. Marty Simensen. [2018 Hall of Fame Inductees]
As equestrians, we focus on the nutrition and fitness of our horses, so why don’t we put the same effort into our own fitness and nutrition? Luckily, we have a video of Daniel Stewart to help you be the best you can be. Coach Stewart explains that because equestrians lead such active lives, we don’t necessarily need to spend 40 minutes in the gym six days a week. By focusing on exercises that support the muscles we use when riding and making them harder than they have to be, short high-intensity workouts can be an effective way of increasing rider fitness. [Video: Rider Fitness Bootcamp]
Help a fellow rider out with this quick survey on indoor arenas! If you use an indoor to ride in on a regular basis, please take a few tiny minutes to answer these questions to help further research on the health implications of riding indoors. Thanks in advance! [Survey on Indoor Arenas]
