Friday News & Notes Presented by Zoetis

Great jumper! Rider needs some sticky spray…. Photo by Cayla Stone

Last week I was marveling at how pleasant this spring has been, and how I’ve been able to comfortably wear a jacket in the mornings and not sweat my brains out all day. Well, that time is over, and we skipped any kind of transition phase, as per usual with Virginia. Straight into the high 90’s and cue a massive sunburn for me, and sweaty horses all around. Summer! It has arrived finally. I forgot what it was like to walk around all day feeling sticky, but now I recall the feeling. Le sigh.

U.S. Weekend Preview

Chattahoochee Hills H.T. / USEA Intercollegiate Championships (Fairburn, Ga.): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Fair Hill International H.T. (Elkton, Md.): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Hunt Club Farms H.T. (Berryville, Va.): [Website] [Entries] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Otter Creek Spring H.T. (Wheeler, Wi.): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]

Spring Gulch H.T. (Littleton, Co.): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

News From Around the Globe:

There may be a relationship between the shape of a horse’s hooves and his state of soundness or lameness, but so far there is no definite answer as to which came first. In other words, does a particular horse with odd-shaped hooves have a greater than average risk of becoming lame, or does a horse become lame after which its hoof conformation changes because of variations in circulation, weight bearing, or other factors related to the horse’s particular unsoundness? Explore more answers about hoof shape and how you can identify possible future lameness issues here. [Hoof Shape & Lameness Relationship]

Now we are done with the Kentucky/Badminton whirlwind, we’ve got Luhmuhlen to look forward to! British Olympian Gemma Tattersall has withdrawn Chilli Morning’s daughter Jalapeno and New Zealand’s Tim Price has pulled out Falco IV, the 2021 Pau Horse Trials winner  who was pipped to have a good run in Germany. Other notable entries include Oliver Townend on two horses, and a few other intriguing combinations. [Entries to Luhmuhlen Updated]

Our own Chelsea Candy talked to Practical Horseman about how horses learn, including how being a prey animal affects their thinking and reactions. She discusses how we can best interact with our equine partners to train more effectively and form a better relationship. Don’t miss this video! [How Horses Learn]

Especially with younger horses, learning lateral work is a challenge that needs to be established for proprioception and flexibility training. Dressage trainer Michael Bragdell likes to introduce lateral work concepts on the ground before doing them under saddle. In this video, he explains and demonstrates executing a leg yield in-hand. It also gives him the opportunity to get an idea of how the horse feels before he gets on. [How to Train Leg Yield from the Ground]

Best of Blogs: Being an Equine Vet is Wonderful, Being an Equine Vet is Terrible

Best of Blogs Pt II: Becoming a Mare Person

Whoopsie! Even the best have silly mistakes over small fences.